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FIA welcomes Liberty Media
Paris, 24 Jan 2017: In a statement released on Tuesday, FIA, said: “The world governing body of motor sport, the FIA wishes to thank the outgoing CEO of the Formula One Group, Bernie Ecclestone for more than 40 years of dedication to the FIA Formula One World Championship and as a member of both the F1 Commission and World Motor Sport Council.The FIA was responsible for creating Formula One when it established the first regulations for the category in 1946.”
The Federation remains committed to regulating the FIA Formula One World Championship fairly, safely, and in the best interests of the sport – as it has strived to do since its inception 67 years ago.
The FIA President, Jean Todt, congratulated the new owners of the Formula One Group, Liberty Media Corporation.
“As Formula One’s governing body, the FIA would like to welcome the new CEO, Chase Carey and his entire team to the Championship.
“The whole FIA organisation is looking forward to working closely together, with the common goal of improving and growing the sport further with the support of the highly recognised skills of Liberty Media Corporation in the media and sport domains.”
eom
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Meka Vidhuraj, Joseph Mathew win Gixxer titles
The lead bunch in the open class of the final race at MMRT on Sunday. Image by Suzuki Chennai, 22 January 2017: In a thrilling conclusion to the Suzuki Gixxer Cup 2016, Suzuki Motorcycle India hosted Round 5 of the one-make race at the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai on Sunday as part of the Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2016.
The Suzuki Gixxer Cup which began its second season in June and had a total of 10 races each in Gixxer Open and Gixxer Novice classes.
The Open Category saw Aaron Gunawardena win Race 1 of the final round, cruising ahead of R Rajinikanth by over 2 seconds. Race 2 witnessed a nail-biting finish between Aaron, Rajinikanth and Vivian with Aaron overtaking on the last corner and clinching the win with 1/10th of a second ahead of R Rajinikanth.
Moreover, it was a closely contested season, Meka Vidhuraj was crowned the Open Championship winner of the season by securing a commendable 176 points, 23 points ahead of R Rajinikanth, who took the runner-up trophy with 153 points and Vivian Gladwin won third place overall with 144 points.
Race 1 of the Novice Category was won by Joseph Mathew with a commendable margin of 10+ seconds and Vishal S coming in 2nd. Race 2 was more closely fought with Joseph Mathew’s winning lead cut down to 1 second by Amarnath Rajan in 2nd place. Joseph Mathew deservingly won the Novice Championship with a staggering total of 200 points. Amarnath Rajan was the Novice Championship Runner Up with 144 points, and Clinton Cordeiro got the Championship 2nd Runner Up at 73 points.
Both Open and Novice Champions go home with Suzuki Gixxer SF and Suzuki Gixxer motorcycles respectively, while the winners of the 2nd and 3rd positions take cash prizes of Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 10,000 each.
Provisional results: Novice (Race 1, 4 Laps): 1. Joseph P Mathew 9:11.643; 2. Vishal S 9:22.692; 3. Alexander AS 9:24:259; Best Lap: Amarnath Rajan 2:12:973 (100.6 kmph).
Novice (Race 2, 4 Laps): 1. Joseph P Mathew 9:16.665; 2. Amarnath Rajan 9:17.967; 3. Alexander AS 9:19.629. Best Lap: Amarnath Rajan 2:13.338 (100.2 kmph).
Open (Race 1, 6 Laps): 1. Aaron Gunawardena 14:01.800; 2. R Rajinikanth 14:04.201; 3. Meka Vidhuraj 14:08:988. Best Lap: Aaron Gunawardena 2:11.584 (101.6 kmph).
Open (Race 2, 6 Laps): 1. Aaron Gunawardena 13:37.638; 2. R Rajinikanth 13:37.715; 3. Vivian Gladwin 13:38:097. Best Lap: R Rajinikanth 2:10:912 (102.1 kmph).
eom/david
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Success Mantra in Sports – a rare book on Sports Psychology by MN Viswanath
Bengaluru, 19 Jan 2017: The book, Success Mantra in Sports, written by sports psychologist MN Viswanath, was released by Arjuna Awardee Ashwini Nachappa at the Hockey Stadium here on Wednesday.“There is an urgent need for such a book not just for athletes, coaches and trainers but for all parents and students. How to handle fear, how to control our emotions, how to realise our inner potential… Be it music, be it arts, studies or sports. Every child needs such books to help train their minds,” felt star athlete Nachappa who beat PT Usha on her day, only after she underwent Sports Psychology training under Bupen Das which removed her `mental block’.
“Some books entertain and some books teach. But we rarely come across books which serve both the purposes. With apt and meaningful real-life experiences, it’s a practical book with simple concepts, mind drills and ideas. The book teaches without sermonising and just flows as it makes you think,” opined renowned counsellor and founder of Banjara Academy Dr Ali Kwaja.
Celebrated athlete Arjun Devaiah also spoke about how he struggled to come up as No.1 in the country in his event. “Having started my competitive athletics only in early twenties, I had to face a lot of negative comments. Some coaches even suggested it was time to retire and I was just starting my career. But I had the hunger to succeed and I was determined. With great focus and hard work, I did achieve my goal and represented the country but looking back I feel I would have tamed my career with lot more conviction and ease had I had the support of a sports psychologist,” he felt. “Hardwork, devotion, determination, dedication and other such words, concepts and ideas are all fine. But what one needs to do to succeed in sports is to implement these with discipline in everyday life. Only then one can achieve, what he dreams,” he concluded.
The 376-page book addresses key mental aspects of sports in an easy and simple manner with a lot of anecdotes and narrates personal experiences from an impressive range of top national and international sportspersons. “Many years back, I found it difficult to find a professional psychological support for my table-tennis playing son,” revealed MN Viswanath, the author which prompted him to write the book. And after four years of research and hard work, the book fills the gap of a long-felt need.
Celebrated Australian sports psychologist Dr Michelle Pain, in the foreword says that she is proud to have Success Mantra in Sports in her collection. “Vish is a keen teacher who wants to bring sports psychology concepts to the general public in India for a minimum cost and he had achieved it with this book. This book points to correct thoughts and actions anyone can put to good use that can lead to improved performances and enjoyment of sports,” she recommends.
Veteran coach and Dronacharya awardee Mr Lingappa, 93, was fecilitated on the occasion.
For media queries or to get a copy of the book please contact Kiran Kumar, Media Hanger, at 98864 95757
ends/david
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Bernie’s 40-year reign comes to an end as Liberty appoints Chase Carey as CEO
Formula 1 Appoints Chase Carey as Chief Executive Officer and Bernie Ecclestone as Chairman Emeritus
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. & LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Liberty Media Corporation (“Liberty Media”) (Nasdaq: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK, BATRA, BATRK, LMCA, LMCK) and Delta Topco, the parent company of Formula 1 (Delta Topco herein referred to as “Formula 1” or “F1”) announced today that Liberty Media has completed its previously announced acquisition of F1, the iconic global motorsports business, from a consortium of sellers (the “Selling Shareholders”). F1 has appointed Chase Carey as Chief Executive Officer of F1, in addition to his existing role as Chairman, and Bernie Ecclestone as Chairman Emeritus of F1. Bernie Ecclestone, who has given valuable service to F1 over many years, will be available as a source of advice for the board of F1.
Greg Maffei, President and CEO of Liberty Media Corporation, commented:
“We are delighted to have completed the acquisition of F1 and that Chase will lead this business as CEO. There is an enormous opportunity to grow the sport, and we have every confidence that Chase, with his abilities and experience, is the right person to achieve this. I’d like to thank Bernie Ecclestone, who becomes Chairman Emeritus, for his tremendous success in building this remarkable global sport.”
Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO of F1, said:
“I am excited to be taking on the additional role of CEO. F1 has huge potential with multiple untapped opportunities. I have enjoyed hearing from the fans, teams, FIA, promoters and sponsors on their ideas and hopes for the sport. We will work with all of these partners to enhance the racing experience and add new dimensions to the sport and we look forward to sharing these plans overtime.”
“I would like to recognise and thank Bernie for his leadership over the decades. The sport is what it is today because of him and the talented team of executives he has led, and he will always be part of the F1 family. Bernie’s role as Chairman Emeritus befits his tremendous contribution to the sport and I am grateful for his continued insight and guidance as we build F1 for long-term success and the enjoyment of all those involved.”
Bernie Ecclestone, Chairman Emeritus of F1, added:
“I’m proud of the business that I built over the last 40 years and all that I have achieved with Formula 1, and would like to thank all of the promoters, teams, sponsors and television companies that I have worked with. I’m very pleased that the business has been acquired by Liberty and that it intends to invest in the future of F1. I am sure that Chase will execute his role in a way that will benefit the sport.”
The consideration for Liberty Media’s acquisition of 100% of the shares of F1(1) was comprised of cash and newly issued Series C shares of the Liberty Media Group tracking stock (“LMCK”) and a debt instrument exchangeable into shares of LMCK. The transaction price represents an enterprise value for F1 of $8.0 billion and an equity value of $4.4 billion(2).
With the completion of the acquisition, the Liberty Media Group will shortly be renamed the Formula One Group and the ticker symbols for the Series A, Series B and Series C Liberty Media Grouptracking stocks will be changed from LMC (A/B/K), respectively, to FWON (A/B/K), respectively, soon after the group name change has become effective. Liberty Media expects the group name change and the symbol change to occur later this week. F1 will remain based in London and Greg Maffei will be Deputy Chair of the board of F1.
The Selling Shareholders received a mix of consideration comprising: $3.05 billion in cash, approximately 56 million newly issued shares of LMCK and a $351 million exchangeable debt instrument to be issued by F1 and exchangeable into shares of LMCK. The cash component of the acquisition was funded from cash on hand at the Liberty Media Group. The newly issued LMCK shares are subject to market co-ordination and lock-up agreements.
F1, along with $4.1 billion of existing F1 debt (which is non-recourse to Liberty Media) and $0.7 billion in F1 cash(3), is attributed to the Liberty Media Group tracking stock.
Concurrently with the consummation of the acquisition, certain third party investors subscribed for $1.55 billion of newly issued shares of LMCK at a price of $25.00 per share. The proceeds from this investment were used to increase the cash portion of the aggregate consideration payable to the Selling Shareholders. The third parties are Coatue Management, L.L.C., D. E. Shaw Group, JANA Partners LLC, Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb Inc., Soroban Capital Partners LP, SPO Advisory Corp., andViking Global Investors LP (collectively the “Third Party Investors”).
Also concurrently with the completion of the acquisition, Liberty Media used the net proceeds of its previously announced cash convertible senior notes offering to increase the cash consideration payable to the Selling Shareholders by approximately $400 million for total cash consideration of $3.05 billion and retain in treasury the approximately 19 million shares that would otherwise have been issuable to the Selling Shareholders based on the per share purchase price of $21.26. These LMCK shares will be reserved by Liberty for possible sale to the F1 teams. To the extent such shares are not sold to F1 teams within six months following the closing of the F1 acquisition, the shares will be retired.
The aggregate number of LMCK shares issued at the F1 closing was allocated as follows: approximately 56 million to the Selling Shareholders, 62 million to the third party investors and approximately 19 million into treasury. Following the completion of the acquisition, there are approximately 217 million shares of LMCK common stock outstanding (pro-forma for the dilutive impact of the $351 million LMCK exchangeable security and excluding the aforementioned approximate 19 million shares retained in treasury). Following the completion of the F1 acquisition and the issuance of shares to the Third Party Investors (excluding the potential issuance of those shares retained in treasury), the Third Party Investors in the aggregate own approximately 29%(4)of the Liberty Media Group’s outstanding equity and the Selling Shareholders own approximately 33%(4) of the Liberty Media Group’s outstanding equity and have board representation at F1 to support Liberty Media in continuing to develop the full potential of the sport.
Liberty Media’s President and CEO, Greg Maffei and Formula 1’s Chairman and CEO, Chase Carey will be appearing on the CNBC television program “Squawk Box” from 7:00 am ET to 9:00 am ET on Tuesday, January 24, 2017 to discuss the completion of the acquisition in more detail. During their appearance, Mr. Maffei and Mr. Carey may make observations regarding Liberty Media’s and Formula 1’s financial performance and outlook and the impact of current economic trends.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the acquisition of Formula 1, the expected benefits of the transaction, the renaming of the Liberty Media Group and the corresponding change in ticker symbols and other matters that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These forward looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Liberty Media expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in Liberty Media’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Please refer to the publicly filed documents of Liberty Media, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, for risks and uncertainties related to Liberty Media’s business which may affect the statements made in this press release.
About Liberty Media Corporation
Liberty Media Corporation operates and owns interests in a broad range of media, communications and entertainment businesses. Those businesses are attributed to three tracking stock groups: the Liberty SiriusXM Group, the Braves Group and the Liberty Media Group. The businesses and assets attributed to the Liberty SiriusXM Group (Nasdaq: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK) include Liberty Media’s interest in SiriusXM. The businesses and assets attributed to the Braves Group (Nasdaq: BATRA, BATRK) include Liberty Media’s subsidiary Braves Holdings, LLC. The businesses and assets attributed to the Liberty Media Group (Nasdaq: LMCA, LMCK) consist of all of Liberty Media’s businesses and assets other than those attributed to the Liberty SiriusXM Group and the Braves Group, including Formula 1, Liberty Media’s interest in Live Nation Entertainment, and minority equity investments in Time Warner Inc. and Viacom.
About Formula 1
Formula 1®, which began in 1950, is the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition and is the world’s most popular annual sporting series. In 2016 it was watched by 400 million unique television viewers from over 200 territories. The 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship(TM) ran from March to November and spanned 21 races in 21 countries across five continents. Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1, and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship(TM).
Formula 1 is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK, BATRA, BATRK, LMCA, LMCK) attributed to the Liberty Media Group tracking stock. With the completion of the acquisition of Formula 1 announced today, Liberty Media announced that the Liberty Media Group will shortly be renamed the Formula One Group and the ticker symbols for the Series A, Series B and Series C Liberty Media Group tracking stocks are expected to be changed from LMC (A/B/K), respectively, to FWON (A/B/K), respectively.
For more information on Formula 1® visit www.formula1.com.
References cited above: (1) Other than a nominal number of shares held by certain Formula 1 teams. (2) Calculated at time of transaction announcement. (3) Formula 1 cash and debt balances as of 7/31/2016. (4) Calculated based on the undiluted share count as of 12/31/2016 and inclusive of the dilutive impact of the $351 million Exchangeable -
Rajiv Sethu clinches Pro Stock championship
From left: Poederooijen, winner of Super Sport Indian 300-400cc National Champion along with other National Championship winners, Rajiv Sethu (Pro Stock 165cc) and Jagan Kumar (Super Sport Indian 165cc). Image by Srinivasa Krishnan Chennai, 22 Jan 2017: Young Rajiv Sethu of Honda Ten10 Racing clinched the title in the Pro Stock 165cc category after scoring a grand double over the weekend in the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC Fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship which concluded at the MMRT track, Sriperumbudur, near here on Sunday.
Locked in a tight tussle for the title with team-mate and championship leader Hari Krishnan Rajagopal going into the final round, Sethu, returning from a major hip injury, kept his wits about him to win both the races to clinch the title. Hari Krishnan was under pressure to stay in front and had a disastrous weekend as he failed to pick up any points.
Also scoring a double in the National championship was Jagan Kumar of TVS Racing who continued his fine form while retaining title in the top-end Super Sport Indian 165cc class to finish the season with five wins from 10 starts.
Jagan, though, had to work hard for his second win this weekend as he was pushed for much of the six-lapper until he managed to get his nose in front in the latter half to take the chequered flag before doing a lap of honour to celebrate his fifth National title in a row.
Equally dominating was Auroville-based Spaniard Ami van Poederooijen of Rockstar Racing in the Super Sport Indian 300-400cc class as he completed a double for seven wins, six of them in a row. He had sealed the championship on Saturday after winning the first of the two races, but that did not stop him from further underlining his dominance by topping the second outing today.
The concluding day’s proceedings witnessed its quota of close and exciting racing, especially in the MMSC One-Make Championships as Meka Vidhuraj (Suzuki Gixxer Cup Open), Joseph Mathew (Gixxer Cup Novice), Kannan Karnan (TVS Apache RTR200 Open), Yashas RL from Bengaluru, who won all the three races over the weekend (TVS Novice), Mathana Kumar (Honda CBR 250) and Anish Shetty from Hubballi (Honda CBR 150) clinched the titles in their respective categories.
Provisional results: (All 6 laps unless mentioned)
National Championship – Super Sport Indian (300-400cc): 1. Ami Van Poederooijen (Rockstar Racing) (12mins, 19.918secs); Amarnath Menon K (Rockstar Racing) (12:30.675); 3. Abhishek V (Rockstar Racing) (12:34.792).
Super Sport Indian (165cc): 1. K Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (12:20.839); 2. S Kannan Subramaniam (TVS Racing) (12:20.878); 3. Harry Sylvester (TVS Racing) (12:21.161).
Pro Stock 165cc: 1. Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (12:54.164); 2. Mithun Kumar PK (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (12:54.986); 3. D Dinesh Kumar (RACR) (12:55.286).
MMSC One-Make Championship – Honda CBR 250 (Open): 1. Hari Krishnan Rajagopal (Honda Ten10 Racing) (12:44.938); 2. Mathana Kumar S (Honda Ten10 Racing) (12:45.576); 3. Ananth Raj P (Pro Lap Racing) (12:48.902). CBR 150 Novice (4 laps): 1. Piyush Ranjan (Patna) (09:11.729); 2. Anish D Shetty (Hubballi) (09:11.765); 3. Soorya PM (Chennai) (09:12.070).
TVS Apache RTR 200 (Open): 1. Arun Muthukrishnan (Chennai) (13:34.470); 2. Kannan Karnan (Chennai) (13:34.991); 3. Shyam Shankar (Chennai) (13:43.346). Novice (4 laps): 1. Yashas RL (Bengaluru) (09:07.614); 2. Hari Prasath R (Chennai) (09:09.367); 3. Peddu Sriharsha (Chennai) (09:10.905).
Suzuki Gixxer Cup (Open): 1. Aaron Gunawardena (Sri Lanka) (13:37.638); 2. R Rajinikanth (Chennai) (13:37.715); 3. Vivian Gladwin (Kanpur) (13:38.097). Novice (4 laps): 1. Joseph Mathew (Chennai) (09:16.665); 2. Amarnath Rajan (Chennai) (09:17.987); 3. Alexander AS (Chennai) (09:19.629).
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Jagan wins 5th championship title in a row
Chennai, 21 Jan 2017: Jagan Kumar of Team TVS Racing sealed the championship, with a race to spare, in the Super Sport upto 165cc class, the premier event in the final round of the MRF National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the Madras Motor Sports Track, Irungattukottai, on Saturday. Jagan has won
Winners of Honda ladies race. Image by Srinivasa Krishnan the championship for the fifth time.
Jagan put in another commanding performance to seal the title in the premium Super Sport Indian (165cc) class on the penultimate day.
With just one more race to be run on Sunday and a maximum of 25 points available, 28-year-old Jagan, who chalked up his fourth win from nine starts today, took his tally to 166, well beyond the reach of his nearest rival and team-mate Kannan Subramaniam (122). It is Jagan’s fifth championship title in as many years.
Also clinching the championship in his class, the Super Sport Indian 300-400cc, was Auroville-based Spaniard Ami van Poederooijen (Rockstar Racing) who roared to his sixth win in nine races with another dominating ride.
Anthony Peter (Performance Racing) though finished second behind Bengaluru’s Yashas RL in the concluding Stock 165cc race earned sufficient points to annex the championship in the Stock 165cc class ahead of Hubballi’s Anish Shetty.
The championship in the Pro Stock 165cc class, however, is still wide open with Honda Ten10 team-mates Rajiv Sethu (169) and Hari Krishnan Rajagopal (153) in the frame for the title which will be decided on Sunday when the second of the double-header will be run. In Saturday’s outing, Sethu finished a distant first while Hari Krishnan came away without a point.
In the MMSC One-Make Championships, Mathana Kumar (Honda CBR 250), Anish Shetty (Honda CBR 150), Yashas (TVS Apache RTR 200 Novice), Meka Vidhuraj (Suzuki Gixxer Cup Open) and Joseph Mathew (Suzuki Gixxer Cup Novice) emerged champions in their respective categories.
Provisional results (all six laps unless mentioned):
National Championship – Super Sport Indian (300-400cc): 1. Ami van Poederooijen (Rockstar Racing) (12mins, 09.200secs); 2. Amarnath Menon (Rockstar Racing) (12:13.491); 3. Abhishek Vasudev (Rockstar Racing) (12:20.926).
Super Sport Indian (165cc): 1. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (12:14.805); Harry Sylvester (TVS Racing) (12:16.422); 3. Mathana Kumar (Honda Ten10 Racing) (12:18.772).
Pro Stock (165cc): 1. Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten10 Racing) (12:43.867); 2. Mithun Kumar (Honda Ten10 Racing) (12:48.541); 3. Prabhu Arunagiri (RACR) (12:49.197).
Stock (165cc): 1. Yashas RL (Bengaluru) (13:28.353); 2. Antony Peter (Performance Racing) (13:28.368); 3. Soorya PM (Speed Up Racing) (13:28.513).
MMSC One-Make Championship – TVS Apache RTR 200 (Open): 1. Kannan Karnan (Chennai) (13:22.756); 2. Arun Muthukrishnan (Chennai) (13:23.539); 3. Prashanth Kumar (Karimnagar) (13:23.605). Novice: 1. Yashas RL (Bengaluru) (09:13.274); 2. Peddu Sriharsha (Chennai) (09:15.052); 3. Aditya Rao Immaneni (Bengaluru) (09:17.922).
Honda CBR 250 (Open): 1. Hari Krishnan R (Honda Ten10 Racing) (15:06.767); 2.Mathana Kumar S (Honda Ten10 Racing) (15:07.349); 3. Ananth Raj P (Pro Lap Racing) (15:07.919). CBR 150 (Novice, 4 laps): 1. Piyush Ranjan (Patna) (09:05.163); 2. Mahesh Murali M (Kerala) (09:07.506); 3. Soorya PM (Chennai) (09:08.460).
Suzuki Gixxer Cup (Novice, 4 laps): 1. Joseph Mathew (Chennai) (09:11.643); 2. Vishal S (Chennai) (09:22.692); 3. Alexander AS (Chennai) (09:24.259).
All Ladies Support Races (4 laps) – Honda: 1. Aishwarya Pissay (Bengaluru) (09:27.007); 2. Ryhana Bee A (Chennai) (09:39.365); Niranjanie Ravishankar (Chennai) (09:56.603). Alisha Abdullah Training Academy (4 laps): 1. Haritha R (Bangalore) (9:41.731); 2. Olesya V Dias (Goa) (10:09.644); 3. Renuka Gajendran (Bangalore) (10:29.673).
eom/david
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Automobile club of Monte Carlo statement about spectator’s death
The Automobile Club de Monaco regrets to advise further details following incident of the car #4 (Paddon/Kennard) in SS 1.
The spectator was transported by helicopter from the stage to hospital in Nice. Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, the spectator has sadly died.
An investigation has commenced into the incident and all involved parties will provide assistance to the authorities.
Everyone associated with the event extends their deepest sympathies and condolences to the families, friends and individuals affected.
eom/Monte Carlo
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Keen battle on cards for National titles: Bike races
File photo of Jagan Kumar of TVS in action. Image by Anand Philar Chennai, 19 Jan 2017: The fifth and concluding round of the MRF Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2016, which spilled over from last year’s calendar, is set for a thrilling finish at the MMRT track in Sriperumbudur, near here, with titles in all categories up for grabs.
The card of 23 races to be run over three days beginning Friday includes the premium Super Sport Indian (400cc and 165cc) class along with Pro-Stock (165cc) and Stock (165cc) which form the National Championship besides MMSC One-Make Championships for TVS and Honda, and the Suzuki Gixxer Cup. Also scheduled are support races exclusively for ladies, by Honda and Alisha Abdullah Academy.
The Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) officials burnt the proverbial midnight oil to get the MMRT circuit facilities in order after the battering it received in December from cyclone Vardah that created havoc in the region while also forcing a postponement of the final round of the two-wheeler championship, which was earlier scheduled to be held on Nov 19.
Thus, it has been a three-month break in the championship and the riders, especially those in contention for the titles, are a bit eager to get back into action. As such, with so much at stake, the competition is expected to be razor-sharp as in all the previous four rounds.
In the Super Sport Indian (300-400cc), it will be a straight fight between two Rockstar Racing team-mates Ami van Poederooijen (135 points), a Spaniard based in Auroville, and Bengaluru’s Abhishek Vasudev (115), while a trio of TVS Racing mates reigning champion Jagan Kumar (141), Kannan Subramaniam (110) and Harry Sylvester (102), all from Chennai, are in title race in the Super Sport Indian 165cc class.
Two talented racers from Chennai who performed well in the 2016 Asia Road Racing Championships, Hari Krishnan Rajagopal (153) and Rajiv Sethu (144), both from Honda Ten10 Racing team, are locked in a tight battle in the Pro Stock (165cc) category, having won seven of the eight races between them over four rounds.
The Stock 165cc class will witness a four-cornered battle for top honours involving Hubbali’s Anish Shetty (122) of United Tech Torque, Antony Peter (Performance Racing, 120) from Coimbatore, Chennai duo of Joseph Mathew (Sparks Racing, 111) and PM Soorya (Team Speedup, 100).
The situation in the MMSC One-Make championships is much the same with the title race wide open and multiple competitors in the running for the top prize.
After Thursday’s practice sessions, action kicks-off with four races scheduled for Friday followed by a busy Saturday when 10 races will be run before the championship winds up on Sunday when the remaining eight are held. The programme will conclude with championship prize distribution trackside.
eom/AP Media press release
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Interview with Chris Williams, the man behind the Ford Fiesta WRC
Head of Rally Engineering at M-Sport and the man behind the all-new Ford Fiesta WRC, Chris Williams gives us his thoughts ahead of Rallye Monte-Carlo.
When did work begin on the Ford Fiesta WRC?
“We’ve had people working on the concept since the middle of 2015. As with any new car, the first job is to get an understanding of the regulations and where we can explore new ideas or make changes. This was particularly hard at the outset as the regulations were very fluid.”
How much freedom did the new regulations allow?
“These new regulations have definitely provided greater scope for doing something different – and you can see that in the aerodynamics alone. Working in secrecy each team has come up with something slightly different, although there are some themes that are common amongst cars.
“We set an aero balance target and we’ve achieved that. You constantly have to balance the equation of drag, downforce, durability and robustness. We’re looking for efficiency all around and everyone has had to calculate what risks they’re willing to take when it comes to the balance between performance and durability.”
How much of the Fiesta WRC has been designed from scratch?
“A lot is the simple answer. Almost every part of the car has been specifically optimized for this project with very little if any compromise. We’ve been focused to build the best car we possibly can and we’ve had everything we needed to get the job done.
“If we take the transmission as an example, the old unit was taken from the Ford Fiesta S2000 and developed for use in WRC. This year, the transmission has been specifically designed and optimised purely as a component for this car and the new regulations.”
Has the development process gone to plan?
“It’s involved a lot of hard work. We have a small, but strong team of people working around the clock behind the scenes. The design guys have been flat-out and we are pretty hopeful we can punch above our weight.
“We implemented as much as we possibly could. With any new car there are always a few areas that you would have liked to have investigated further if time allowed, but I think that is the same for everyone. Anything that we thought we had an advantage on has been incorporated.
“We have put absolutely everything we could into this project. At this point it’s hard to gauge how competitive the car will be, but we will soon see! We’ve definitely made a huge step up from our previous car.”
What’s it like to have the four-time World Champion behind the wheel of the Fiesta WRC?
“It brings a lot of pressure for sure, but it also brings a massive opportunity. The motivation here has stepped up two or three notches and everyone is extremely driven to deliver the very best over the course of the season.
“I think it’s probably fair to say that everyone was in need of a little boost at the end of last year, and Sébastien [Ogier] and Julien [Ingrassia] have certainly provided that. They got in the car and said yes, that’s a 2017 world rally car, so that’s a very good start.”
What will the atmosphere in the team by like at the start of Rallye Monte-Carlo?
“I don’t think we’ll sleep at all before the rally starts! Waiting for that first split time to come through will be a very anxious moment and it will be interesting to see if it will be a straight fight or if the conditions play a deciding factor.
“But, we’ve got the best chance that we’ve had in years. We’ve got the best drivers that we could possibly get and we need to go out there and do well. It’s as simple as that, we need to deliver, so the pressure is on!”
eom/David
Seb Ogier will be behind the wheel of an all-new Ford Fiesta for the WRC 2017 season with M-Sport. An M-Sport image -
Jehan Daruvala wins Lady Wigram Trophy again
Christchurch, 17 Jan 2017: Jehan Daruvala representing the Sahara Force India Academy, achieved the rare distinction of successfully defending the Lady Wigram Trophy Title. The Mumbai based teenager had won the same trophy which is amongst New Zealand’s most prestigious races, in spectacular fashion last year, after starting 15th on the grid. Jehan is the first racer since 1993 to successfully defend the trophy!
In race 2, earlier in the day, Jehan started fifth as per the reverse grid rules. A bad start by him meant he fell down the order to 8th. The 3.33 Ruapuna Circuit at Christchurch is immensely difficult to overtake and Jehan was unable to gain back his lost positions. On the penultimate lap, the racer behind Jehan made an opportunistic lunge in a bid to overtake Jehan. The move resulted in contact and Jehan’s right front wheel had extensive damage, forcing him to retire from the 15 lap race. The race was won by Thomas Randle of Australia.
The Lady Wigram Trophy was the third and biggest race of the weekend. Jehan made an excellent start from pole, and immediately pulled away from the rest of the grid. His impressive pace ensured that he continued to increase his lead to almost three seconds, before the safety car was deployed. Jehan once again pulled away at the restart and soon built up his lead when, once again, the safety car was deployed due to another incident. The second restart also saw Jehan pull away again, but almost immediately the red flag was brought out, suspending the race.
The final restart of the day had Jehan pull away at the front. He soon built up his customary lead and took the chequered flag ahead of British racer Enaam Ahmed and Pedro Piquet, and successfully defended his 2016 title.
“Race 2 was unfortunate, after I was hit and had to retire. I am happy I could keep my focus up and managed the three restarts well, in the Lady Wigram Trophy Race. My pace was really good and the team have done a fantastic job in giving me a great car. I would really like to thank everyone who have been part of my success and most importantly I must thank Sahara Force India for their continued support” said Jehan after winning the prestigious 20 lap race.
The Lady Wigram Trophy was first contested in 1951 and numerous Formula 1 greats have won the trophy including Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Bruce McLaren and Jim Clark. Jehan’s excellent weekend also saw him clock the fastest lap in race 3, bag two pole positions and a second place in race 1.
The Toyota Racing Series will now move next weekend to the Teretonga Park circuit in Invercargill, New Zealand.
eom/Rayo Racing Motorsports press release
Jehan Daruwala with the trophy. A Rayo Racing image
Bengaluru, 19 Jan 2017: The book, Success Mantra in Sports, written by sports psychologist MN Viswanath, was released by Arjuna Awardee Ashwini Nachappa at the Hockey Stadium here on Wednesday.
