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  • Off-road event added to JK Tyre Hornbill motor rally at Kohima

    Off-road event added to JK Tyre Hornbill motor rally at Kohima

    File photo of Hornbill Rally. Photo courtesy JK Tyre

    Kohima (Nagaland), 1 Dec 2018: The picturesque hills in Kohima will reverberate with the sounds of roaring cars as the JK Tyre Hornbill Motor Rally returns to the annual Hornbill Festival of Nagaland in a bigger and more exciting format.

    The three-day event, beginning on Sunday, will see some of the country’s top rallyists battle for honours even as the entire town turns into party mode.

    The annual rally which is in its 9th year of existence have added the off-road challenge which takes place on December 4.

    The exciting off-roading is expected to see top drivers from the region and a few from all over the country, traversing through a course of 1.5 kms negotiating six gruelling obstacles in their bid to win the crown.

    Popular as an exotic Northeast state, Nagaland is also organising a World War 2 Peace Rally to pay homage to its martyrs during the Battle of Kohima. Family members of the heroes will be part of a very touching rally, as they will be taken on a parade in vintage cars and jeeps towards the cemetery.

    All three events coincide with the famous Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, a seven-day fest cultural performances, ethnic food courts, handlooms and handicrafts bazaars, film and art festivals, fashion shows and a national rock contest.

    “We are extremely delighted to be part of the Hornbill Motor Rally once again. JK Tyre has always been keen on tapping motorsport talents from every corner of the country. The Northeast has a number of motorsports enthusiasts and I am sure this year’s competitions will be exciting,” Sanjay Sharma, Head of JK Tyre & Motorsports, said.

    The Time, Speed and Distance (TSD) rally will be run over a distance of 55 kilometres, starting from the IG Stadium. Day 1 will come to an end at the Kisama Heritage village. Day 2 will see the Off Road Challenge while Day 3 will be marked by the WW2 Peace Rally.

    About JK Tyre Motorsport:

    JK Tyre has always been closely associated with the world of sports. Almost three decades back the company laid down a long term and sustained approach to promote Motorsport. Participating in this form of the sport has helped the company in continuously updating its products to meet the challenges of gruelling Indian conditions. The sport at that time in India was perceived for elite but JK Tyre took upon itself to package and redesign the sport to suit the masses. The company not only made the sport affordable but also equivalent to International operating standards. JK Tyre’s foray into Motorsport was a well thought out strategic decision to not only use and develop this virgin branding platform but also to realize the dreams of making India a force in the field of motor sport.

    In 2011, the company acquired the Formula BMW Series and rechristened it as the JK Racing Asia Series (JKRAS). With this acquisition, JK Tyre created history in Indian Motorsport by becoming the first Indian company to acquire an FIA accredited series. By taking over the series, JK Tyre promises to utilize it as a platform to encourage and support the world’s best racing drivers and promote India as one of Asia’s motorsport capitals.

    Thus, JK Tyre has conquered two steps in the motorsport program where the new racing aspirants first establish themselves in

    India, then graduate to Asian level i.e. to Formula BMW, which is now JKRAS and then they move to higher levels of racing. JK Tyre now stands closer to achieving its mission of bringing world-class motorsport to the Indian masses. The Racing and Karting programme by JK Tyre has been the breeding ground for the country’s  motorsport talents like Narain Karthikeyan, Armaan Ebrahim, Karun Chandhok, Aditya Patel and other emerging talent.

    Another pioneering initiative was the launch of the Truck Racing Championship in India in partnership with Tata Motors. The company developed & designed “JetRacing”-the new generation truck racing tyres especially for this application. With this, JK Tyre became the first tyre company to produce truck racing tyres in India. The combination of the Prima trucks fitted with Jet Racing received an overwhelming response from participants and has definitely brought in a revolution in the Indian racing scenario.

  • Jehan Daruvala impressive in the post-season testing: Tops timesheets in the afternoon

    Jehan Daruvala impressive in the post-season testing: Tops timesheets in the afternoon

    GP3 Series – Test 4.
    Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
    Friday 30 November 2018.
    Jehan Daruvala (IND, Campos Racing)
    Photo: Zak Mauger / GP3 Series Media Service.
    ref: Digital Image

    Abu Dhabi, 30 Nov 2018: Jehan Dharuvala performed well in the post-season test as he topped the afternoon session after being in the top-two quickest drivers in the morning. The Indian driver was the quickest man at the Yas Marina Circuit seting a laptime in the afternoon session in a 1:54.753 with Campos Racing. Niko Kari set a time of 1:54.683 at the wheel of a Trident in Day 2 morning session of the 2018 post-season tests.

    Day 2 opened at 9am local time and Logan Sargeant led the rest of the pack out of the pitlane as soon as it went green. The American driver who spent Day 1 with MP Motorsport moved to Trident this Friday and set the early pace.
    The studious morning session saw Kari and Daruvala swap positions at the top of the timesheet with the Indian driver drawing first blood in a 1:55.102. The Finn improved further and dipped under 1m55s, but Daruvala went even quicker in a 1:54.689 to retake P1.
    With one hour and thirty minutes left on the clock, Kari reclaimed the top spot with a laptime 6 thousandths better than Daruvala’s. When the flag dropped, Kari, Daruvala and Sargeant completed the top 3 ahead of Alex Peroni, Linus Lundqvist, Richard Verschoor, Christian Lundgaard, Yuki Tsunoda, Maximilian Fewtrell and Devlin DeFrancesco.
    The former Force India Academy driver, Daruvala was back at the top of the timesheet in the early stages of the afternoon session, but the battle for P1 raged again as Kari went quickest with a laptime of 1:55.888.
    Most of the session was dedicated to long runs and we had to wait until the final half hour to see Daruvala retake the top spot in a 1:55.325. DeFrancesco was able to improve on the Indian’s best to go top, but with five minutes left on the clock Daruvala went even quicker to end the session P1. Verschoor and Lundqvist also moved up to second and third respectively in the dying minutes. Piastri, DeFrancesco, Tsunoda, Sargeant, Kari, Lorenzo Colombo and Peroni rounded the top 10.
    The GP3 Series will run one final day tomorrow.
    2018 Post-season testing – Day 2: morning session classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    TIME
    LAP
    1
    Niko Kari
    Trident
    1:54.683
    19
    2
    Jehan Daruvala
    Campos Racing
    1:54.689
    29
    3
    Logan Sargeant
    Trident
    1:54.983
    30
    4
    Alex Peroni
    Campos Racing
    1:55.245
    17
    5
    Linus Lundqvist
    Campos Racing
    1:55.345
    29
    6
    Richard Verschoor
    MP Motorsport
    1:55.379
    22
    7
    Christian Lundgaard
    ART Grand Prix
    1:55.535
    25
    8
    Yuki Tsunoda
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:55.676
    25
    9
    Maximilian Fewtrell
    ART Grand Prix
    1:55.688
    23
    10
    Devlin DeFrancesco
    Trident
    1:55.694
    28
    11
    Olli Caldwell
    Trident
    1:55.829
    28
    12
    Ben Hingeley
    Charouz Racing System
    1:55.896
    29
    13
    Oscar Piastri
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:55.975
    25
    14
    Felipe Drugovich
    ART Grand Prix
    1:56.070
    22
    15
    Lorenzo Colombo
    MP Motorsport
    1:56.323
    27
    16
    Robert Schwartzman
    Charouz Racing System
    1:56.413
    28
    17
    Ye Yifei
    MP Motorsport
    1:56.900
    30
    18
    Fabio Scherer
    Charouz Racing System
    1:56.924
    29
    19
    Enaam Ehmad
    ART Grand Prix
    1:57.359
    29
    20
    Federico Malvestiti
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:57.627
    37
    2018 Post-season testing – Day 2: afternoon session classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    TIME
    LAP
    1
    Jehan Daruvala
    Campos Racing
    1:54.753
    29
    2
    Richard Verschoor
    MP Motorsport
    1:54.799
    36
    3
    Linus Lundqvist
    Campos Racing
    1:55.041
    26
    4
    Oscar Piastri
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:55.085
    22
    5
    Devlin DeFrancesco
    Trident
    1:55.089
    26
    6
    Yuki Tsunoda
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:55.177
    29
    7
    Logan Sargeant
    Trident
    1:55.274
    28
    8
    Niko Kari
    Trident
    1:55.359
    25
    9
    Lorenzo Colombo
    MP Motorsport
    1:55.495
    27
    10
    Alex Peroni
    Campos Racing
    1:55.608
    19
    11
    Ben Hingeley
    Charouz Racing System
    1:55.665
    28
    12
    Miximilian Fewtrell
    ART Grand Prix
    1:55.733
    32
    13
    Robert Schwartzman
    Charouz Racing System
    1:55.801
    30
    14
    Ye Yifei
    MP Motorsport
    1:55.826
    19
    15
    Olli Caldwell
    Trident
    1:55.971
    21
    16
    Fabio Scherer
    Charouz Racing System
    1:56.129
    32
    17
    Christian Lundgaard
    ART Grand Prix
    1:56.313
    33
    18
    Felipe Drugovich
    ART Grand Prix
    1:56.414
    31
    19
    Federico Malvestiti
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:56.734
    31
    20
    Enaam Ahmed
    ART Grand Prix
    1:56.800
    31
  • Lance Stroll to race alongside Sergio Perez in 2019 for Racing Point Force India

    Lance Stroll to race alongside Sergio Perez in 2019 for Racing Point Force India

    Lance Stroll who joined Racing Point Force India team. A RP Force India image

    Abu Dhabi, 30 Nov 2018: With the last F1 race of the season producing vintage stuff and the after-race entertainment of three multiple world champions who indulged in donuts to thrill the crowd in honour of Fernando Alonso, though duly after permission from Race Control, it not just some famous names that will miss in the next season.

    Among the casualities may also be the one with which India has identified itself from 2007, the Force India name.

    The team has announced the expected driver from the Stroll family, but it is anybody’s guess if the tag Force India will remain for next season.

    Racing Point Force India, for now, is delighted as they announced that Lance Stroll will join the team for 2019 to race alongside Sergio Perez. Lance has pledged his commitment to the team as part of a long-term deal.

    Lance’s father Stroll, who was one of the keymen that saw Force India survive after it went into administration early this year, has also invested much as the Canadian consortium took over the team. But since the chassis is registered in Force India name, they could not change the nomen clature completely but did lose all the points which were earned by Force India until that point and still managed to gain and continue their entry as on of the F1 teams. All the teams also agreed to share the exploits with Force India despite such favours are not due to a new team as per the rules. 2019 will tell us if the team can bounce back into its fourth place from the current 7th.

    Team Principal and CEO, Otmar Szafnauer, who took over from the beleaguered Vijay Mallya said: “I’m pleased that we can finally confirm Lance’s arrival to race alongside Sergio next year. It gives us an exciting line-up with the perfect blend of youth, talent, and experience. Lance is only twenty and already has two years of Formula One experience under his belt, as well as a podium finish and a front row start. We see huge potential in Lance and believe we can create an environment in which he can flourish. Our team has enjoyed great success nurturing and developing young and talented drivers, and we are very excited to begin our journey with Lance. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Esteban Ocon for his contribution to the team over the last two seasons and wish him well for the future.”

    Lance Stroll: “This is the beginning of an incredibly exciting journey in my Formula One career. I look forward to working alongside a successful team with a great culture. It’s a new challenge and I am excited to embrace this new opportunity!”

  • Gaurav Gill thrills crowds with fastest time in Super Special Stage: INRC Coffee Day India Rally

    Gaurav Gill thrills crowds with fastest time in Super Special Stage: INRC Coffee Day India Rally

    Gaurav Gill tops SSS on Friday in the Coffee Day India Rally Photo: Anand Philar

    Chikkamagaluru, 30 Nov 2018: Reigning champion Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) drove with controlled aggression to top the timesheets in the Super Special Stage which launched the Coffee Day India Rally, the fourth round of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship, promoted by Ramakrishna Race Performance Management, at the Amber Valley school grounds, here on Friday.

    Driving the XUV 500 for Mahindra Adventure team, Gill, a virtual cult figure in this coffee town, did not look as spectacular as some of the drivers before him, but the clean lines through the corner saw him clock two minutes, 34.7 seconds for the 2.12 Kms run as he led a 1-2 for his team, ahead of Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) who did 02:35.1. Local lad Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai) of Arka Motorsports, piloting a Volkswagen Polo, was overall third quickest in 02:36.1.

    The thousands of spectators who thronged the school grounds, were treated to an action-packed afternoon as Kadur topped in the INRC-2 category while Dhruva Chandrasekar (Arjun SSB) was the fastest in the INRC-3 class with a time of 02:36.6.

    The action will shift to the nearby coffee estates on Saturday when six Special Stages will be run. The rally will conclude on Sunday afternoon after the competitors complete one loop of the three Special Stages in the reverse direction.

    The results:

    Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Mahindra Adventure) (02mins, 34.7secs); 2. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure) (02:35.1); 3. Karna Kadur / Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (02:36.1).

    INRC-1: Gill / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Michu Ganapathy / Venu Rameshkumar (Team Champions) (02:45.9).

    INRC-2: 1, Kadur / Pai; 2. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN (02:38.8); 3. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (SNAP Racing) (02:39.2).

    INRC-3: 1. Dhruva Chandrasekar / Arjun SSB (Team Champions) (02:36.6); 2. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions) (02:37.5); 3. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya (Team Falkon) (02:39.7).

    FMSCI 2WD Cup: 1. Adith KC / Suraj Keshava Prasad (Team Champions) (02:40.1); 2. Vikram Gowda / Sudheendra BG (Team Champions) (02:41.1); 3. Prakhyat Shirole / Bharath SM (02:43.2).

    FMSCI 4WD Cup: 1. Sanjay Agarwal / Smitha Prasad (Team Champions) (02:46.5); 2 (Tie). Satish P Naidu / Sheraz Ahmed (Team Champions) (02:56.7) and Sachin Murthy / Satyapal (02:56.7).    

  • Gaurav Gill confident that an Indian driver in an Indian-made tyre will deliver at the world stage

    Gaurav Gill confident that an Indian driver in an Indian-made tyre will deliver at the world stage

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    Chikkamagaluru, 30 Nov 2018: Gaurav Gill looked relaxed and confident and as mature as ever. The King of Indian Rallyng, with 50 points, however, is trailing in overall points and is in second place behind Amittrajit Ghosh. “It was a rare mechanical failure,’’ the A seeded driver brushed off the Arunachal Pradesh DNF, in the last rally, after comfortably leading for the better part of the Rally. But Ghosh, who won the fourth round in the North East, dismissed the lead saying the format is such that in N minus One, Gill still leads the points table if, Ghosh’s 18 points from his low-scoring is given up. Every entry has the comfort of removing one event at the end of all rounds and Gill still is better-placed and is favourite to retain the INRC title with one Round to be held in Kerala, the Popular Rally from Dec 14 to 16.

    Gill was cool with the challenging terrain in the coffee land which had good rains and the vegetation making it difficult and technical for drivers but “we will believe and trust our pace notes and the navigators,” said Ghosh. Gill agreed that it is all rallying and the best driver may win. Gill also added that soon an Indian driver with Indian-made MRF tyre has the potential to become the fastest driver in the world.

    The Speed Master, Gill, is the current reigning Asia Pacific Rally Champion and not just the Indian National Rally Champion for year 2017. He is gunning for another Indian title, but with the Delhi-based MRF driver moving to World Rally Championship this year, the Chikmagalur leg of APRC had taken a beating with many cars not able to make it to the last round and eventually, the APRC round is cancelled.

    The MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) is the premier rallying series in India run under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), which is the Governing Body or ASN of India recognised by the FIA, culminating with the Indian National Rally Champion Driver, Co-Driver and Team. The championship is based on a point system. The championship first received its National Championship title status in 1988. Indian drivers in Indian cars are eligible to take part in the 2018 INRC which is promoted by RRPM, the Ramakrishna Race Performance Management, as it purchased the rights from FMSCI for three years from 2016.

    Another A seeded driver young Mangalorean Dean Mascarenhas who was the runner-up in Overall INRC and INRC3 title winner last year, was also trailing Vikram Rao Aroor in INRC3 after three rounds by three points. Vikram has 28 points and Dean garnered 25.

    Karna Kadur, the A Seed who won the Coffee Day India Rally last year is competing with Rahul Kantharaj, another A seeded driver, and has taken a lead of 14 points bagging 42 points to 28 points for Rahul. Both are from Team Arka Motorsports.

    The three-day Coffee Day India Rally 2018, which is also the fourth round of the National Championship, will witness some of the best names in motorsports battle it out for the top honours. Over the past couple of decades, the three-day event, has grown in stature and popularity among both participants and spectators, thanks to Coffee Day Group’s significant support and constant involvement.

    The Championship, promoted by Ramakrishna Race Performance Management (RRPM), kicked off earlier this year in Chennai before moving on to Coimbatore and Arunachal Pradesh. After three rounds, Mahindra Adventure team’s Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik head the leaderboard with 61 points, followed by team-mates Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif (50).

    The duo driving the Mahindra XUV 500 will headline the three-day event which commences on Friday with the popular Super Special Stage (2.2 kms) at Amber Valley school grounds. The competitors will then head to the twisty Special Stage located in the nearby Coffee Day Group estates on Saturday and Sunday.

    The other big team, apart from Mahindra Adventure is Arka Motorsports that boasts of seasoned, Rahul Kanthraj (co-driver Vivek Bhatt) and talented, Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai) as the standard-bearers. Kadur and Kanthraj are placed third and fourth in the Overall classification behind Ghosh and Gill after three rounds and also head the INRC-2 category, while two young guns from Mangaluru, Aroor Vikram Rao (Falkon Motorsports, 68 points) and Dean Mascarenhas (Chettinad Sporting, 53) are in the lead in INRC-3.

    This season’s INRC has seen the entry of a new outfit, Team Champions that was born out of a desire to support talented drivers in need of financial assistance. Team Champions will have a seven-car line-up besides a few more crews they will be supporting. “It is our aim to facilitate the participation of deserving drivers and hopefully, unearth fresh talent. The 2018 is our debut year in INRC and next season, we might be entering more cars,” said Vamcy Merla who manages Team Champions.

    Venkatesh M, Director, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts said, “Coffee Day is amongst the first few corporates to cultivate the concept of racing in India with Coffee Day India Rally in 2002. This is our 16th edition and we’re proud to see the love for motorsport grow in our country. Coffee Day India Rally is truly unique given its uncanny combination of a rugged terrain with scenic beauty. It is one of the most challenging races in the calendar, filled with twisty and narrow tracks amidst the coffee plantations. The challenging rally will witness some of the best rally drivers tackle tough terrains, set for a thrilling performance in Chikmagalur. Our team at Coffee Day Group and Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur have relentlessly worked to make the rally one of the most awaited motorsports event in the country. We at Coffee Day are pleased to work towards the continued endeavour and success of the rally.”   

    The Coffee Day India Rally adorns the INRC scene as the most popular event attracting thousands of spectators from near and far. The enthusiasm of the spectators inspire the participants to raise their game by several notches. It is hardly a surprise then that Coffee Day India Rally 2018 edition has attracted 40-plus entries across various categories – the IRC, IRC-2, IRC-3 and FMSCI 2W Drive Cup.

     Additionally, the organisers have included a separate category for Maruti Gypsy vehicles while Volkswagen has provided two VW Polos in Rally trim as the two forward cars – “Zero” and “Double Zero”.

    The Special Stages are located as before, in Chettanahalli, Chandrapura and Kumaragode estates. Each of the three stages will be run twice on Saturday and once in the reverse direction on Sunday. The total competitive section is 122.77 kms and 229 kms of liaison for a total distance of 351.77 kms.

  • Ebrahim steps down, Prithviraj elected president again: FMSCI

    Ebrahim steps down, Prithviraj elected president again: FMSCI

    J Prithviraj of CASC, who is elected as the new President of FMSCI. File photo

    Chennai, 21 Nov 2018: Another era comes to an end in the administration of the Motorsports in India as Akbar Ebrahim stepped down as the President of the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India (FMSCI) here at its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, the 20th of November.

    J Prithiviraj representing Coimbatore Auto Sports Club was unanimously elected as President while Shivu Shivappa of Karnataka Motor Sports Club, was elected as Vice-President for a term of one year. Prithviraj was earlier the president of the governing body of motorsports in India in 2014.

    The following governing council members were also elected during the AGM: Vicky Chandhok (MMSC), Farokh Commissariat (IARC), Ms Sita Raina (CMSC), Akbar Ebrahim (Meco MS), Arindam Ghosh (RRPM), Farooq  Ahmed (MSCC), B Vijaykumar (Spitfire MS) and Sanjay Sharma (PCRT).

    Fifty-eight-year-old Prithiviraj, the dynamic fountainhead of the highly active club in the home of Indian motorsports Coimbatore, takes over from Akbar Ebrahim, who led FMSCI for the last two years, igniting the sport in the country and setting an ambitious agenda for the future.

    The new council including the president and vice-president, which has been increased from eight to 10, vowed to carry forward the good work of the outgoing president, promising to create more platforms for the youth in the country and adding new championships and verticals in all its disciplines.

    “This is a proud moment for FMSCI. We all have a common goal now and I am sure this powerful council can do wonders to motorsports in the country,” newly-elected president Prithiviraj said.

    ends

  • 5th round of MRF Mogrip Supercross at Nashik

    MRF MOGRIP-FMSCI NATIONAL SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP 2018

    Nashik, 27 Nov 2018: Top guns are expected to take part in the Round 5 of the the 5th and penultimate round of the 19th edition of the MRF MoGrip FMSCI National Supercross Championship 2018 which returns to Nashik. This will be the 5th round of the 6-round FMSCI National Supercross Championship 2018.

    The MRF Mogrip fmsci National Supercross Championship is thebiggest off-road 2-wheeler National Racing Championship in India.

    Godspeed Racing, Pune spearheaded by 7-times National motocross champion Shyam Kothari have won the rights to promote the championship for the last 6 years hence, Godspeed Racing is organising this year’s championship too.

    MRF Tyres along with Godspeed Racing have made a comeback to Nashik and have made this city a part of the racing calendar for this year due to the massive response this event garnered in the previous year.

    VENUES 2018:

    R # 1 –COCHIN – Completed

    R # 2 – GOA – Completed

    R# 3 – COIMBATORE – Completed

    R # 4 – JAIPUR – Completed

    R # 5 – NASHIK – Scheduled

    R # 6 – VADODARA – Scheduled

    ‘Supercross is a motorcycling sport that involves off-road motorcycles racing on artificially created dirt track consisting of steep jumps and obstacles’

    The 19th edition of the MRF MoGrip-FMSCI National Supercross championship has attracted almost 100 participants across the 8 categories in each of their previous events. Supercross is gaining popularity in India, with close to ten thousand spectators in hordes at each of the venues last year, leading to an increase in participation and growing involvement and support from Corporate houses and media alike.

    MRF Tyres Limited is the title sponsor; TVS Motor Company, Sidvin Energy and IOC Servo are associate sponsors. Also partnering with this Championship are Amor & Vega Helmets.
    The Categories:

     

    • SX 1 (Foreign Open, Group A, Two/Four Stroke, up to 250cc Two-Stroke and 500cc Four-Stroke
    • SX 2 Foreign Open, Group A, Two/Four Stroke, up to 250cc Two-Stroke and 500cc Four-Stroke
    • Junior SX, Group A/B/C/D up to 260cc
    • Indian Expert Class, Group B, Two/Four Stroke, up to 260cc
    • Indian Expert Class, Group C Two/Four Stroke, up to 260cc
    • Expert Class, Group C, Two/Four Stroke, up to 260cc
    • Novice Class, Group C, Two/Four Stroke, up to 260cc
    • Locals Class

     

    Nashik and its terrain is extremely demanding for the man and the machine and when this event in Nasik is scheduled as a penultimate round of the championship, it promises to change a lot of equations in the points table. The riders and teams are completely focussed on getting their set-up, fitness and strategies spot on in order to take full advantage of these conditions.

    The technically demanding track is 750 meters in length, which includes 12 double jumps, a cut tabletop, 1 tabletop, whoops and berms. The organizers have created a very demanding track, which will separate the boys from the men.

    1st FMX show in Nashik! For the 1st time in history, the city of Nashik stands to witness a thrilling ‘Freestyle Motocross ‘ show which will be put up by 2 of Australia’s top FMX athletes  Shaun Webb who will ride a Honda CR 450 and Jordan Sprague who will be astride a Yamaha YZ 250 and we will be able to witness some of the most unbelievable tricks and stunts ever performed on motorcycles.

    The scrutiny & administration checks for this event will be held on Friday the 23rd of November& Saturday the 24th of November 2018

    Venue Address: ‘Pethe Nagar, behind Kaka ka dhaba, Indiranagar, ’

    Mumbai Agra Nashik Highway

    Date: Sunday 25th November 2018

    Time : 10:00 a.m onwards

  • Gaurav Gill comes to Chikkamagaluru for INRC, despite the withdrawal of APRC: 4th round

    Gaurav Gill comes to Chikkamagaluru for INRC, despite the withdrawal of APRC: 4th round

    • 48 entries for Coffee Day India Rally 2018
    Chikmagalur Coffee Day INRC rally round is known for huge crowds. A file photo of 2017 by Anand Philar

    Chikkamagaluru, 27 Nov 2018: The MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship convoy rolls into the coffee town this weekend for the Coffee Day Rally which has attracted 48 entries. The action-packed event, sponsored by Coffee Day Group and organised by the Chikmagalur Motor Sports Club, will be held from November 30 to December 2. The thrill and excitement that motorsports garners in India especially amongst the youth fits well with Coffee Day considering the strong youth connect that the brand holds.

    The Coffee Day India Rally, which is also the fourth round of the National Championship, will witness some of the best names in Indian motorsport battle it out for top honours. Over the past couple of decades, the three-day event, has grown in stature and popularity among both participants and spectators, thanks to Coffee Day Group’s significant support and constant involvement.

    The Championship, promoted by the Ramakrishna Race Performance Management (RRPM), kicked off earlier this year in Chennai before moving on to Coimbatore and Arunachal Pradesh. After three rounds, Mahindra Adventure team’s Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik head the leaderboard with 61 points, followed by team-mates Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif (50).

    The duo, driving the Mahindra XUV 500, will headline the three-day event which commences on Friday with the popular Super Special Stage (2.2 Kms) at the Amber Valley school grounds. The competitors will then head to the twisty Special Stages located in the nearby Coffee Day Group’s estates on Saturday and Sunday.

    The other big team, apart from Mahindra Adventure, is the Arka Motorsports that boasts of seasoned Rahul Kanthraj (co-driver Vivek Bhatt) and talented Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai) as the standard-bearers. Kadur and Kanthraj are placed third and fourth in the Overall classification behind Ghosh and Gill after three rounds and also head the INRC-2 category, while two young guns from Mangaluru, Aroor Vikram Rao (Falkon Motorsports, 68 points) and Dean Mascarenhas (Chettinad Sporting, 53) are in the lead in INRC-3.

    This season’s INRC has seen the entry of a new outfit, Team Champions that was born out of a desire to support talented drivers in need of financial assistance. Team Champions will have a seven-car line-up besides a few more crews they will be supporting. “It is our aim to facilitate the participation of deserving drivers and hopefully, unearth fresh talent. The 2018 is our debut year in INRC and next season, we might be entering more cars,” said Vamcy Merla who manages Team Champions.

    Mr. Venkatesh M, Director, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts said: “Coffee Day is amongst the first few corporates to cultivate the concept of racing in India with Coffee Day India Rally in 2002. This is our 16th edition and we’re proud to see the love for motorsport grow in our country. Coffee Day India Rally is truly unique given its uncanny combination of a rugged terrain with scenic beauty. It is one of the most challenging races in the calendar, filled with twisty and narrow tracks amidst the coffee plantations. The challenging rally will witness some of the best rally drivers tackle tough terrains, set for a thrilling performance in Chikmagaluru. Our team at Coffee Day Group and Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur have relentlessly worked to make the rally one of the most awaited motorsports event in the country. We at Coffee Day are pleased to work towards the continued endeavour and success of the rally.”

    The Coffee Day Rally adorns the INRC scene as the most popular event attracting knowledgeable spectators, from near and far, in their thousands, and who inspire the competitors to raise their game by several notches. It is hardly a surprise then that this year’s Coffee Day Rally has attracted 48 entries across various categories – the IRC, IRC-2, IRC-3 and FMSCI 2W Drive Cup.

    Additionally, the organisers have included a separate category for the Maruti Gypsy vehicles while Volkaswagen have provided two VW Polos in Rally trim as the two forward cars – “Zero” and “Double Zero”.

    The Special Stages are located, as before, in Chettanahalli, Chandrapura and Kumaragode estates. Each of the three Stages will be run twice on Saturday and once in the reverse direction on Sunday. The total competitive section is 122.77 Kms and 229 Kms of liaison for a total distance of 351.77 Kms.

  • Jacob fastest driver in CASC Autocross; Fabid wins Unrestricted Open: Coimbatore Autocross

    Jacob fastest driver in CASC Autocross; Fabid wins Unrestricted Open: Coimbatore Autocross

    KJ Jacob fastest driver of the day. Photo courtesy CASC

    Coimbatore, 26 Nov 2018: Driving a Volkswagen Polo Thrissur driver KJ Jacob became the Fastest Driver of the Autocross of Coimbatore 2018, the southern qualification round for the FMSCI Indian National Autocross Championship here on Sunday. Jacob clocked 1minute 37.23 seconds in a modified Polo in up to 1650cc Open class, just one-tenth of a second faster than the second fastest driver.

    Palakkad’s Fabid Ahmer, a student of Gaurav Gill’s Drivers’ School of Excellence. Faber clocked 1:37.34 to win the Unrestricted Open, also in a rally-prepared VW Polo, to become the second fastest driver of the event that was well organised by the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC).

    Jacob also bagged the second place in the Unrestricted Open Class behind Faber while another speedster brought his Honda home in third place. Bengaluru’s Druva Chandrasekhar won the SUV Open class while Coimbatore’s Akshaya Sundar won the ladies class.

    The Autocross event organised by Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC) at Radhakrishna Mills Premises here attracted 67 participants in the 8 classes. Among them, 17 took part in the Open event comprising of SUV and Open class. “The event ran safely with no incidents and competitors enjoyed the track layout as it was quite challenging technically. The feedback from the competitors has been very encouraging,” said Prithviraj, former FMSCI president and the President of CASC as he thanked the team who worked hard to make the event a grand success.

    L Gopalakrishnan, Managing Trustee, PSG Institutions, Coimbatore gave away the prizes.

    Provisional Results (final):

    Class 1: Stock up to 1400cc: 1. Athul Paul, Cochin, 1:51.14; 2. Tony Kurien, Cochin, 1:55.01; 3. Nycil Latheef, Ernakulam, 1:56.62.

    Class2 Stock Over 1400 to 1650cc: 1. MD Ganesh Moorthy, Erode, 1:52.59; 2. Karthick Maruthi, Erode, 1:52.71; 3. A Vinodh, Coimbatore, 2:20.12.

    Class 3 Stock Over 1650cc: 1. Sriju Sadasivan, Bengaluru, 1:45.99; 2. G Arun Kumar, Coimbatore, 1:48.93; 3. Karthick Maruthi, Erode, 1: 49.95.

    Class 4 Open – Upto 1400cc: 1. Mohamed Ismail Khan, Bengaluru, 1:42.91; 2. Ashad Pasha, Chikmagalur, 1:43.11; 3. Lanu, Nagaland, 1:43.48.

    Class 5 Open Over 1400cc to 1650cc: 1. KJ Jacob, Thrissur, 1: 37.23; 2. Ashad Pasha, C’lore, 1:37.93; 3. Philippos Mathai, New Delhi, 1:38.97.

    Class 6 Open Over 1650cc: 1. MR Venkatapathy, Coimbatore, 1:45.80; 2. Sriju Sadasivan, Bengaluru, 1:47.85; 3. Vishal Raj, Bengaluru, 1:50.70.

    Class 7 Open – Unrestrictecd Open: 1. Fabid Ahmer, Palakkad, 1: 37.34; 2. KJ Jacob Thrissur, 1:37.65; 3. Ashad Pasha, 1:38.68.

    Class 8 – Ladies Class: 1. Akshaya Sundar, Coimbatore, 2:09.98; 2. B Sri Varshini, Coimbatore, 2:27.80.

    Class 9 – SUV Class (Open): Druva Chandra Shekar, Bengaluru,1:41.45; 2. Athul Thoma, Kerala, 1: 48.91; 3. Vamci Merla, Vijayawada, 1: 50.09.

    Class 10 Open Class (Local): 1. D Vidya Prakash, Coimbatore, 1:48.00; 2. Karthick Maruthi, Erode, 1: 48.13; 3. MD Ganesh Moorthy, Erode, 1: 48.54.

     

  • Hamilton signs off Formula 1 2018 season with 11 wins; Alonso retires; Hulkenberg unhurt

    Hamilton signs off Formula 1 2018 season with 11 wins; Alonso retires; Hulkenberg unhurt

    Hamilton celebrates after winning the Abu Dhabi GP on Sunday. An FIA image

    Abu Dhabi, 25 Nov 2018: Lewis Hamilton signed off on his title-winning 2018 FIA Formula 1 campaign in style by taking a controlled and composed 11th win of the season in the 21st and final race of the FIA Formula One World Championship, ahead of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen at Yas Marina here on Sunday.

    The final race of the season ended with Hamilton and Vettel joining McLaren’s Fernando Alonso for a series of tyre-smoking donuts on the start-finish straight to celebrate the Spanish two-time champion’s final race as a Formula 1 driver.

    Earlier, at the start, Hamilton got away well from pole position to claim the lead advantage ahead of fellow front row starter and team-mate Valtteri Bottas, Vettel and Räikkönen.

    The race was soon neutralised, however. As Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean tussled into the chicane, the pair collided and the Renault man’s car was flipped into a series of frightening rolls. He came to rest upside down on the barriers. The Renault driver soon emerged unscathed but the Safety Car was swiftly deployed.

    When the SC left the track Hamilton held his advantage and was soon building a lead over Bottas and Vettel. Further back, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was making moves and he attacked the Force India of Esteban Ocon soon after racing resumed. He got past but then seemed to struggle for power and Ocon swept past to reclaim the position. The Red Bull man was told to try a reset and with that in place and effective, he muscled his way past the Force Indian driver in the second chicane to claim eighth place after dropping back from sixth at the start.

    Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen then ground to a halt on the start-finish straight with a total loss of power, bringing out the Virtual Safety Car.

    That was the cue for Hamilton to pit on lap 7 and that vaulted Ricciardo up to P3 behind Bottas and Vettel. The Australian was now just four seconds behind Vettel, with Max two second behind his team-mate in P4.

    Vettel was the next of the frontrunners to pit, the Ferrari driver taking on supersofts on lap 15. He emerged in P6 behind Ocon and then Bottas made the same move on the next lap. The moves meant that Ricciardo now led the race.

    Verstappen’s opening hypersoft tyres were now beginning to fade and the Dutchman was the next to pit, taking on supersoft tyres and rejoining in P5 behind Vettel.

    Race leader Ricciardo was now the only one of the top six to require a pit stop, but the Red Bull driver insisted his starting ultrasofts were in good shape. He proved it by managing a steady gap to Hamilton as he extended his opening stint.

    Ricciardo finally made his sole stop on lap 33, taking on supersofts and rejoining in P5 behind Verstappen. He quickly began to make the most of his new tyres, closing a seven-second gap to Max to just 1.5s by lap 36.

    Verstappen was also gaining ground, putting heavy pressure on Bottas, who twice locked up and went off track. Max continued to probe and on lap 39 he took a wide line through Turn 11 and then tucked in on the inside to pass in the next corner. The pair banged wheels but Verstappen claimed third place.

    Ricciardo, juts behind, also got a run on the Mercedes man and on the next lap, under DRS into Turn 8, he breezed past to take P4.

    The order at the front then settled, with Hamilton holding an advantage over Vettel of between four and five seconds while the Ferrari man managed a three-second gap back to the Red Bulls.

    And, after 55 laps, Hamilton crossed the line to take his 11th win of the season ahead of Vettel. Max claimed his 11th podium of the season, and fourth place in the Drivers’ championship, ahead of Daniel who ended his final race of his five seasons with the team with fourth place.

    Behind the Bulls, Bottas finished in fifth place ahead of Renault’s Carlos Sainz, Sauber’s Charles Leclerc, the Force India of Sergio Perez and the Haas cars of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen. Fernando Alonso ended his 311-start grand prix career with 11th place.

    2018 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Race 
    1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes –
    2 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 2.581
    3 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 12.706
    4 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 15.379
    5 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 47.957
    6 Carlos Sainz Jr. Renault 1:12.548
    7 Charles Leclerc Sauber 1:30.789
    8 Sergio Perez Racing Point Force India 1:31.275
    9 Romain Grosjean Haas 1 L
    10 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1 L
    11 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1 L
    12 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso 1 L
    13 Lance Stroll Williams 1 L
    14 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 1 L
    15 Sergey Sirotkin Williams 1 L
    16 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso
    17 Esteban Ocon Racing Point Force India
    18 Marcus Ericsson Sauber
    19 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari
    20 Nico Hulkenberg Renault.