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  • Harith Noah’s focus on finishing, as Dakar 2022 beckons

    Harith Noah’s focus on finishing, as Dakar 2022 beckons

    Saudi Arabia: It is the Sherco TVS, the name that brings in the only representation for India in the form of Harith Noah, who enshrined his name as the best Indian performer at Dakar, with a stunning 20th overall in 2021 last January, after becoming the third Indian at the Dakar behind CS Santosh and teammate Arvind KP. Along with another privateer, Ashishrao Rane, it makes four in the Indian history of Dakar Rally, the mother of all cross-country events, which acquired the status of a World Championship round this year. Watch Dakar2022 Teaser here.

    SHERCO TVS RALLY FACTORY

    • Mark : SHERCO FACTORY
    • Model : 450 SEF RALLY
    • Performance tuner : Sherco TVS Rally Factory
    • Assistance : Sherco TVS Rally Factory
    • Class : M_GP_NO

    Harith Noah, left for Saudi after Christmas, after training in Spain and France for over a month fine-tuning he navigation skills and all set for another edition astride a #20 Sherco 450 SEF Rally in his now popular red boots and the yellow and blue riding gear. “My focus continues to be to finish the Dakar 2022. I will take it day by day and stage by stage and will be looking to face all the issues and tackle the myraid problems as quick as I can… So the target is to cross the finish line once again,” said the 28-year TVS Racing talent, to this writer in a chat on the day he left for Jeddah. This will be the third consecutive Dakar for Noah, who had faced issues with the bike on Day 3 in his maiden Dakar in 2020, but was lucky for the new class, and he duly gained all the experience by finishing in the “Dakar Experience Class.” That stood him in good stead as he became the best Indian in 2021 with a stunning 20th Overall finish.

    But along with the Sherco TVS team which supports Harith Noah as a private entry, the Hero MotoSports team too fields three foreign riders to keep the Indian flag flying for it is the only Indian manufacturer at Dakar. Meanwhile, the Indian constructor Hero will have its work cut out for it to bag a podium spot now that former Yamaha man Franco Caimi has been forced to sit out this one after crashing during training. Sherco has a clearer path to the same goal with the Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino, backed up by the dependable Harith Noah from Shoranur in Kerala, the southern Indian state.

    Harith Noah gets #20 as his competition number for 2022 as Sherco launches the kit on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia for the three riders.

    Honda has won the two previous editions of Dakar rally in Saudi Arabia, courtesy of Ricky Brabec and Argentina’s Kevin Benavides, but KTM is hell-bent on regaining the upper hand, going as far as to sign the Argentinian reigning champion.

    Despite a drought that started last century, Yamaha is still banking on Adrien Van Beveren to restore the brand with the tuning forks to its former glory.

    The 34 riders in the “Original by Motul” class may not grab as many headlines as the big stars of the category but they embody the shared adventure of pros and amateurs in the Dakar and will also be vying for a coveted title.

    The scene has changed a lot in the interlude between the 2021 and 2022 acts of the Dakar, and while the actors of the January melodrama remain mostly the same, a few now wear different costumes. Saudi Arabia shook up the competition and ushered in a new era of dominance by Honda, which brought down the curtain on the KTM hegemony, first with Ricky Brabec in 2020 and then with Kevin Benavides in 2021.

    However, the Argentinian reigning champion’s move to the Austrian outfit has made rivals of the former teammates, who not even a year ago were standing next to Sam Sunderland on the podium in Jeddah. As well as boosting its firepower in a major way, KTM has deployed its resources masterfully by sending its champions to its cousins at Gas-Gas and Husqvarna. Kevin Benavides will form a trident with Toby Price and another biker clad in orange overalls, Matthias Walkner, perhaps the man of the season after winning the Silk Way Rally, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the FIM World Championship.

    KTM’s sphere of influence extends to its Spanish ally, Gas-Gas, whose red bikes will be left to the care of Sam Sunderland and the up-and-coming Daniel Sanders, fourth last year in his first Dakar start.

    Meanwhile, Skyler Howes, fifth in 2021, has earned a spot on the Husqvarna factory team and is a credible title contender. Aware that the key battles are also decided behind the scenes, KTM has also recalled Marc Coma, one of its all-time stars, as a supervisor and strategist… The Austrians are bringing out the big guns!

     
    Honda is bound and determined to extend its victorious streak and has also landed a good catch in the transfer market. Ricky Brabec has stayed loyal to the Japanese brand, as has his teammate “Nacho” Cornejo, who crashed out of the overall lead two days before the finish in Jeddah. The young Chilean, who has made waves with his uncanny talent for navigation, will be riding alongside an older countryman, signing of the year Pablo Quintanilla, who adapted to his new machine so quickly that he has already claimed the Rallye du Maroc on it. Joan Barreda could also take over leadership duties depending on how the race unfolds. The most prolific active stage hunter in the category has a real shot at improving on his best finish so far (fifth in 2017) and even clinching the rally in his twelfth start.

    Lady Luck has not been kind to Yamaha riders in recent years, but they are still heading into the race with lofty ambitions. Their natural and historic leader, Adrien Van Beveren, remains as motivated as ever despite four consecutive withdrawals. The French biker has proved that he has racing on sand down to a science multiple times this season (second in the World Championship). He is joined by two dark horses, the American Andrew Short and the Botswanan Ross Branch, in a quest to bring Yamaha back to the top.

    Several young riders have already shown that they have what it takes to fight for the places of honour in their Dakar debut. 20-year-old American Mason Klein and 23-year-old South African Bradley Cox could steal the show on their first try, as could Italian Danilo Petrucci, now starting a new adventure in rally raids after a successful MotoGP career (two Grand Prix victories, sixth in the 2019 championship).


    Original by Motul: necessity is the mother of invention

    It is a band of companions, an oddball’s paradise and a field of fearsome competitors —all at the same time. “Original by Motul” bikers are nothing if not resourceful. They tackle the Dakar on its hardest difficulty setting by taking it upon themselves to maintain their bikes at the end of each stage. Seasoned veterans are joined by newcomers to the extreme “Original by Motul” challenge year after year. One thing is for sure: anyone would love to get their hands on this trophy.

    2022 should be a rematch for the same competitors who dominated the race in 2021. Lithuanian Arūnas Gelažninkas came out on top in his first outing in this class, beating 2020 champion Emanuel Gyenes and Benjamin Melot, who has finished on every step of the podium bar the top one.

  • I will be riding a nimble, lighter machine, says Harith Noah

    I will be riding a nimble, lighter machine, says Harith Noah

    Jeddah, 28 Dec 2022: The 44th edition of lthe Dakar will double as the opening round of the FIA and FIM World Rally-rid Championships for Cross-Country Rallying. India will be represented by a lone rider Harith Noah who says: “I will be riding a nimble, lighter machine.”

    The inclusion of the crown jewel of rally raids in a season-long competition offers a historic opportunity to unify the regulations of the sport an rise the profile year-round. ASO will be the Promoter of these Championships with the ambition to meet the high expectations of riders, co-drivers, and constructors, as well as viewers and fans who follow their exploits on screen.

    Round 1: Dakar, Saudi Arabia 1 to 14 Jan 2022;

    Round 2: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, 5 to 10 March, 2022;

    Round 3: Rally Kazakhstan 25 to 30 April, 2022;

    Round 4: Andalucia Rally, 7 to 12 June 2022;

    Round 5 Rallye du Maroc 7 to 12 October 2022;

    Harith Noah – An interview from Dakar.com

    It took him two editions to learn and adapt but 6 years after CS Santosh, Harith Noah became the second Indian rider to reach the finish of the world’s toughest rally. Not only did he achieve his dream he also managed the best ever performance for an Indian claiming an excellent 20th overall position. In the footsteps of pioneers Santosh CS and Aravind Prabhakar, the young man from Shoranur in Kerala had a rather long journey before taking on rallies.

    It started on his sixteenth birthday when he was given a motorbike. A weekend later, he was racing and although he finished last of that first race, his passion grew. His first encounter with the Dakar came thanks to the video tapes his dad would bring back from his business trips all over the world. He was 5 years old then and far from imagining that he would be on the start line of the 2020 Dakar.

    Part of the Sherco TVS factory team, Noah’s first encounter with the race was a hard one. He was indeed forced to retire from the rally as soon as day 3 due to technical issues. But thanks to the new “Dakar Experience” that allows competitors to carry on while no longer being in the general classification, he was able to learn and gain experience. For his third attempt, the 28-year old will again be alongside his team mates Lorenzo Santolino and Rui Gonçalves with the simple goal to once again finish whatever his previous performance.

    “I got my first bike in 2009 and on the next weekend I was racing in the paddy fields by my house in Kerala. I fell in love with it immediately. Two years later I became national supercross champion in the privateer class,” says Harith Noah, the five-time Indian Supercross champion.

    “My focus was really on supercross, not the Dakar and then TVS got involved. Concerning last year’s Dakar: at the end of the day I can only ride as well as I can. I was actually surprised I was 20th. I am the same guy I was before 20th position. This one result doesn’t mean it is always going to be like this. So many things can go wrong. There are always going to be problems. It’s about how you overcome them.

    “I am in the best shape physically after over six months of training and riding at the beach in my hometown in Kerala post last Dakar. Since September, I have been in Europe to focus more on roadbooks and navigation training. Two weeks ago, the team went to Morocco again as it is a good place to train with the long roadbooks similar to the Dakar.

    “The bike is brand new and I will be riding a nimble, lighter machine that is easier to ride and much more comfortable in technical sections,” Noah concluded.

    The 12 Stages (SS) and distances at Dakar 2022 in Saudi Arabia
  • Anil Abbas and Sini win Mangaluru RRPM TSD event

    Anil Abbas and Sini win Mangaluru RRPM TSD event

    Mangaluru, 26 Dec 2021: RRPM Adventure Regularity Run, an Open event TSD rally sponsored by JK Tyre concluded here with local couple Anil Abbas and Sini Anil bagging the Overall Victory on Sunday. The event is also supported by AJ Hospital and Research Centre.

    Indian Motor Sports Club (IMSC), founded by celebrated navigator Musa Sherif and INRC rally co-driver Ashwin Naik, two decades back, handled the event meticulously. IMSC ran the event for Ramakrishna Race Performance Management (RRPM) of Kolkata in the coastal city of Mangaluru.

    Anil Abbas and his wife Sini completed the Time, Speed, Distance rally clocking a penalty time of 00:00:49 beating another local pair Dr Vikram Jain and navigator, a champion co-driver Shruptha Padival, a regular for Deam Mascarenhas in INRC (Dean did not take part in this TSD event). Vikram logged a penalty of 55, as they took 6 seconds more to complete the undisclosed course of the rally using the Road Book and maintaining the required slow speeds consistently. Anoop and Devakanth GM, missed the second place on the podium, by a narrow margin of one second, and came a creditable third.

    TSD specialist Lalitha Gowda (right) with a new driver in Manjula Gowda receiving the trophy from IMSC’s Mrs Ramya Ashwin.

    Akhil Nayak and Nausha KM came fourth ahead of Dr Raghavendra Pidamale and Muralidhara Rao in fifth. Popular pair of Manjula Gowda and Lalitha Naik, could only finish sixth. Another JK Tyre lady driver, a INRC regular, Athira Murali, a gifted AutoVlogger from Kerala, combined with Saumya PN, and it was a top-10 finish for the only all-ladies team. The Speed Demon from Kottayam must have found the pace too slow for her liking. TSD drivers get a speed chart according to which the navigators need to calculate the Time, Speed, Distance to match the average speeds in different sections, that are usually less than the normal road speeds for general traffic in that area. Navigators with the help of odometres and special devices calculate and follow the ‘tulip’, a road book with directions prepared by the Route Setter.

    Athira Murali (2nd from right) and Saumya (right), the all-ladies team at Mangaluru.

    IMSC are experts in Route survey, Time Control rallies, preparing Marshals, and doing Paper work for a rally, especially in preparing Supplementary Regulations. “We have organised many rallies in Karnataka, we are associated with many INRC events and other biggies like The Desert Storm, The Hornbill Rally of Nagaland, the Rally of Arunachal, and other events all over North-East region,” said Musa Sherif, who has completed 298 rallies till now as a motorsports athlete. Organisers of motor sports events look for Clubs like IMSC to run events professionally in India.

  • FMSCI statement: Rally de Vizag, INRC 4w season

    FMSCI statement: Rally de Vizag, INRC 4w season

    As expected, the Federation of Motors Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) released a Statement on the INRC 4w 2021 fiasco as the season failed to take off. However, it absolves itself and appears to have blamed only the Promoter for all the ills and the circumstances leaving the Drivers in the lurch. However, it has to be seen how much money would the Clubs receive to host the remaining three rounds.

    It is also clear that the privateers, drivers and teams, will not get any compensation as expected and demanded by the Promoter. Only solace for the Factory team drivers, as JK Tyre is likely to compensate the 8 or 9 drivers who are in Yellow colours. With not many in the Red colours, virtually all the other 45 will have to fend for themselves.

    Read Yesterday’s article here.

  • fmsci Council members profiles: Just Sportz, Kolkata

    fmsci Council members profiles: Just Sportz, Kolkata

    Bengaluru, 24 Dec 2021: There are 12 Council members currently in the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) elected for a two-year term at the fmsci Annual General Meeting held on 12th October 2020 through Video conference. This Indian Motorsports website is starting to publish the profiles of the Council members starting with lesser-known members.

    Here is the Profile of Just Sportz, as per their Website.

    The current council members who were unanimously elected to Managing Committee of fmsci on 12 October 2020. The next AGM was held in Dec. 2021 but the proceedings are not yet in Public Domain, neither the Annual Report or the Audit report as of date.

    Six individuals with varied backgrounds but one common passion, MOTOR SPORTS, put their heads together to create JUST SPORTZ MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, a company which will promote JUST SPORTS!

    THE PASSIONATE SIX

    • SANJAY MAHESHWARI: A Chartered Accountant working as the CFO of a Hospitality company in Gurgaon. A very keen karter who has also organized numerous karting events at various levels. Involved in motor rallies as a participant and as an official.
    • SIDDHARTHA S. BOSE: A Chartered Shipbroker by profession, managing one of India’s largest shipping agency companies. A Past District Governor of Rotary International, currently a Member of Rotary International’s India National Polio Plus Committee and Treasurer of Bengal National Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Involved in motor sports since 1977 and a Senior Steward of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India [FMSCI].
    • SUBROTO KARR: Also a commerce graduate running his own business. An active Scout till recently. Represented both school and college in cricket and football and later involved in the administration of cricket clubs. A keen rallyist since 1996 and now involved in the organization of domestic and international motor sports events.
    • SUCHANDAN DAS: A commerce graduate running his own business. An ace marksman having bagged medals at the National level. Involved with motor sports for a long time, having successfully participated in motor rallies and thereafter as an organizer of both local and international events.
    • SUSOBHAN SARKAR: A science graduate with multiple business interests. Played table tennis and badminton as a student. Now actively involved as an organizer of numerous motor sports events at both the domestic and international level.
    • TAMAL GHOSAL: A graduate engineer with a First Class First in MBA to boot involved in real estate and infrastructure development. Successfully participated in various motor rallies and karting events on a pan-India basis and now involved as an organizer of similar events both locally and in the international arena. A Senior Steward of FMSCI and also a Sporting Steward and COC license holder of the racing commission and motor cross commission of FIM, the world body for two wheeler events.

    THE ROAD AHEAD
    Just Sportz will thrive to set a true example of Team work and deliver flawless ON TIME professionally managed event. Like minded people always make a difference to the alliance.

    It is but natural that the emphasis will be on MOTOR SPORTS

    Motor rallies of various kinds [in the city, in the state, in the country and across international borders] – Time Speed Distance [TSD], Stage Rallies, Motor cross, Gymkhanas, Drag races, Special events for ladies and the entire family. We hope to make the Car Rally for the Blind an annual event.

    As our name suggests, JUST SPORTZ MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED will give due attention to the promotion of other disciplines. Be it cricket, football, hockey, swimming, cycling, marathon ….you name it. Even LUDO if you please!

    BUILDING PASSIONS
    With the intention of involving more people in the exiting world of sports, JUST SPORTZ MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED is setting up the JUST SPORTZ ACADEMY.

    Membership in JUST SPORTZ ACADEMY will be of TWO categories – Life and Annual.Membership benefits:

    • Active association in our events
    • Participation in development & training programmes
    • Arranging and organizing workshops
    • Enjoying all other benefits of Just Sportz Academy

    JUST SPORTZ MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED has started it’s journey that will be further enhanced with a continuous process of COMMITTED EXCELENCE, TRANSPARENCY and TRUE SPORTSMANSHIP. Benchmarks that make an organization stay AHEAD!

    Editor’s Note: This profile is published as it is from the original source without any changes or editing except the intro para.

  • INRC 4w 2021 season curtailed to 3 rounds

    INRC 4w 2021 season curtailed to 3 rounds

    By David Bodapati, Indian Rally Historian (Check-out INRC Hall of Fame)

    Bengaluru, 23 Dec 2021: Many a rally lover might feel sad that there was no National rally in India in the year 2021, thanks to the second wave of Carona. But there appears to be a much worse killer virus that has been doing the rounds and, haunting the sport. However, the good news is that the fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for four-wheelers for the year 2021 will begin in the New Year (2022) but it will be restricted to three rounds. The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs (fmsci) in India is preparing to put out a “Statement” on the eve of Christmas, according to reliable sources.

    As already announced by the “erstwhile” Promoter, the season was scheduled to begin with the first round in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, from Dec 16 to 19 but the local city police chief, an IAS officer, played spoilsport and the lack of Police Permission to run on the “street roads” adjacent to the Bay of Bengal beaches forced the organisers to abruptly call off the rally, leaving all the 54 drivers who landed in the “City of Destiny’ on a forced vacation around the picturesque beaches, but with no joy.

    Vizag is a cosmopolitan city, with a culture similar to Bengaluru and unlike Hyderabad and Vijayawada, a commercial hub, the port city is a popular tourist destination. The planned stages were supposed to be held on the Vizag-Bheemli beach road, which saw many Hill Climbs and TSDs, that have been running here for over three decades, one of the main organisers two decades back being Kalinga Naval base. But with most of the riders and drivers moving to Cities, the local organisers became inactive. Near the beach road, there also existed an fmsci-approved Karting track that hosted the 2012 Nationals final round of Rotax Max event. It was washed away by the cyclone in 2017 and rendered useless as the tarmac became bumpy.

    Coming back to INRC, the remaining three rounds, the K1000 in January, the Rally of Coimbatore in February and the South India Rally in March are expected to take place on the same dates which were announced earlier and confirmed by the the Federation (FMSCI) calendar on Dec 21. Former Federation Presidents Bharath Vivek Chandhok of MMSC, Prithiviraj of CASC and current Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) President Gautam Shantappa, an F1 Marshal, confirmed that the clubs are ready to host the three rounds as scheduled. KMSC appears to be ready with the SR, as the route for this year’s rally is expected to be the same one that was prepared for last year’s K1000 (but not held). Supplementary Regulations are usually released one month before the event to facilitate smooth logistics for the participants. So the SR should be out in a day or two, if everything goes well.

    However, the finances are an issue but the Rally Commission for four-wheelers which met on Dec 22 seems to have addressed the issue. The clubs are likely to get Rs.8 lakhs each from the Federation, from the money that was paid by the Promoter to the Federation as INRC bidding fees. The Promoter has paid Rs.75 lakhs for the three-year contract which began in 2019, but the Federation exteneded the rights for one more year for all the Promoters of all the 12 National championships due to COVID 19. There is no clarity on how it works for those who have bid for five years like Madras Motor Sport Club, which is the promoter for three Nationals. The clubs are expected to fend for themselves and look for sponsors to raise the remaining money to organise one round of the Rally Nationals. Conservative estimates, experts feel, put the cost at around Rs.20 lakh to run one round of rally, while a decently-run rally with minimum facilities for all the participants and other stakeholders needs an amount of about Rs.30 lakhs, a former RallyCom member said.

    The cureent Rally commission is headed by chairman Farokh Commissariat. There are rumours that the Promoter has resigned after Rally de Vizag failed to take off while some claim that the Federation has used the termination clause. Either way, the INRC will be without a Promoter for 2021. The worst-ever Calendar year in the three-decade INRC history was the two-round 2012 season. Most of the years had five rounds while nine rounds were hosted in 1995 and 1996. Leelakrishnan, Gaurav Gill, Naren Kumar and Hari Singh and navigators Musa Sherif, Farooq Ahmed, Ram Kumar, are some of the most decorated stalwarts in INRC 33-year history. Many unsung heroes too had their occasional glory but suffered team orders or reasons beyond their control.

    Driver-friendly news?

    Whatever may be the situation, the good news is that the Promoter recommended to FMSCI that each participant who registered for Vizag rally be paid a compensation of Rs.1.5 lakh from the Rs.50 lakh which he claimed is with the Federation as the 2021 season is yet to start. It is a simple logic that all the monies a Sports Federation earns must be pumped back into the sport. It is time for all the stakeholders to realise that, ultimately it is the Sportpersons, who keep the sport alive. Not the Federation, not the organisers, not the former sportspersons, not the Media, et al. Will the Drivers and teams get back the money they spent on Rally de Vizag is a million-dollar question. All the drivers know and organisers know these answers.

    TIME TO RESPECT THE RIDERS AND DRIVERS! They have been taken for granted for too long. Only when this simple issue is sorted out, one will know who are the sinners, who are the saviours of Motorsports in India!

  • Aaron Mare replaces injured Caimi in Hero Dakar team

    Aaron Mare replaces injured Caimi in Hero Dakar team

    Bengaluru, 23 Dec 2021: Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, today announced a change in its rider line-up for the Dakar Rally 2022. However, there will no Indian riders from Hero as their main rider, CS Santosh, who suffered a crash in 2019, is yet to recover completely, a press release from Hero MotoSports said.

    The only Indian at the Dakar will be Harith Noah. Another privateer, Ashish rao Rane is yet to announce his decision. However, he has not taken part in the qualifier rally.

    Hero MotoSports rider Franco Caimi, a five-time Dakar participant, will not be able to compete in the 2022 edition of the Rally due to an injury that he suffered in Dubai recently. Initially expected to be fit in time for the Dakar, Franco has elected to sit out the rally to ensure full recovery ahead of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in March 2022. This would have been Franco’s first Dakar in Hero MotoSports colors. He joined the team in April 2021, adds the release.

    Replacing him for the Dakar Rally only will be Aaron Marè from South Africa. This will be his second appearance at the Rally. Aaron is an experienced rider and has been consistently demonstrating his skill and speed recently.

    Following an illustrious early career across Europe and the USA, Aaron has been racing in the deserts of Dubai since 2016. His career highlights include podiums and wins at the UAE Baja Championship, Dubai International Baja, and Emirates Desert Championship. He also won the Desert Storm Rally 2019 in Jaisalmer, India.

    Aaron has had a strong run in 2021, winning the UAE Desert Championship and finishing fourth at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, one place behind Joaquim Rodrigues, who will be his teammate for the Dakar.

    This will be the sixth time at the Dakar for Joaquim who finished fourth in the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. The duo of Joaquim and Aaron will take on the challenges of the Dakar astride the powerful Hero 450 Rally and an expert team beside them.

    Editor’s Note: Except the second para the Hero MotoSports Press Release is published without any editing.

  • Abdul Tanveer crowned overall National Champion 2021: 2w Rally

    Abdul Tanveer crowned overall National Champion 2021: 2w Rally

    TVS Racing wins four top glamorous classes of the 2021 National Rally Championship for two-wheelers in a dominant fashion at the final round in Nashik. For many years now, the Premier Racing Team in the country has been winning the Overall Championship and National titles in multiple categories. Defending champions Samuel Jacob and Aishwarya Pissay won the National titles in their respective classes with a round to spare while Pavan BK too won the Super Sport 165cc Group B with a huge margin in the penultimate round itself. However, it is World Cupper Miss Pissay, who dominated the season like no other, winning 150 out of 150 points.

    Abdul Wahid Tanveer wins 2w National Rally Championship

    Abdul Tanveer, the Overall Champion, for 2021.

    Nashik, 19 Dec. 2021: Mysore’s Abdul Wahid Tanveer of TVS Racing was crowned the National champion in the GodSpeed MRF Mogrip fmsci National Rally Championship 2021 for two-wheelers which concluded with the sixth and final round held here on the picturesque foothills of Sahayadri mountain ranges on Sunday Dec. 19, with a consistent show finishing all the six rallies.

    Champions All

    Abdul Wahid Tanveer, Asad Khan, Ajin Abraham, Pavan BK, Samuel Jacob, Sajeesh Reghunathan, Mohammed Zaheer, Karthik and Aishwarya were the National champions for 2021 in their respective classes from Class 1 for Super Bikes Pro-Expert to Class 8 Ladies category.

    Profiles of these 2021 champions will be published soon.

    Aishwarya’s stunning Record

    Champions All: The triumphant TVS team at Nashik on Dec 19. Photo from TVS

    Meanwhile, 2019 World Cup Baja winner, the only world champion in motorsports from India, Aishwarya Pissay, astride a TVS RTR200, continued her winning spree as she made a clean sweep of all the rounds and added one more National title to her glittering career.

    The Bengaluru rider who made her rally debut in the last round of 2016 season, decided to do both road racing and rallying from 2017 and promptly won both the Nationals. The 2021 title is her fifth consecutive National championship victory in Ladies Class. For record she has 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 INRC titles and 2021 National Rally Championship title. Apart from these five Nationals she is also the maiden National champion in Road Racing when the ladies class was accorded National status in 2017. She won the inaugural MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship Ladies Class in 2017.

    The rider supported by Hyperice and Scott, had a blemishless year and young Tanika Shanbagh was the only rider who put up a semblance of a fight but the Kannadiga from Satara, who was bothered by an injury to her leg. But Tanika bravely put up a fight, and deservedly finished second. She did clock some fast times, especially in the slush and muddy terrain, which vanquished many a rider. The talented rider, is focussed and her race craft and hardwork, with experience will surely take her places as she got her fundamentals right. Taking part in different rounds, 10 ladies entries, speak well for the Women in Motorsports, with Sprint Ladies champion 2021, Deeksha joining for the last round in Nashik. Apoorva B, despite taking part in only three rallies finished third in the championship.

    Consistent Tanveer is champ

    Astride a TVS RTR450, Tanveer, who joined TVS Racing in 2014, won only the third and fourth rounds, but finished all the other rounds in second place for valuable points and defeated teammate and 2019 champion Rajendra RE by a comfortable margin of 22 points. Rajendra, who began with a bang winning the opening round in Hampi, appeared to have taken a decisive lead winning Round 2 too, but the treacherous terrain and the slush killed his hope as he logged a DNF (Did Not Finish) in the next two rounds that virtually put paid to his hopes. The victory at the last round here is only a consolation as Tanveer proved that he could ride in any terrain. The old adage, for finishing first, first you have to finish the rally, proved true as Rajendra’s three wins went in vain.

    Tanveer, popular as Tanni in the TVS garage, made his international debut in 2017. He took part in the PanAfrica Rally 2018 at Morocco from September 8 to 15 for a creditable overall eighth position on debut. Moreover, he bagged the first place in Enduro Class in one of the stages and went on to do well in Morocco rally next year in 2019 winning the laurels for the country in his class.

    TVS brilliance continues – Samuel retains his class

    Samuel Jacob, Group B 260cc Class Champioin for 2021

    Defending overall champion, Samuel Shajan Jacob won the championship in the Group B 260cc class for the second year in a row, riding an Apache RTR200. The Udupi rider who joined TVS in 2018 has a Masters in Logistics and Supply Management and thus is a thinking rider, aware of his strengths. Though he lost to teammate Tanveer in overall class, he enjoyed a dominant run this season, with five wins in six rounds and excelled with brilliant riding skills and consistent performance, especially in the wet rounds. Just 28, he celebrated his birthday with a deserving win on Dec 4 with a victory in a tricky round.

    Samuel Jacob in action, all photos courtesy TVS

    Karthik keeps up the tempo till end

    Karthik Naidu clinched his maiden title, winning in the scooter class with a rally spec TVS Ntorq 125. He won the title by a margin of just 11sec, with the title coming down to the last loop of the rally. Though the Ntorqs dominated, the class he found some thrilling competition which brought alive the championship and kept it open till the end. It is the NTorq which stood him in good stead in all the obstacles he came across.

    Karthik Naidu, the scooter champion in action.
    Karthik Naidu

    B Selvaraj, Team Manager, TVS Racing, said, “It has been an incredible season for the TVS Racing team at the 2021 INRC.  I am thrilled with the performance of all the TVS Racing riders, and their hard work and dedication have paid off.Abdul Wahid Tanveer was consistent and flawless and won overall & Group A 450cc category championship. Samuel Jacob worked hard to put up a good show throughout the season and won the Group B 260cc class championship.Aishwarya completely dominated the ladies’ class of the season with six straight wins, and it is her 5th consecutive national title.  Karthik N also put up a staller show andemerged as champion in scooters class.

    “I would like to thank all the TVS Racing team crew for their relentless work and immense efforts in keeping the motorcycles and scooters at its best form.”

    “Not just the pandemic, the rains too created havoc. But we managed to complete the Championship on time and we are the only fourth Nationals after Karting and Sprint to finsih all rounds successfuly. Now it is Supercross in full swing,” said Shyam Kothari, a 7-time former National champion in three different disciplines of motorsports and the man behind the whole show. A biker known for his spectacular jumps he is the man behind the show for two Nationals, the MRF Mogrip rally and Supercross, promoting under GodSpeed Racing. The Supercross Nationals will begin next month from Indore.

    Final audited Results: (To be added)

    Champions: 2021 National* Rally Championship (two-wheeler)

    Class 1: Super Bike Pro-Expert Group A: Abdul Waheed Tanvir 122 points;

    Class 1A: Super Bike Expert Group A: Asad Khan, 94;

    Class 2: Super Sport 130 Group B: Ajin Abraham 110;

    Class 3: Super Sport 165 Group B: Pavan BK 136; (Won with 1 round to spare)

    Class 4: Super Sport 260 Group B: Samuel Jacob 143; (Won with 1 round to spare)

    Class 5: Super Sport 400 Group B: Sajeesh Reghunathan 133

    Class 6: Super Sport 550 Group B: Mohammed Zaheer 129;

    Class 7: S0 to S3 Scooter 210 Group B: Karthik 122;

     Class 8: Ladies Class Group B: Aishwarya Pissay 125 (Won with 1 round to spare);

    *Note: Till 2020 the Championship nomen clature was Indian National Rally Championship for 2w. From 2021 it is changed to National Rally Championship by FMSCI, the governing body for sport in India.

  • From karts to F1 world champion: the Max Verstappen story

    From karts to F1 world champion: the Max Verstappen story

    With Max Verstappen claiming the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship driver’s title following his dramatic win at the Abu Dhabi season finale, we explore how he has developed from a precociously talented young karter to sit at the very pinnacle of the motor-racing world. Here is all you need to know:

    Born to race

    – That Verstappen’s father, Jos, was also an F1 driver is well known; his career spanned much of the 1990s and he was a team-mate of Michael Schumacher. However, Max benefits from a double dose of racing DNA as his mother, Sophie Kumpen, enjoyed a successful karting career of her own, winning the Andrea Margutti Trophy in 1995.

    – Speaking on the Beyond the Ordinary podcast, David Coulthard, an F1 contemporary of Verstappen Sr, explains: “The absolute commitment that was carried in his [Jos’s] DNA has been passed on to Max, and I think that what the Verstappen family has done is work very hard to give him the best grounding – through karting, into cars – make great choices and position him now in a very happy place.”

    An early start

    – At the point most of us are making our first wobbly attempts to ride a bike, young Max was getting a taste of motor racing. As Jos recalls, “He was four-and-a-half when we first put him in. He did it for one day and immediately we bought him a bigger go-kart.”

    – Was that a nerve-wracking experience for the watching parents? Jos adds, “Not really, because I think he was about two-and-a-half when he was [first] driving on a quad bike, so he had quite a lot of experience with speed, how to steer…”

    First race

    – By those standards, it must have seemed like an interminable wait for his first taste of competitive action. Max was the grand old age of seven by the time he was lining up on the grid for the first time.

    – Thankfully, the wait to experience the thrill of victory was not quite as long, as Max went straight out and won that first race. Jos recalls, “We’d prepared very well. He was racing against other mini juniors, who could be nine or 10 years old, so he was competing against a lot older boys.”

    Doing the hard yards

    – What followed over the next decade or so really laid the foundations for the world champion of today. Together, father and son devoted themselves to Max’s nascent career, travelling from race to race in their van and racking up victory after victory.

    – Jos explains, “I think every year we were racing, we were winning championships. You do a lot of races, but what I also really enjoyed was all the things around it. You know, the two of us together in the van, all the preparation you have to do before… I miss it now, but at that moment I really enjoyed it. We did about 80-100,00km a year, every year and we did that for 10 years. It was quite intense.”

    Making the jump to F3

    – It’s no exaggeration to say that Max made an immediate impact when he made the switch over to cars. Former Red Bull Racing teammate Alex Albon reveals, “Max was straight away quick when he joined the championship. He was aggressive back then as well. We didn’t have any altercations – we would never fight, there was always that mutual respect – but, at the same time, we were definitely rivals.”

    F1 comes calling

    – With 10 race victories and third place overall in his maiden F3 championship, it wasn’t long before Formula One teams started taking a look at the talented youngster, and in August 2014 Helmut Marko signed Max up to Red Bull Racing’s driver development programme.

    – We saw him in action during free practice at that season’s Japanese GP, but it was seven months later, at the season-opening Australian GP in Melbourne, that he first lined up in Toro Rosso colours in earnest. Aged just 17 years old, he was F1’s youngest-ever competitor.

    – Max recalls, “Some said, of course, that I was too young. At the time, I didn’t even have my driving licence. They knew of course that I was in Formula One, but the driving instructor, he was very strict, which was good. I had caps, t-shirts ready in case somebody needed to be bribed, but he didn’t take it!”

    From youngest driver to youngest winner

    – An outstanding first season brought not only plenty of championship points, but also awards for rookie of the year, personality of the year and action of the year for his stunning overtake at Belgium’s Spa circuit.

    – That meant it wasn’t long until Marko was on the phone again, and Max was promoted to drive for Red Bull Racing from the 2016 Spanish GP. As Coulthard explains, “It was a great opportunity. Helmut and Red Bull have shown an ability to back young talent and give them an opportunity.”

    – His impact, of course, was immediate and he held off Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen in the closing stages to become F1’s youngest race winner at 18 years and 228 days, making headlines around the world.

    – Max recalls the experience, “I started cramping a little bit with five laps to go because of the excitement and the focus. It was pretty crazy, I was literally counting the laps at the end, there was a lot of pressure. My dad was getting so excited at the end that his nose started bleeding.”

    Fine tuning his style

    – His debut win at Barcelona was just a taster for what was to come as Max picked up two victories in the 2017 season at Malaysia and Mexico to place sixth overall in the championship.

    – He needed to show some resolve at the start of the 2018 season following two frustrating retirements in Bahrain and Azerbaijan with his first Austrian victory lifting his spirits en route to another Mexican win and fourth in the championship.

    – He upped the ante in 2019 to score three wins with an Austrian repeat, German triumph and Brazilian victory to finally finish the season in the top three overall.

    – Two victories in the shortened 2020 season saw him place third overall again as he tightened up his driving style and looked to eliminate the occasional hot-headed error that had cost him before.

    Eye on the title

    – After a successful off-season getting his mind and body in shape, Max powered off the grid quickly in 2021 with two wins and three second places in the first five races before a tyre blowout at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix cost him valuable points.

    – It was the British Grand Prix, though, that truly elevated the rivalry with Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton’s controversial move put Max into the tyre wall at a dangerous speed.

    – To Max’s credit, he bounced back with wins in Belgium and his home Dutch Grand Prix before the hotly debated moment in Germany when he clashed with Hamilton again forcing both out.

    – Since then, Max has managed to stay out of trouble with US and Mexican GP wins sandwiched by four second places as the title race headed down to the wire in the Middle East.

    – With his Abu Dhabi GP victory finally seeing him crowned Formula One world champion for the first time, the future is extremely bright for the 24-year-old and a Red Bull team eager to bank more titles next year.

    – As Coulthard, no stranger to title tussles himself, explains, “This is a classic period. When we’ve had these titanic battles in the past, they might come along once a decade or 20 years, but when it happens it’s a wonderful thing to be able to witness two greats go toe-to-toe.”

  • Santa comes to the rally stages with Team #MRFTyres!

    Santa comes to the rally stages with Team #MRFTyres!

    A little Christmas cheer for the fans in Italy as the Italian Rally Championship – Gravel champioin Andreucci Paolo and co-driver M Bimbi takes to the stages in this cool special Christmas livery!

    Team MRF Racing took to social media with these beautiful images as the team gets ready to rally in Italy,.