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I expect to see a lot more Indian fans on the stages, says CS Santosh: Dakar 2020
CS Santosh…..on a charge. File photo – Anand Philar Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), 31 Dec 2019: In the Dakar’s 40 years of history, Santosh Chunchunguppe Shivashankar will be remembered as the first ever Indian competitor to take part in the event.
It was back in 2015 and not only did the man known as `CS Santosh’ start and finish the rally, he also managed to raise enough awareness back home to seduce Hero, the biggest selling motorcycle brand in India. Five years after his debut, the rider from Bengaluru has finished three out of five Dakar rallies managing his best performance of finishing 34th in 2018. His most-recent appearance unfortunately ended as soon as Day 5 after a severe crash last year.
The 36-year-old returns in an even stronger Hero team, thanks to the arrival of experienced Paulo Gonçalves (2nd of the Dakar in 2015). A recruitment that delights the Indian, eager to carry on the learning. On a new territory, closer to India, he also knows he’ll be a lot more followed by both the media and the huge Indian community living in Saudi Arabia.
“Funnily, I never watched any motorsports before the age of 16. I have absolutely no motorsports background in my family. I was raised to go to college and probably work in software. Then my dad bought me a bike to go to school and that’s when my love of riding really started. Racing probably saved me from getting into trouble. It gave me something to focus on with passion. As a kid, while growing up, I remember being fascinated by adventure, and that fascination continues to this day. Last year I started really well with a 20th spot on Day 1, but had to quit after crashing during stage 5.
“I say this every year but I’m still hoping to finish in the Top 20. I’m still chasing that number but of course I have to start by finishing. The fact of going on unknown territory is really interesting. We won’t just have dunes but also a lot of rocky tracks. I have to adapt to different conditions. To win you need to be a good overall rider. Saudi Arabia is a lot closer to India and the time difference is the same. I know that there will be a lot more media attention and I also expect to see quite a few Indian fans on the stages. Having Paulo (Gonçalves) with us gives the team more ambition. I learn a lot from him, not just on the technical side but also on the bike setting.”
Dakar Village
With just a few days to go before the drivers and crews battle it out on the tracks and in the dunes, the Dakar Village systematically marks an important meeting of conviviality for all and provides an opportunity to experience what the Dakar is all about. This year the Village will be installed along the Red Sea for three days, precisely on the North Corniche of Jeddah.
The 6,000m² site is built for fostering encounters between the rally participants and the public. The Dakar Village is a great occasion for visitors to attend autograph sessions with the competitors, demonstrations and various activities designed to get the spectators into the race in their own way.
Visitors will be able try their hand behind the wheel thanks to virtual reality and a driving simulator. They will also have the chance to discover the Dakar Museum where cars from the Dakar’s past and future will be on display. The organisers have also thought about children who will have a go with pedal cars on their very own circuit.
At night, the Dakar Village will transform into an open-air theatre for a spectacular show featuring Saudi rider Shadi Al Daheri.
The Dakar partners (Motul, BF Goodrich, Aquafina, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Honda, Red Bull, Rebellion, Kärcher, DExt Official Dakar Shop) will be present in the village for the three days with games and quizzes as well as thousands of prizes to be won.
(Santosh Interview courtesy #Dakar2020)
File photo of CS Santosh in action. Photo – Hero Motorsport -
Champions Yacht Club brings big time motorsports to Vijayawada: INAC finals
File photo of Mysore Autocross 2019 for representational purpose courtesy Keshava Murthy By Jayaram Sridhar
Vijayawada (AP), 30 Dec 2019: Big time motorsport is all set to enter Vijayawada as the finals of the Indian National Autocross Championship (INAC) will be held at Pavithra Sanghamam from January 10 to 12 in which as many as 64 cars are participating, according to Merla Vamsi of Champions Yacht Club, which is organizing the event.
Speaking at the pre-event press conference, he said the motor racing will be held at the 2-km track laid at the parking area of Pavithra Sanghamam in which around 10 to 12 curves would be designed for the cars to tackle. “Top racers like Gaurav Gill, Dean Mascarenhas and other top Indian drivers will set the track ablaze,” he added.
“The driver eligibility for the INAC final was based on the performance in the four regional rounds – South Zone, West Zone, North Zone and East Zone. Run under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), Auatocross is an entry point for many budding drivers to kick-start a career in motorsports. The championship is based on a point system”.
He said the cars will be allowed to drive a distance of 200 metres at a single stretch before they prepare to tackle a curve. “Two cars will take the track simultaneously with a speed limit of 80 kmph”.
Vamsi said efforts were on spruce up galleries for 10,000 spectators. “The galleries will be properly barricaded and it will be spruced up 30 feet away from the track. We are taking all precautionary steps for the safe conduct of the event which will witness several nail-biting finishes,” said senior rally driver Phalguna Urs, who is in charge of the team that designed the track.
“Ambulances, fire tenders and hospital backup and all safety arrangements for the event are in place,” he added.
Vamsi said the cars will enter the city on the trailers and would go through various safety checks and official scrutiny before they are allowed to hit the track.
“It is a good opportunity for the motorsport enthusiasts to witness the race and it is held for the first time in Vijayawada. After Amaravati F1H2O Power Boat racing championship in 2018, this is the biggest sporting event to be held in Vijayawada”.
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Hemanth Mudappa annexes drag crown for a hat-trick; Jessica wins girls title: Drag Nationals
Hemanth Mudappa with the trophies at MMRT on Sunday. Photo by Team Mudappa for INDIAinF1 Chennai, 30 Dec 2019: Defending champion from Bengaluru, Hemanth Muddappa of Mantra Racing dominated the 2019 MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship as he annexed the title for the third year in a row with a grand double while also equalling the course record at the MMRT, here last weekend.
Attributing his success to the team work by Mantra Racing, in preparing his BMW S1000RR bike in the top-end Unrestricted Supersport class, Muddappa won both the Rounds 3 and 4 for a clean sweep. He clocked 8.070 seconds in Round 3 on Saturday and then, in the next round on Sunday, he did 7.976 seconds to equal the record he had set in the second round in October erasing his own earlier record.
The 29-year old Coorgi made a clean sweep winning all the four rounds for a maximum of 100 points. Hafeez Khan and Harish Naik finished second and third in the National championship. Hemanth, currently heads the leading sports nutrition brand, `1up Nutrition India’ and is based in Bengaluru.
Also scoring a double and claiming the National title is Nivetha Jessica in the Girls category. The 22-year old rider scored her maiden National Championship scoring 93 points. The Bio-Tech engineering graduate from Chennai who made her debut as a privateer in 2017, said: “I have faced a lot of hurdles and finally to overcome all of them with hardwork and support from my team, family and friends makes me so glad.”
Another rider to score a double is Bengaluru’s Aiyaz, who is crowned Nationial Champion in the 361-550cc Supersport Indian class. Local challenger Yogeshwaran, though failing to win a race over the weekend, still garnered enough points to claim the title in the 226-360 Supersport Indian category with 67 points, just two ahead of fellow-Chennai rider AS Alexander.
Bengaluru’s Mohammed Rafiq topped both the 2-Stroke categories (up to 130cc and 131-165cc) and bagged the National title in both classes.
Round 3 of the championship was held on Saturday, Dec 28 and Round 4 on Sunday, Dec 29.
File photo of Hemanth Muddappa with his BMW S1000R and his trophy from Round 2 Sporting a T-shirt that proclaimed him as 2019 champion, with years 2017and 2018 at the bottom denoting his hat-trick, a visibly pleased Mudappa said: “Much hard work went in this year and I am thrilled to complete my hat-trick and a big thank you to my team.’’
“I can’t thank the almighty enough for all his blessings to close this perfect season and end 2019 on a high. I thank the prayers and blessings of my parents and the special lady,’’ he added.
He had a special mention for Mantra Racing and the man behind it, Sharan J Pratap but did not forget his mechs Maruti, Mueen, Manju, Omkar and Nithin. “And off course, the big daddy Pratap Jayaram. Without all of them this season would not have been possible. Big thank you to my wingmen And #1 bike transporter Appu Raj of Power Star and Mohan who are the best support crew I could ask for.
In his hour of triumph, he remembered his friends who gave him a tough fight with the top-three finishing very close. “Hearty congratulations to my great friend Hafeez Khan on securing 2nd in the championship. Congratulations to Harish Naik to get 3rd in his debut racing season,’’ he quipped adding kudos to Zubair Ali Jung for giving a great fight. There was also a special shout-out to Nihas from Colour Me Crazy Customs, who custom-made the Gold championship helmet, in MotoGP style.
“Thank you MMSC and FMSCI, the organisers and governing body of motorsports in India. Thank you all my friends and supporters for the wishes you showered me with,’’ he concluded.
Nivetha Jessica with her tropies at the MMRT on Sunday. Photo by Team Jessica for INDIAinF1 The results (All 4-Stroke unless mentioned):
Unrestricted Supersport (Round-3): 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (08.070secs); 2. Zubair Ali Jung (Bengaluru) (08.315); 3. Harish Naik (Bengaluru) (08.676). Round-4: 1. Muddappa (07.976, equals course record); 2. Hafizulla Khan (Bengaluru) (08.411); 3. Naik (08.554). National champion: Hemant Muddappa (100 points).
361-550cc Supersport Indian (Round-3): 1. Aiyaz (Bengaluru) (12.503); 2. Attaulla Baig (Bengaluru) (12.522); 3. Anandhu KK (12.583). Round-4: 1. Aiyaz (12.230); 2. Baig (12.337); 3. Anandhu (12.443). National champion: Aiyaz (90 points).
226-360cc Supersport Indian (Round-3): 1. AS Alexander (Chennai) (13.123); 2. Bharath (Chennai) (13.192); 3. Ashish Rungta (Chennai) (13.413). Round-4: 1. Shankar Guru (Bengaluru) (12.896); 2. Rungta (12.986); 3. Alexander (13.009). National champion: Yogeshwaran (Chennai) (67 points).
166-225cc Supersport Indian (Round-3): 1. N Deepak (Chennai) (13.655); 2. Aiyaz (Bengaluru) (14.194); 3. S Ahamed Vasin (Chennai) (14.883). Round-4: Deepak (13.366); 2. Venu SMD (Bengaluru) (13.835); 3. Mohammed Imran (Bengaluru) (14.251). National champion: N Deepak (83 points).
Up to 165cc Supersport Indian (Round-3): 1. Sooriya PM (Chennai) (14.352); 2. Anand R (Chennai) (14.468); 3. Bharath (Chennai) (14.501). Round-4: 1. Anand R (14.373); 2. Sooriya (14.472); 3. Bharath (14.586). National champion: Sooriya PM (68 points).
GIRLS (Up to 165cc, Round-3): Nivetha Jessica (Chennai) (16.075); 2. Czimkhy (Kerala) (16.438); 3. Ann Jennifer (Chennai) (16.450). Round-4: 1. Nivetha Jessica (15.954); 2. Soundari Ananth Raj (Speed Up Racing, Chennai) (16.328); 3. Ann Jennifer (16.387). National champion: Nivetha Jessica (93 points).
2-Stroke Up to 130cc Supersport (Round-3): 1. Mohammed Rafiq (Bengaluru) (13.183); 2. Hussain Khan (Mumbai) (13.376); 3. Syed Nayeem (Bengaluru) (13.549). Round-4: 1. Mohammed Rafiq (12.990); 2. Hussain Khan (13.499); 3. R Madhan Kumar (Chennai) (13:590). National champion: Mohammed Rafiq (100 points).
2-Stroke 131-165cc Supersport (Round-3): 1. Aiyaz (Bengaluru) (13.042); 2. K Mohan (Chennai) (13.055); 3. Mohd Rafiq (Bengaluru) (13.059). Round-4: 1. Mohd Rafiq (12.356); 2. Salman Khan (Bengaluru) (12.815); 3. Syed Nayeem (Bengaluru) (12.918). National champion: Mohammed Rafiq (90 points).
Mantra Racing, the team behind the National Champion Hemanth Mudappa’s success. Photo for INDIAinF1 from Mudappa/Team Mantra Racing -
Kids in India see that there is a path to the Dakar, says Harith Noah #Dakar2020
Jeddah, 28 Dec 2019: As the Dakar Rally travels to Saudi Arabia INDIAinF1 features TVS’ Harith Noah, who will be taking part in Dakar2020. Harith Noah Koithaveettil, born on January 29, 1993, will be making his debut in Dakar 2020, thanks to his team TVS and sponsors Sherco and Mountain Dew. In preparation for Dakar 2020, Noah took part in the 2018 Morocco Rally and 2019 Baja Spain. He will be the second Indian in fray in the Moto section along with first Indian to finish Dakar, CS Santosh, who will be making his sixth Dakar. The event will be held from Jan 5 to 17, 2020.
Harith Noah in action for a superb win that got him the National Supercross title in his come-back year at Pune on 4 Dec, 2017. INDIAinF1 file photo Year after year, India is opening more and more to the Dakar. It all started in 2015 when Santosh CS became the first Indian to start and finish the race. Since then two major Indian brands, Hero and TVS got involved in the rally. Santosh was the pioneer, Aravind Prabhakar followed in his footsteps and now Harith Noah will be the latest to discover the Dakar.
The young man is from Kerala, but born in Germany, he conquered multiple national titles in motocross and supercross and has been fully focused on cross-country rallies for the last two years. His path to the Dakar was a long one. It started on his 16th 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 who now spends most of his time training in France, will be riding alongside references such as Michael Metge, Johnny Aubert and Lorenzo Santolino. After listening to the precious tips of his elders, the former student and bachelor in sports science knows that at 26, he has time and that only finishing will be his goal for the first year.
“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. My focus was really on supercross, not the Dakar and then TVS got involved. My first big rally was in Morocco in 2018 but sadly I injured the anterior cruciate ligament of my knee. I managed to finish but was ruled out for quite some time. After surgery I was able to come back for the Baja Spain this season. It was really unfortunate that Aravind (Prabhakar) couldn’t come back on the Dakar after breaking his leg while training. I know that in India, we don’t have the skill level of the top factory riders. I’m well aware of that. I’m not looking for a result, just to finish. Fitness-wise, I feel really good and I’m confident in my capacities. I know it will take time to be good. Michael (Metge) tells me that to do good, I have to be patient and gain experience. Of course the Dakar has gotten bigger in India thanks to Santosh and the fact that Hero and TVS are present. It’s opened the eyes of a lot of riders. The kids see that there’s a path to the Dakar. I also expect to see a lot of Indian fans in Saudi Arabia because there’s a big community there.”
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Bikes: The KTM saga, more to come or end? Dakar 2020 will answer
- Victorious in the past 18 editions, KTM returns with a trio made up of former winners: Toby Price (2019, 2016), Matthias Walkner (2018) and Sam Sunderland (2017), ready to extend the winning streak.
- However, the dramas of the last editions allow their rivals to position themselves with gusto, be it Barreda, Brabec and Benavides at Honda or Van Beveren, De Soultrait and Caimi with Yamaha.
- The vast majority of the 147 riders entered will not be in the battle for a podium result and they will above else try to finish the first Dakar in Saudi Arabia. The 40 entered in the “Original by Motul’’ category will have the added difficulty of having to maintain their bikes themselves.
Credit : @ASO/CharlyLopez Paris, 26 Dec 2019: The history of sport is made up of cycles that mark eras: the domination of football giants Real Madrid in the 1950’s, McLaren in Formula 1 in the mid-80’s, the Williams sisters in tennis at the dawn of the 21st Century and Mohamed Ali in the squared circle in the 60’s and 70’s, all eventually came to an end. In rally-raid, KTM’s grip on the most prestigious events began in 2001 and continues without a hitch to this day, much to the chagrin of increasingly successful rivals who are often halted in their conquest by strokes of fate. The scenario of the most recent edition is a textbook case, Toby Price having for the most part ridden his Dakar in discretion and suffering before going on to win in the final weekend. The day before the finish, he was even closely followed for the title by Husqvarna’s Pablo Quintanilla, whose hopes were dashed by a fracture a hundred kilometres from the end. And when the dust settled it was an unexpected KTM sweep of the podium. The Australian was followed by the two preceding victors Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland! Logically, the three champions in question, who were hampered by injury during the season, will arrive in Jeddah as the favourites. Sunderland has been the most consistent of the three after taking his first world title this year. But the status quo could certainly change during the adventure in the Saudi desert.
Andrea Mayer during the 2020 Dakar press conference on May 15 at Arab World Institute, Paris, France – Photo Frederic Le Floc’h / DPPI Pitted against the Austrian armada, the competition has never yielded to fatalism. Last January, the Honda riders posed the biggest threat, with Joan Barreda in the lead in the early days of the rally, before Ricky Brabec took over, but both eventually dropped out, leaving their Argentinean team mate, Kevin Benavides to represent the team at the sharp end of the order, and an eventual 5th place result. At Yamaha, Adrien Van Beveren was an example of consistency and regularity, before he retired from the rally with a blown engine. His team-mate, Xavier de Soultrait, who finished 7th in the general classification, will be back to take the fight to KTM, as will Franco Caimi, who was the highest placed finisher in the squad in the recent Rallye du Maroc (9th).
The final round of the World Cup doesn’t necessarily have an absolute predictive value, but a quick comparative review of the winners can provide real encouragement to KTM’s opposition. In fact, in four of the last five editions, the winners of the Rallye du Maroc went on to win the Dakar three months later. This is what makes American Andrew Short, who was one of the revelations in the 2019 Dakar (6th), a new title contender with his Husqvarna team-mate “Quintafondo”, who finished just behind him in Morocco. The Sherco and Hero teams are also podium contenders that will rely on their top-level recruits capable of giving the leaders something to think about, respectively Johnny Aubert (6th in 2018) and Paulo Gonçalves (2nd in 2015).
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Brothers team up to glory in their first year; Dilip Sharan shares his story: INRC 2019 champions
File photo of Chetan Shivram (left) and Dilip Sharan on the podium after winning the K1000 rally, the 4th Round of Champiojns Yacht Club INRC 2019 in Bengaluru in November. INDIAinF1 photo Bengaluru, 23 Dec 2019: One of the ever-green and most popular events of the Indian Motorsports calendar, the Indian National Rally Championship, saw new champions take the crown in 2019. The championship concluded on Sunday in Kerala with the Popular Rally, organised by Southern Adventures and Motorsports, and promoted by Champions Yacht Club (CYC), completing four of the six scheduled rounds in the calendar.
Akshara Team’s Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan, emerged overall champions and bagged their maiden National title. For 41-year-old Shivram, who has been around for over two decades, it is a sweet ending to the campaign, winning the title with his younger brother. This is the first time in the 32-year history of INRC that two brothers won the National title. And winning with a lowly-INRC3 car, after fighting with much-powerful INRC machines is no mean achievement.
Today, INDIAinF1 caught up with Dilip Sharan, the 29-year-old, who teamed up his brother for the first time in this year’s INRC after a trial run in the curtain-raiser Sprint de Bengaluru proved to be a success.
The duo was apprehensive of the tarmac terrain in Kerala but realised that it was their golden chance to win the championship, what with a handsome lead they had with two victories. At the start, the fears were thought to be misplaced as both the South India Rally and K1000, were new stages but the brothers performed admirably.
However, as the Popular Rally began, the unforgiving cruel corner in the very first stage, just after about six km into the rally, saw them suffer a casualty, the second of the four cars to crash at the same corner. “In the very first stage with less than 2-km to the finish we hit a `dip’ and did not realise that we had a low air pressure on the front left (tyre) and we lost control. However with the experience Chetan has, he didn’t give up, and found a way to get the car back and got on to the wheels. Then, unfortunately, we lost a wheel including the hub, and the day ended for us being the leaders of the Overall Championship,’’ he added.
The disaster in the first stage at the Popular Rally. But the duo came back on sunday with FRK Racing getting the car ready for the final 3 stages. Photo By Dilip Sharan “With much regret, we sat and thought of things we could do to make sure we start Day 2. As usual, the magical hands of our `Mechanics’ coming for a team which needs no introduction, did get the car ready again.’’ The mechs were none other than from #FRK Racing. “The boys put the magic to work, and gave us a car to start on Sunday. But this would not have been possible without the help of Sumit Punjabi, who generously gave us the parts required to rebuild the car and for it to be ready for Day 2. As we entered the beginning of the stage, Chetan says `Sherry the car is just not handling, it’s all over the place,’ all we did was cruise… to finish the first stage, and stood 10th fastest,’’ went on Dilip talking about how they managed those last three stages.
“As we waited for Stage 2 to start, the one-and-only #Tiger_Baba (Sanjay Agarwal) asked Chetan what’s happening. So he explained why this is happening as the experience he carries in rallying is more than my age. With the wise advice well digested, we ended the stage 5th fastest and ended the next stage again in the same order to bag three points,’’ he continued.Earlier at the start of the season, it all started with an informal chat. In Dilip’s own words, “the year 2019 has ushered in a lot of positive and happy changes in my life, and the most important being the marriage with the love of my life, Angel (Mabel).’’
During a chat with his elder brother Chetan Shivram and sister-in-law Jessica, the question of navigating for a one-off curtain raiser came up, which eventually turned into a full-season adventure. “I jumped at my brother Chetan’s invitation as I to love sit with him and the preparation of a freshly-built Volkswagen Polo-INRC3 began, but I was nervous…,’’ Dilip quipped and “who would not if one had to call pace notes to a driver like Chetan.’’
But soon all the doubts vanished as he sat in the car and the duo finished the Recce and the Rally. “For some good reason the bond in the car was so good, and we felt like we had done this few 100 times before,’’ Dilip, who made his rally debut in Chikkamagaluru Coffee Day Rally in 2016, recalled of the gut feeling he had at that time in March.
In the first round, at the South India Rally’s opening day in Chennai the duo took the lead but toppled on the second day. “After Day 1, we were in the Overall lead but unfortunately we flipped, toppled on Day 2’s first stage and then tried to finish, in vain,” he explained. Then the second rally at Coimbatore saw the pair dishing out splendid stuff when many experienced and talented top guns toppled to the tricky terrain, as they nurtured their car and safely finished the rally on the top step of the podium.
Many thought it was a fluke and a section of the media too, unprofessionally sidelined their superb showing, but with determination and focused approach, and technically-sound driving, the Bengaluru brothers proved their mettle once again and bounced back.
“At the legendary K1000, we went in not knowing what to expect as the stages were brand new for all the drivers, after Recce, Chetan had one thing to say, “These are my kind of stages”, and then we set in the good vibes, family and friends there to cheer for the `Home-Town Boys’ to win.
“As we entered the rally to make sure we win INRC 3, much to our surprise in no time Chetan made sure to endure the car and bring it back to finish on Day 1. Day 2 saw a good battle with Dr Speed (Bikku Babu). And we ended up on the podium with yet another Overall win.
And as the day ended in Kerala, bringing to close the INRC season, it was history and INRC saw New Champions. The Brothers, who entered as an INRC3 team, not only became the National Champions but managed a Double Dhamaka, also winning the INRC3 class.
“We are humbled with this success and express our gratitude to all the people who stood with us,’’ said Dilip. “I would like to thank Sumanth Akshara, the Chief, and my dad (Jothinarar Vishwanathan Shivram) and all the family members, for the opportunity and, for persistently believing in us, and giving us the fabulous courage to win,’’ he concluded, with a big thanks to MRF Tyres.
Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan, right, at the Rally PD. Photo by Anand Philar -
Borthers Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan, 2019 INRC National Champs; Gill, Musa win Popular Rally
Kottayam, Dec. 22: Brothers Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan are the National champions. They did not win the Poplular Rally but the experienced duo from Bengaluru conquered the Indian National Rally Championship 2019, thanks to their stunning victories in the second round at Combatore and fourth round in Bengaluru.
The MRF supported duo of Team Akshara, who had suffered a massive crash in the opening stage on Saturday, returned to complete Day 2’s three stages to protect their lead. They did get three valuable leg points, that put the title beyond Fabid and Dean.
They garnered enough points in the two previous rallies nurturing their car and negotiating the dangerous terrain when most of the top guns failed to finish. Both these rounds saw most of the experienced and talented drivers bite the dust one after the other. But Chetan, with Dilip calling the notes, carefully and skillfully negotiated to take the wins under these tricky circumstances and those points stood them in good stead and brought them the championship which they richly deserved.
In cheeful mood after the rally. After the K1000 rally, a veteran rally fan could not help remember an old saying: “To finish first, one has to first finish the rally.’’ Chetan’s rivals, Fabid Ahmer and Dean Mascarenhas, who had a chance to topple Chetan needing 25 and 29 points respectively before the start of the Kerala leg, could not do much on Sunday. While Dean along with co-driver Shruptha Padival finished overall second in the Popular Rally, Fabid, along with navigator Sanath Gopalanhad, missed the INRC3 title by a whisker as a late penalty at the last TC cost them the title by a point. However, the youngster from Palakkad had the consolation of winning the Junior INRC title for 2019.
Meanwhile, speed maestro Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif, retained the Popular Rally title, as the final round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), promoted by Champions Yacht Club and organised by Southern Adventure and Motorsports concluded here on Sunday. Gill won the Popular Rally for the fifth time.
The Team Mahindra Adventure driver, supported by JK Tyre won SS9 and finished second in SS10 and SS11 on Day 2 to regain his aura over the weekend. Gill’s teammates, Dean Mascarenhas and Suhem Kabeer, too did well, taking the third and fourth positions in Popular Rally’s overall category.
Overall Winners: From left: Dr Bikku Babu & Milen George (2nd place), Musa Sherif & Gaurav Gill (winners) and Dean Mascarenhas & Shrupta Padival (3rd). Photo: CYC release Chetan, along with Dilip, nursed his car smartly, taking the tenth position in SS9 but revved up to the fifth in the last two stages for a valiant show. Chetan and Dilip also won the INRC3 title for a double dhamaka as Fabid and Sanath, earned a lat penalty.
In INRC3, Fabid who finished second behind Aditya Thakur and co-driver Virender Kashyap, had been demoted and Jacob KJ and PVS Murthy came second. Kuber Sharma and Karan Aukta finished third.
Team Champions’ Dr Bikku Babu (Milen George), a local favourite, finished third in the overall category and first in his own INRC 2 for a highly-rewarding Popular Rally. Tied with JK Tyre’s Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival) on 72 points at the start of the round, his win surely fetched him the National title in INRC 2 class.
In the INRC 4 category was won by Suraj Thomas and co-driver Sob George while Vaibhav Marathe (Arjun SSB) and Rakshith Iyer/Chandrashekhar finished second and third respectively. Vaibhav and Arjun garnered the National title in this class.
(Note: The results and the report were edited and revised on Dec. 23 at 12 noon after the official results which penalised an INRC3 driver changed the top-3 places and the title winner)
Provisional Results (Round 5): INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif – 1hour, 25min, 01.7sec; 2. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George – 1:29:16.300; 3. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shrupta Padival – 1:31:02.600.
INRC 2: 1. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George – 1:29:16.300; 2. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shrupta Padivel – 1:31:02.600; 3. Suhem Kabeer/ Jeeva Rathinam – 1:31:22.000.
INRC 3: 1. Aditya Thakur/ Virender Kashyap – 1:34:11.300; 2) Jacob K.J/ PVS Murthy – 1:34:46.300; 3. Kuber Sharma / Karan Aukta xx:xx.
INRC 4: 1. Suraj Thomas/ Sob George – 1:35:02.500; 2. Vaibhav Marathe/ Arjun SSB – 1:37:55.000; 3. Rakshith Iyer/ Chandrashekhar – 1:38:51.400.
SUV Challenge: 1. Nikhil J / Arjun Dheerendra 1:41:10.200; 2. Abishek Gowda/ Dheeraj Manae 1:42:58.100; 3. Gagan Karumbaiah/ Thimmu Uddapanda 1:44:10.100.
Junior INRC: 1. Fabid Ahmer / Sanath Gopalan; 2. Rakshith Iyer/ Chandrashekar; 3. Chandan KM/ Suraj M.
Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan, who rejoined the rally on Sunday. Photo by Angel Mabel Action freeze of Fabid Ahmer and Sanath Gopalan (both Palakkad) of Team Champions who missed the INRC3 title by a point but won the National title in Junior INRC on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar Vaibhav Marath (Goa) and Arjun SSB (Bengaluru), also of Team Champions, who won the National title in INRC4 class. Photo by Anand Philar John D Paul of Kuttukaran Group speaks at the PD as Vicky Chandhok, Chairman of APRC Rally Commission looks on, on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar -
Gaurav Gill takes the lead; Chetan Shivram crashes out but still in contention for National title
Gaurav Gill in action on Saturday in Popular Rally. Photos CYC Kottayam, 21 Dec 2019: India’s top rally driver Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif of Team Mahindra Adventure stole the honours on the opening day and are set to retain their Popular Rally title in the fourth and final round of the Champions Yacht Club promoted Indian National Rally Championship under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) here on Saturday.
Organised by Southern Adventures and Motorsports Club, the stage rally had run eight stages today with three remaining for Sunday. There are three physical stages, all tarmac, run multiple times in the same direction and two stages in reverse direction too.
The JK Tyre supported duo, with Musa Sherif as co-driver, was trailing in the seventh position at the start of the round could well break into the podium if they manage to excel on the final day of the championship too. They have just 29 points after the first four rounds but could end up adding 39 points more if they remain unbeaten on Sunday as well. Despite his fightback, Gill would not be able to surpass the current overall leader, MRF’s Chetan Shivram (co-driver Dilip Sharan).
Bengaluru’s Chetan along with his brother Dilip a navigator, who were leading INRC 3 as well, endured a massive crash in the day’s first stage itself and failed to finish even one stage. But their 75 point put them on a safe place with only a mathematical chance still possible for Dean Mascarenhas and Fabid Ahmer to overthrow them for the National title, if they win tomorrow.
This Cunning Corner was the cause for four casualties including leader Chetan Shivram. Two cars toppled later. Another JK Tyre driver, Younus Ilyas (Harish Gowda) of Race Concepts team from Bengaluru, had a good day as they were the fastest in two of the special stages and Dr Bikku Babu, with co-driver Milen George, too posted good timings to stay on top of his class, INRC2. Younus and Bikku Babu are second and third in all the overall lead on Saturday.
INRC 3’s Fabid Ahmer supported by MRF Tyres, with Sanath Gopalan as navigator, with 51 points and INRC 2’s Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival) with 47 also remain in the fray for podium finishes in the overall category.
The INRC 2 seemed poised for the most thrilling ending as category leaders Dean Mascarenhas and Dr. Bikku Babu, both with 72 points, put up brave performances on Saturday. Dr Bikku took the first place in seven stages to steal a march over Dean, who chased him furiously. The winner of the two on Sunday could hope to emerge as the king in this class.
Fabid Ahmer took advantage of Chetan Shivram’s misfortune to give himself a good chance of claiming the INRC 3 title. Starting with 75 points, just 9 behind the leader, he would need to drive with the same care and hope that Chetan doesn’t start on Sunday to pull off a surprise victory. However, it was Aditya Thakur with co-driver Virender Kashyap who took the lead in this class on Saturday and will be gunning for their maiden Popular Rally title on Sunday.
Kerala duo Suraj Thomas and Sob George in action on Saturday. In INRC4, Suraj Thomas and Sob George took the lead in their home rally with the championship table topper Vaibhav Marathe and Arjun SSB lying in third place with three more stages to go on Sunday.
Provisional unaudited Results (after Leg 1/Day 1):
INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif – 1hour 2min 49.8sec; 2. Younus Ilyas/ Harish Gowda – 1:03:44.8; 3. Dr. Bikku Babu/Milen George – 1:05:37.9.
INRC 2: 1. Dr. Bikku Babu/ Milen George – 1:05:37.9; 2. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shrupta Padivel – 1:07:15.9; 3. Suhem Kabeer/ Jeeva Rathinam – 1:08:00.4.
INRC 3: 1. Aditya Thakur/ Virender Kashyap – 1:10:11.8; 2. Fabid Ahmer/ Sanath G – 1:10:33.7; 3. Jacob KS/ PVS Murthy – 1:10:38.4.
INRC 4: 1. Suraj Thomas/ Sob George – 1:10:40.3; 2. Shirole Prakhyat H /Bharath SM – 1:10:44.6; 3. Vaibhav Marate/ Arjun SSB – 1:12:45.3.
Younus Ilyas emerged as No.2 in the overall lead behind Gaurav Gill. -
Gaurav Gill exudes confidence; Popular Rally ceremonial start held on Thursday
Popular Rally flagged off on Thursday. Photo from Popular Rally team Kottayam, 19 Dec 2019: “The roads are beautiful. The amazing tarmac mountain roads are faster than last year. With the power of 200 BHP and special tyres from JK Tyres, I am looking forward for the stages to begin. I am very happy to be back at this Popular Rally,” said Gaurav Gill, who will defend his victory here last year as the stages begin on Saturday.
Popular Rally 2019, the fifth and final round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) promoted by Champions Yacht Club was flagged off by Kerala’s Transport Minister AK Saseendran and Managing Director of Kuttukaran Group John K Paul in the presence of Clerk of the Course and popular rallyist Girijashankar Joshy, who retired recently.
Defending champion Gaurav Gill, who first took part in the Popular Rally as a biker in 1999, will be aiming to end the year on a high after a barren run as the Popular Rallygets under way here on Satruday with the special stages, adds an official press release on Friday.
The JK Tyre driver, along with his navigator Musa Sherif, has had a difficult season with technical failures playing spoilsport for him throughout the season. He is currently in the seventh position with 29 points from four rounds.
Popular Rally press conference in progress. Photo by Anand Philar His team-mate Dean Mascarenhas (& co-driver Shruptha Padivel) is third on the overall tally with 47 points and is leading his INRC 2 class. He, however, faces an uphill task as MRF drivers Chetan Shivram (with co-driver Dilip Sharan) and Fabid Ahmer (& Sanath G) are sitting pretty on the 1st and 2nd places in the overall category.
Chetan had emerged victorious in the last two rounds and has 75 points, a handy lead of 24 points. He has been the surprise package this season, driving steadily and smartly to be in line for his biggest victory. Team Champions’ Fabid with a total of 51 points will start as a strong contender in this round and is expected to narrow the gap, if not topple Chetan from the top.
Team Champions’ Dr. Bikku Babu along with his co-driver Milen George will be another driver to watch out for. He is currently placed fourth overall with 41 points and is tied on points with Dean in the INRC 2 category. He has been the stand-out performer of this season, will be in the mix and fancy his chances in the final round. Race Concepts’ Younus Ilyas (& Harish Gowda) is in the third place in INRC 2 category and is separated from the top-2 by just 13 points. The JK Tyre backed driver has the speed and quality to give a tough fight to the leaders on his home turf and change the script of the championship. He had won the Popular Rally last year and will definitely will look to draw inspiration from it and aim to finish on a glorious note.
In the INRC 3 category, it will be a two way fight between Chetan and Fabid. They are separated by just nine points and their fight will not only determine the outcome in the category but also will have a huge bearing on the overall scheme of things.
In the INRC 4 category, Team Champions’ Vaibhav Marathe is on top of the table with 90 points and looks poised to end the year on a high. He however will be wary of Rakshith Iyer who is breathing down his neck in the second place with 79 points.
To be held in Kottayam, the final round of the championship will see over 35 teams fight it out for the top honours. The rally to run on asphalt will cover over 530 kms including 121.74 kms earmarked for 12 Special Stages
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Shaurya Kapani, Sarvesh stars of the day in Pro-Junior class: Ajmera IndiKarting 2nd Edition
Winners all: The second edition of the Ajmera IndiKarting winners in Mumbai on Wednesday. An INDIAinF1 photo Mumbai, 18 Dec 2019: The 2nd edition of the FMSCI approved, Ajmera IndiKarting Clash of Pros, was a spectacular affair of top level racing from some of the best racers in the region across 2 categories – Pro junior and Pro Senior. Shaurya Kapani was on top of the standings at the end of the day after winning 2 of the 3 races in the Pro Junior. Sarvesh Bode with a win and second place, took top honours in the Pro Senior category.
Qualifying was a close affair in both categories. Veer Sheth clocked 25.42 seconds, ahead Shaurya Kapani (25.44 seconds). Raiden Samervel and Nirvaan Chandna who recently made the move up into the Juniors were right behind posting laptimes of 25.46 and 25.63 seconds.
9 drivers in the Pro Senior clocked within 1 second. Tej Patel lapped the 400 meter Ajmera IndiKarting circuit in an impressive 25.87 seconds to bag pole position, a mere hundredth of a second, ahead of the highly rated Aaroh Ravindra (25.88 seconds) and Sarvesh Bode (25.91 seconds).
The Pro Junior Race 1 – Saw an exciting battle for the lead between Veer Sheth and Shaurya Kapani. Both racers with international experience under their belt, enthralled the crowd with multiple overtakes. Eventually Veer won the race ahead of Shaurya. Raiden Samervel came in third.
Tej had a good start in the Pro Senior Race 1. Behind him, Sarvesh and Aaroh were nose to tail, while Rahul Deshpande was under pressure from Jamie Shaw. Their karts touched and Jamie hit the barriers forcing him to retire. Tej won comfortably, followed by Sarvesh and Aaroh.
Race 2 in both categories started as a complete reverse grid of the entire field, based on the result of Race 1. In the Pro Junior, Nikhil Hariharn started on pole, followed by Aashi Hanspal – the only girl in the event. Shaurya made his way up the field and went on to win. Ashay Kadam started third, and drove fantastically to finish second ahead of Hoshmand Elavia.
The Pro Senior Race 2 started with Jamie on pole, followed by Paarth Damani, Neville Tata and Aashwath Chowta. Jamie quickly zoomed away to a comfortable lead. Behind him however, there was total chaos as quicker racers from behind had to contend with racers in front who refused to give up position. They defended aggressively and this proved to be a recipe for disaster. Multiple incidents followed and many racers crashed heavily. Jah Wadia who was unlucky in race 1 where he faced engine trouble, was unlucky a second time as he crashed just a few laps from the end. A few moments early Alyraza Beig and Aashwath crashed out. Jamie won, ahead of Rahul and Aaroh.Shaurya won Race 3 of the Pro Junior, followed by Veer and Raiden. The Senior race 3 was a fantastic display of fierce but clean competition. Five racers were locked in a battle for the lead for over half the race. Eventually Sarvesh triumphed ahead of Rahul and Aaroh.
The Pro Senior Plus category for heavier racers, was won by Raghav Vaishnav followed by Alyraza Beig and Parth Damani.
“It was fantastic to see such close racing. Both the Seniors and Juniors were within hundredths of a second and that speaks volumes of the level of competition. It was also good to see so many new faces. The future looks bright and I hope that many of these racers will soon compete internationally” said 8 Time champion and promoter of IndiKarting, Rayomand Banajee.
The next round will be conducted on January 11 and 12 with qualifying commencing from Dec 24.
