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Formula 1 team Red Bull Racing confirm Aston Martin as title partner from 2018
Singap
Christian Horner (left) and Andy Palmer of Aston Martin on Monday. A Getty Images photo by Mark Thompson ore, 25 Sept. 2017: Eighteen months after launching an Innovation Partnership that led to the redefinition of automotive possibility with the game-changing Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar, Red Bull Racing is set to similarly redefine the Formula One grid with the announcement that the iconic sports car brand Aston Martin is to become its title partner from 2018 onwards, with the team competing as ‘Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’, a Red Bull Racing release received here said on Monday.
The strengthened ties between the two brands is far more than a skin-deep exercise, with the expanded technical partnership taking concrete form in the shape of a new Advanced Performance Centre being established at Red Bull Racing’s campus later this year.The new Centre will create 110 new jobs housing Aston Martin’s design and engineering personnel responsible for future sports cars from the two companies. The new centre will allow a closer working relationship between the two leading brands in their respective fields which will see the adoption of both F1 and road car technology.
Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing said: “Our Innovation Partnership with Aston Martin has been a pioneering project from day one. Having conceived and created the remarkably successful Aston Martin Valkyrie together in 2016, we extended our relationship this year and are now delighted to further strengthen the partnership and see the team competing as Aston Martin Red Bull Racing in 2018. In addition, more than 100 Aston Martin staff will service the new Advanced Performance Centre on our campus here in Milton Keynes and it will allow us to collaborate further with Aston Martin on special, equally innovative, new projects.”
Aston Martin President and CEO, Andy Palmer, added: “Title partnership is the next logical step for our Innovation Partnership with Red Bull Racing. We are enjoying the global brand awareness that a revitalised Formula One provides. The power unit discussions (in Formula One) are of interest to us, but only if the circumstances are right. We are not about to enter an engine war with no restrictions in cost or dynamometer hours but we believe that if the FIA can create the right environment we would be interested in getting involved.”
The relationship between Aston Martin and Red Bull began in 2016 after the two companies combined cutting edge F1 technology and Aston Martin’s signature sports car design to produce a ground breaking hypercar. The Aston Martin Valkyrie is set to be the first in a line of new products to be borne of this Innovation Partnership and will make its first run in 2018 before being delivered to customers in 2019.
Aston Martin will feature prominently across the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing team from the start of the 2018 season.
eom/Red Bull Racing release
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Gill-Sherif duo wins; Kadur, Ghosh crash out: INRC
Jaipur, 24 Sep. 2017: Speed demon Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif asserted their supremacy in the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2017, comfortably winning the third round here on Sunday.The ace duo were fastest in four out of the six special stages and clocked 57 minutes, 23.5 seconds to claim Round 3 of the six-round national championship and won the event with rivals Karna Kadur and Amittrajit Ghosh crashing out.
Gill and Sherif began the march for Team Mahindra Adventure late on Saturday, conquering the championship’s first night stage with élan. They took barely 13:21.1 minutes to complete the 13.9 kilometre Night Hawk stage, zipping through the sharp turns and undulating curves in the dark with ease.
The pair, however, suffered issues in SS 2, the tricky Shiv Shakti 1, taking 6:49.1 long minutes to finish fifth in the stage, yielding the lead to defending champion Karna Kadur of Arka Motorports (6:01.5) and his own teammate Amittrajit Ghosh (6:12.1) for the first time this year.
“I suffered in the second stage as I couldn’t avoid a rock and picked up a puncture,” Gill said, about his that stage.
“But I am glad I came through. This is one of the toughest rallies and the night stage has really got us all excited,” he added.
Karna and Amittrajit’s joy was, however, short-lived. Gill was back in his elements in SS 3, the Flying Machine stage, taking an astounding 12:09.5 minutes to crack the 13.8 kilometres to reclaim the rally lead.
Gill in his XUV was beyond anybody’s reach in the next two stages too, driving in his typically aggressive manner. He needed just 5:55.4 minutes to complete SS 4 and widen his lead. Karna and Amittrajit kept pace till that stage but then disaster struck both of them.
Karna’s car broke down in SS 5 and he tumbled out of contention. Amittrajit too faced a mechanical problem and managed to clock only 18:16.9 minutes, nearly five and half minutes behind Gill to slip to the sixth position. He made up time quite dramatically in the final stage but couldn’t do enough to get on to the podium.
The twin setbacks opened the path for Dean Mascarenhas’ INRC 3 team and Rahul Kanthraj’s INRC 2 outfit to jump into contention.
Mascarenhas and his co-driver Shruptha Padival, in their VW Polo, had an impressive stage to climb all the way to the second position. They hung on to the godsend doggedly, despite being pushed to the fourth place in SS 7.
Kanthraj and navigator Vivek Bhatt stunned the field by winning the final stage, the SS 7, although Gill went easy after being assured of winning the round. That ensured them the third place on the podium.
One stage, the SS 6, had to be cancelled due to an emergency in the village that required the rally to be stopped to let an ambulance with a lady in labour rush to the hospital.
Results: INRC: 1. Gaurav Gill & Musa Sharif (57:23.5); 2. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival (1:00:03.1); 3. Rahul Kanthraj & Vivek Y Bhatt (1:02:31.3).
INRC 2: 1. Rahul Kanthraj & Vivek Y Bhatt (1:02:31.3); 2. Younus Ilyas & Harish Kumar (1:20:22.4); 3. Jacob KJ & Manoj Mohanan (1:27:58.5).
INRC 3: Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival (1:00:03.1); 2. Saddam Ali Saikh & Abhijeet Singh (1:03:07.0); 3. Daraius Shroff & Nitin Jacob (1:03:33.0).
FMSCI 2WD Cup: 1. Chetan Shivram & Rupesh Koley (1:04:11.7); 2. Suraj Thomas & Thomas Paul (1:06:40.0); 3. Sachin Sharma & Sagar Malappa (1:09:53.7).
4WD Open: 1. S. Yadav & V. Kashyap (1:00:57.4); 2. Himangshu Arora & Kunal Kashyap (1:05:25.1); 3. Sanjay Razdan & Karan Aukta (1:07:07.0).
2WD Open: Lakshya Veer Dabbas & Aakshay Suhhag (time not available).
eom/An RRPM press release
About RRPM: Ramakrishna Race Performance Management Pvt. Ltd.(RRPM) is a company formed with the sole intention of promoting “Professional Motorsports” in India and provides all kinds of technical assistance and information required to be at par with the National Level.
RRPM was started in 2003 by Mr Arindam Ghosh, an icon in his own rights with over 40 years rallying and organizational experience. RRPM is proud to be a part of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), which is the apex body of India.
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Marquez, Pedrosa score 1-2 for Repsol Honda; Rossi 5th: MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix
Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa scored a fantastic one-two result in today’s Aragon Grand Prix, starting from the second row of the grid, the former on a hard-hard Michelin tyre combination, the latter on medium-medium. Both Repsol Honda Team riders fought their way forward to take the squad’s seventh double podium of the season.
Meanwhile, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales was on the move today at the final stages of the sunny Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón. The Spaniard gradually increased his pace to take fourth place in the last part of the race. Teammate Valentino Rossi, opted for the opposite strategy. The Italian had a superb ride as he threatened to take the lead in the early race laps, just 24 days after sustaining a leg injury, before settling into fifth place, which he held over the line, adds a Movistar Yamaha Release.
Marc’s 60th career win is also his fifth this year and his ninth podium of the season (the seventh out of the last eight races), helping him to pull a small gap of 16 points over Andrea Dovizioso and 28 points over Maverick Viñales, his two closest pursuers in the title chase.
After setting the race fastest lap in 1’49.140, Dani took his 111th podium finish out of 195 races in the Premier class, in which he now has the most starts of any Spanish rider (Carlos Checa being second with 194). Dani’s eighth podium of the season moved him up to fourth in the Championship classification with 170 points, 54 down on his teammate with four rounds to go.
Marc Marquez said: “I’m very very happy with this victory because it was a tough race. Yesterday I wasn’t feeling totally comfortable with the bike, and today I was struggling again except in the warm-up; I don’t really know why. Anyway, racing at one of my favourite tracks, close to my home and in front of my fans, gave me extra motivation. I pushed hard and in some corners I just clicked the off-button in my head, even if I crashed twice yesterday. I saw that Viñales and Dovi were struggling a bit and knew it was the moment to push, so I did. There were a few scary moments, once when I was trying to overtake Valentino; he was tighter in that corner than I was expecting, and to avoid a clash I released the brakes, only to realize that Lorenzo was right there! So I went off the track, and at that moment I cooled down a bit, even if I continued to try and close the gap. Once I passed Lorenzo, I had to keep going as I saw that Dani was coming very fast. Anyway, that’s the Marquez style! Of course it’s important to think of the Championship, but the situation now requires that we give it everything. So we’ll try to continue with the same motivation and mentality race by race, giving our 100 per cent.”
Dani Pedrosa said: Maybe if I could have overtaken Maverick a little bit earlier I would have had a better chance to fight for the win, but well, I’m still very happy with my race today! The goal was try and fight for the podium or the win, and we achieved that. So yes, I have some small regrets, but at the same time I couldn’t have done any better in the beginning as I was on the medium rear like Maverick and wasn’t able to pass him for a while. I also had to manage the tyre wear in order to be fast at the end, which I was. I wasn’t sure why we suddenly had some gap to recover to the front, as the others had more or less the same pace. Anyway, when I finally passed him, the gap was there, so I started pushing hard, made some good passes and a good recovery, and had a very strong race. I put a lot of passion into it, and this is good for me and the team.”
Valentino Rossi said: “I am quite proud, because a week ago I didn‘t know if I would be able to race. Achieving a start from the first row yesterday was already great, I was very happy. I knew I had to suffer in the second half of the race. I had some pain and we also suffered from the degradation of the tyre. The work continues after this race. The calendar works out well for me, I have two full weeks to train and improve my leg‘s condition. After this we have Motegi, which is going to be very important, but we also have three races in a row. This will be very difficult for my leg, so I want to try to arrive in Motegi – maybe not at 100% – but quite fit.”
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Aaroh Ravindra extends championship lead by a point: Meco Karting Nationals
Bengaluru, 24 Sept. 2017: Rayo Racing’s Aaroh Ravindra extended his championship lead by a mere 1 point at the end of Round 4 of the Meco FMSCI National Rotax Karting Championship. The Mumbai lad kept a cool head and finished both the pre – finals and finals in 2nd position.
Earlier in the weekend, it was Bangalore racer Nirmal Umashankar from M Sport Racing who bagged pole position with a time of 54.864 ahead of Manav Sharma of BPC Racing. Aaroh could only manage third.
Heat 1 and 2 saw Nirmal win ahead of Aaroh and Manav. This ensured that Nirmal started on Pole for the Pre-finals. As the green flag was waved, Nirmal got a good start and managed to block Aaroh, who in turn managed to block of Manav. The three racers fought throughout the 18 lap pre-final, but neither racer was able to make a move and the trio finished in the same order. The immensely close finish saw the top three cross the finish line within 0.7 seconds!
The 20 lap final looked as though it would finish in a similar fashion, when the top three started in the same order. The trio quickly pulled away from the rest of the pack and once again none of the racers seemed to be able to mount a challenge in spite of being within the same second. On lap 15, Aaroh made a move on Nirmal into the U bend. However, he was unsuccessful and immediately paid the price as Manav seized second from Aaroh. Soon, Manav made a move for the lead and succeeded in holding position. Aaroh once again made a move on Nirmal and this time was able to make it stick. He soon went after Manav, but was unable to make a move by the chequered flag. Manav hence won his first race of the season, while Aaroh’s second place meant it was the first time this season he has not won the final. Nirmal sealed the third spot, in another extremely close finish that saw the top three within a second. Aaroh’s charge in the last few laps also saw him bag the fastest lap of the race and increase his overall lead in the National Championship by an additional point.
The Junior Category too, witnessed close racing for the top 2 spots. Yash Aradhya of M Sport Racing started on pole in the final ahead of his team mates Sai Sanjay T and Shahan Ali Mohsin. A small mistake by Yash allowed his team mate to overtake and eventually it was Shahan who won ahead of Yash and Chirag Ghorpade from BPC Racing.
The Micro Max Category saw Yashas More start on pole and win the final ahead of his Birel Art team mates, Rishon MR and Arjun Rajiv.
“Although I was fast through the weekend, Nirmal seemed to be just a bit faster than me. Each and every race had all three of us finish extremely close. I wish I could have made my first move stick, in the finals, but second is not bad, although it would have been better to win. I must thank the team for the excellent setup that I had in the final and I am grateful to all my sponsors” said Aaroh after the race.
eom/press release
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Vinales takes pole, Rossi P3; Marquez crashes, starts P5: Aragon GP
Rossi to start on P3 for the Aragon GP. A Movistar Yamaha image Alcañiz (Spain), 23 Sept. 2017: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team completely turned its fortunes around on the second day at the MotorLand Aragón circuit. Maverick Viñales delivered the goods exactly when it mattered, securing pole position for the second time in a row. Valentino Rossi gave a staggering performance and rode his bike to a brilliant third place, while still recovering from his leg injury.
Repsol Honda rider and reigning world champion, Marc Marquez and his teammate Dani Pedrosa qualified in fifth and sixth places, respectively, and will start side by side on Sunday from the second row together with fellow Honda rider Cal Crutchlow, adds a Repsol Honda release.
The Repsol Honda men were fast in the dry today, as they had been yesterday in the wet. Marc was first in FP3 and third in FP4, and set the provisional fastest lap in his first attempt in qualifying. A crash at turn 12 during his second flying lap prevented him from fighting for the pole.
Following a strong closing stage to FP4, where Viñales secured first place, the Spaniard was in a good mindset to fire his YZR-M1 over the Spanish track during the 15-minute shoot-out. He was the second to last man out of the gates in Q2 and found some clear space when he appeared on track. He only needed a little bit of time to get up to speed, setting the provisional second fastest time on his second try, before heading back to pit lane to get a fresh set of tyres, with more than six and a half minutes on the clock.
Once back on the track, he was in the zone. The youngster, who was riding with a new design helmet to celebrate his home GP this weekend, put his head down again and posted a 1‘47.635s to take over the top spot from his teammate, with 1m40s still on the clock. He had time for one more attempt, but his previous lap remained unbeaten, earning him his fifth pole of the season so far, with a 0.100s-advantage over his closest rival.
Rossi rode a superb FP3 session, securing tenth place, to promote directly to Q2 just 23 days after breaking his right leg. In the qualifying session the Italian steadily build up speed over his two first tries, but was unable to breach into the low 1‘48s just yet. He held tenth place as he headed to the box, with slightly more than seven minutes to go.
A little while later, the Doctor was back in action and immediately dropped an impressive 1‘47.815s for provisional pole, but was soon pushed down the order as various riders completed their last attempt. Rossi ended the day in third position, just 0.180s behind his teammate in first race.
Maverick Vinales says: The conditions were a little bit more difficult compared to this morning, to make a good lap, but anyway the team did a great job so I‘m really happy. Every time we‘re doing better qualifications and we‘re more consistent on the bike. I hope we can keep these good feelings, especially before the race tomorrow. We have been improving a lot since the Misano test. The dry bike has good potential and rides well all the time, but we have to improve in the rain, so we‘re keeping that in mind, in order to be consistent. Honestly, it‘s incredible what Valentino did today, I have no words. He always delivers great results and it‘s positive that Valentino is also fast, because we can see things on the bike and compare the data for tomorrow.
Valentino Rossi after taking the first row says: I think we did a great job after sustaining the injury. I have to thank all the people that helped me, starting with the doctor that did the surgery. After that I worked very hard every day with my trainer and the leg is becoming better every day. Sincerely, on the bike I feel some pain, but I can ride quite comfortably, so I‘m very happy. It‘s very important to start from the front row and now we have to understand the pace and also if I‘m able to push until the end, but anyway I‘m happy.
eom/Movistar Yamaha Press Release with other inputs
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Unexpected twist to SS600cc: Asia Road Racing
The 2017 title chase in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship underwent another drastic change late in the season as the Madras Motor Race Track, host to Round 5, brought an unexpected twist in the championship story. In the SuperSports 600cc class, Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi reignited his title hopes with a convincing victory at the 3.7km circuit.
The MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda Racing rider started the race second on the grid, behind surprise pole sitter Keminth Kubo of team Yamaha Racing. However, Zaqhwan’s depth of experience clearly showed at the start of the race. The Malaysian easily brushed aside his younger competitor and nipped into the holeshot with Taiga Hada and Kubo hot on his heels.
But the Malaysian rider was unfazed by the competition behind him. Despite track temperatures soaring up to 63 degrees, Zaqhwan looked cool and comfortable as he controlled the race pace at the front of the group.
Behind him, Taiga Hada opted for a safe strategy, preferring to follow Zaqhwan around the track as opposed to an all-out 16-lap battle. Hada’s decision to play it safe almost cost him the second place when Yuki Ito came storming in from third position. The last-lap tussle between the two Japanese riders allowed Zaqhwan to run away at the front.
Zaqhwan picked up his second win of the season with 27’20.721s. Hada successfully defended his second place with 27’21.347, and kept Ito in third place with 27’21.710s.
Behind the winning trio, championship leader Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman showed amazing drive and determination to finish the race. He was injured after a bad high side at the tail end of Friday’s third free practice session. Off-form, Azlan qualified 15th on the grid. He gritted his way through the entire race and limped home with a very creditable tenth place.
The Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing rider picked up enough points to stay in the lead. He holds 124 points while Zaqhwan and Hada are level in second overall with 118 points. However, Azlan’s injury is not expected to recover overnight. Therefore, a new championship leader is expected to emerge from Race 2 on Sunday.
In the Asia Production 250cc category, Gerry Salim was expected to seal the title in the first race. Uncharacteristically, the Indonesian ace crashed twice during the warm-up lap. The incidents left Gerry out of Race 1. In the absence of the dominating Indonesian rider, Tomoyoshi Koyama picked up his first AP250 win with a time of 22’07.059s. It was not an easy win for Koyama. He was pressured all the way by Thai rider Anupab Sarmoon who eventually finished second. Yamaha Racing Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama crossed the finish line in third place.
Finally, in the Underbone 150cc category, Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam picked up his third win of the season at the Indian leg of the championship. The SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team rider executed a well thought-out strategy throughout the 10-lap race. He clocked 19’14.180s as the race winner, followed by Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues in second place with 19’14.358s. Azroy Hakeem Anuar made it an all-Malaysian podium, finishing third with 19’14.432s.
RACE 1 RD5 ARRC RESULTS:SUPERSPORTS 600cc
1 Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS) MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda Racing 27:20.721s
2 Taiga Hada (JPN) RAMA Honda by NTS T.Pro Ten 10 27:21.347s
3 Yuki Ito (JPN) Yamaha Racing 27:21.710s
4 Teppei Nagoe (JPN) MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda Racing 27:25.948s
5 Ratthapong Wilairot (THA) AP Honda Racing Thailand 27:28.595sOverall Standings
1 Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS) Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing 124pts2 Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS) MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda Racing 118pts
3 Taiga Hada (JPN) RAMA Honda by NTS T.Pro Ten 10 118pts
4 Yuki Ito (JPN) Yamaha Racing 109pts
5 Ahmad Yudhistira (INA) Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing 103ptsASIA PRODUCTION 250cc
1 Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN) RAMA Honda 22:07.059s
2 Anupab Sarmoon (THA) YAMAHA Thailand Racing TEAM 22:07.176s
3 Galang Hendra Pratama (INA) Yamaha Racing Indonesia 22:11.328s
4 Muklada Sarapuech (THA) AP Honda Racing Thailand 22:14.526s
5 Reynaldo Chrisantho Ratukore (INA) Yamaha Racing Indonesia Yamaha 22:14.801sOverall Standings
1 Gerry Salim (INA) Astra Honda Racing Team 175pts
2 Anupab Sarmoon (THA) YAMAHA Thailand Racing TEAM 135pts
3 Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN) RAMA Honda 127pts
4 Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN) SIDRAP HONDA IKAZUCHI Racing Team 120pts
5 Rheza Danica Ahrens (INA) Astra Honda Racing Team 115ptsUNDERBONE 150cc
1 Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam (MAS) SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team 19:14.180s
2 Md Haziq Md Fairues (MAS) UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor 19:14.358s
3 Azroy Hakeem Anuar (MAS) Yuzy Honda Vietnam Racing Team 19:14.432s
4 Md. Akid Aziz (MAS) UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor 19:14.543s
5 Anggi Setiawan (INA) Yamaha Yamalube KYT TJM RACETECH Racing Team 19:14.848sOverall Standings
1 Md Akid Aziz (MAS) UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor 144pts
2 Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (INA) Yamaha Racing Indonesia 120pts
3 Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam (MAS) SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team 102pts
4 Md Haziq Md Fairues (MAS) UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor 100pts
5 Md Izzat Zaidi (MAS) RCB KAGE Motobatt Yamaha YY Pang Racing Team 100ptseom/TW
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Thai star Decha Kraisart scorches track for new record: Asia Road Racing
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Decha Kraisart (No.24), quickest in the SuperSports 600cc class on Sept 22. Image by Anand Philar Indian riders improve timings
Chennai, 22 September, 2017: The high-pitched whine of the SuperSports 600cc bikes reverberated through the MMRT track with as many as nine riders ducking under the lap record here on Friday as the fifth round of the Asia Road Racing Championship, being hosted by the Madras Motor Sports Club, got off the blocks in style.
Veteran Thailand star Decha Kraisart (Yamaha) clocked a sizzling one minute, 41.305 seconds around the 3.717 Kms track in the third Free Practice session late in the afternoon, bettering the previous best of 01:42.787 set by Kawasaki rider from Malaysia Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman who is also the current championship leader.
The 600cc riders improved their timings through the three practice sessions before Kraisart led a bunch of nine who broke Kamaruzaman’s record (01:42.785) set in 2013 when the event was last run at this venue. Karmaruzaman (01:41.801) himself was third quickest in FP-3 behind compatriot Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (Honda, 01:41.501).
Trailing the front-runners was the lone Indian entrant in this class, Shank Sarath Kumar who was about three seconds off the pace, but like other riders, improved his timings through the day.
The other Indian, 18-year old Rajiv Sethu, taking part in the Asia Production 250cc class, was also off the pace, but improved his timing by nearly seven seconds over three practice sessions.
Indian wild card entry in the Underbone 150cc class, Prabhu Arungagiri qualified 14th on the grid dominated by Malaysian riders.
The final round of the two MMSC One-Make Championships (Open class), Honda CBR 250 and TVS Apache 200, also got underway with one practice session apiece.
Ranchi’s Amit Richard Topno (Pro-Lap Racing), currently lying fifth in the championship, was quickest in the Honda CBR 250 category while leader Rajiv Sethu sat out the practice session while Prabhu V topped the TVS Apache class ahead of Sivanesan S who has already clinched the title, and was the third quickest behind Anand Kumar S.
eom/press release
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Rossi declared fit: Aragon MotoGP
Alcañiz (Spain), 21 Sept. 2017: The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team will start round 14 of the MotoGP World Championship with their original rider line-up.
On Thursday, afternoon Valentino Rossi successfully completed a mandatory medical examination carried out by MotorLand Aragón’s Chrief Medical Officer, Clemente Millan. He declared that the nine-time World Champion is fit to ride, 21 days after sustaining a leg injury.
The Italian will take part in the FP1 session on Friday.
eom/Movistar Yamaha press release
Rossi (centre) was declared fit on Thursday. A Movistar Yamaha image -
Top two-wheeler talent on view as Asian Road Racing Championship returns to Chennai
Chennai, 21 Sept. 2017: Shankar Sarath Kumar and Rajiv Sethu of team RAMA Honda by NTS T.Pro Ten10 are India’s sole full-season riders in the Super Sports 600cc and Asia Production 250cc classes respectively as Asian Road Racing Championship returns to the Madras Motorsports Race Track here on Friday.
The three-day event will witness World-class and heart-stopping action after a four-year interval as the premier Road Racing Championship in Asia boasts of the cream of the region’s two-wheeler racing talent competing across the three categories of Super Sports 600cc, Unberbone 150cc and Asia Production 250cc.
Riders from Australia, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Chinese-Taipei, besides the two Chennai-based Indians are in the fray for the fifth round of the championship.
The ARRC field includes a clutch of riders with exposure at the World championship level and contesting in the SuperSports 600cc, Asia Production 250cc and the Underbone 150cc classes. Also on the weekend card are double-header support races in the Honda CBR 250 (Open) and TVS Apache 200 (Open) categories.
MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “We once again welcome the Asia Road Racing Championship fraternity to Chennai, the spiritual home of Indian motorsport. We last hosted the ARRC at the MMRT four years ago and it is our privilege to yet again present the cream of Asia’s two-wheeler racing talent some of which have excelled at the World level.
“It has always been MMSC’s philosophy and tradition to organize and promote the sport at all levels. This year, we introduced a separate category for Girls in the two-wheeler National championship and we are happy that it evoked good response. So, hosting the ARRC has been a natural progression for us at the MMSC.
“We at the MMSC have also striven to attract two-wheeler manufacturers and our efforts have resulted in India’s top brands such as Honda, Suzuki, TVS, Yamaha, KTM, Bajaj and Royal Enfield, participating in our events in one form or other.”
Reflecting on his chances, 24-year old Sarath Kumar said:
“Obviously, I am very excited to be racing on my home track and in front of our fans. The expectations will be high and that adds to the pressure, but quite inspiring.
“More importantly, thanks to all the hard work that MMSC officials have put in, we as riders can be proud of an international class paddock. The track conditions too are superb and I am hoping for a dry weekend without rains, but that is something nobody can control.
“As for my realistic target, it is to get my lap time under 1:46 (one minute, 46 seconds) which will get me closer to the front bunch of riders. The 600cc field is very strong and has plenty of experienced riders with World Championship exposure. So, you can expect a very high level of competition.
“Compared to last season when I was recovering from a knee injury, I am in better physical condition this year and am able to push more. My pace has improved, but the big problem is that I do not get any track time on the 600cc bike between races or pre-season.
“Here in the National championship, I ride the 250cc bike and so, when I get to the ARRC, I have to adapt to the bigger machine. It takes time and lot of effort. The progress can be a bit slow. However, this weekend, I will do my very best to deliver a good result.”
Rajiv Sethu, 18, said: “It has been a learning process for me in the ARRC this season. I have been improving with every outing and this weekend, I want to do better than my previous best finish of 16.
“The competition in the 250cc class is extremely tough with many riders capable of winning. The conditions here at the MMRT are excellent, and we can expect high quality racing.
“My goal is to stay with the leading bunch, and racing on my home track, I do not want to disappoint the fans. I have been in good form in the ongoing National championship and I hope to carry that form into this weekend.”
eom
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Rossi completes first laps on his return from injury; Michael van der Mark to ride in Aragon
Michael van der Mark image from Movistar Yamaha Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 18 Sept. 2017: Valentino Rossi rode his first couple of laps around the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on Monday since sustaining a leg injury on Thursday, August 31, a press release from Movistar Yamaha said.
Following an enduro accident on August 31st, Valentino Rossi has been diligently working on his recovery from the double fracture in his right leg. Today the nine-time World Champion put his fitness level to the test and successfully completed a few laps around the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on a YZF-R1M, before rain disrupted the trial run.
As today‘s riding session was cut short due to the change in weather, the evaluation of Rossi’s physical condition was inconclusive. He will decide by the end of Wednesday, September 20th, whether he will attempt to take part in this weekend‘s Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón.
Earlier in another release Yamaha said: Yamaha’s WorldSBK rider Michael van der Mark will be riding Valentino Rossi’s YZR-M1 in round 14 of the 2017 MotoGP World Championship, staged at the MotorLand Aragón track in Spain, while the Italian is recovering from his leg injury.
Rossi is making good progress with his rehabilitation process. However, it is expected that he will not be able to compete again before the Grand Prix of Japan at the Twin Ring Motegi, held from October 13th – 15th.
For the Aragón race, Van der Mark will be backed by Rossi’s usual crew. This opportunity will provide the 24-year-old with a similar MotoGP experience to the one fellow Yamaha WorldSBK rider and 2017 Suzuka 8-hours Endurance Race winner Alex Lowes was given last year. The Brit replaced Bradley Smith in the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team at the British, San Marino, and Aragón Grand Prix.
Unlike Lowes, who had the benefit of some testing mileage in Brno, Czech Republic, prior to taking part in the MotoGP weekends, Van der Mark will debut in the premier class on the YZR-M1 without any training. Nevertheless, the three-time Suzuka8H winner is well accustomed to the demands of working for a factory team. The Dutchman is also no stranger to the MotoGP paddock, having competed in seven 125cc Grands Prix in 2010, and in the 2011 Moto2 race in Assen, the Netherlands. Moreover, his experience in the FIM Superbike (WorldSBK) and Supersport World Championships, and the European Superstock 600 make him well acquainted with the MotorLand Aragón circuit, having raced there seven times before.
eom/Movistar Yamaha releases
