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  • Jehan Daruvala qualifies P10, will start on pole for Saturday’s Sprint

    Jehan Daruvala qualifies P10, will start on pole for Saturday’s Sprint

    Spa Francorchamps (Belgium), 28 July 2023: Oliver Bearman didn’t waste a second from the get-go as he stormed to his third pole position of his rookie season. A torrential downpour mid-session meant the field had one shot at pole and the Briton put it all together with a 2:05.736 as the rain began to fall. Meanwhile, Indian racing star Jehan Daruvala secured the all-important 10th Place and will be starting on Pole for the reverse-grid Sprint Race on Saturday. Kush Maini, the other Indian could not finish in the classification.

    “Rain started coming down on the very first push lap in quali, so we practically qualified in the order in which we left the pit lane. P10 that is and its reverse grid pole tomorrow,” said Daruvala in a tweet after the qualification session.

    Prema Racing took their first 1-2 Qualifying result of the season as Championship leader Frederik Vesti claimed his spot on the front row. ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins secured another top three start in third.

    Starting out on a drying track and with the forecast predicting heavy rain, the field were out of the pits as soon as possible. Before anyone could complete a timed lap, the Red Flag was deployed three minutes into the session after Joshua Mason found the gravel trap at Turn 9.

    It was a race against time once green flag conditions resumed, with all-bar Kush Maini opting to gamble on the slicks.

    Having been advised by his team to finish every lap possible as he led the field back onto the track, Vesti skirted his way around the narrow dry line to clock in a 2:06.199. Carving out a path for his teammate behind, Bearman took full advantage, going fastest by 0.463s.

    The PREMA duo were in the right place at the right time as rain began to fall heavily in Sector 3, leaving those behind with little hope of beating the Briton’s lap.

    Clocking in two purple sectors on his next lap, Bearman continued to go quicker. However, with conditions in the final sector too wet to improve, the Ferrari Academy junior’s job was done. The field headed into the pits to wait out the final 20 minutes of running, as the expected downpour arrived in earnest.

    Martins’ sole effort managed to slot the Frenchman into third for his fourth-consecutive top three start ahead of Rodin Carlin’s Zane Maloney and Théo Pourchaire. Dennis Hauger popped himself up into sixth ahead of Ralph Boschung, Enzo Fittipaldi, and Richard Verschoor.

    After securing the all-important P10 spot, Jehan Daruvala will line up on pole for Saturday’s Sprint Race. Lights go out at 13:45 local time.

  • Supported by Vamcy Merla, Ammyfied Rallying fields record 23 cars: INRC

    Supported by Vamcy Merla, Ammyfied Rallying fields record 23 cars: INRC

    Bengaluru, 28 July 2023: For the first time in the 35-year history of Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), a team has fielded a record number of 23 cars for a round of the INRC as official team entries. The huge number also made it a record 76 entries for the Rally of Coimbatore to be held at the Kethanur Windmill farms on Saturday and Sunday.

    Team Ammyfied Rallying, powered by Vamcy Merla Sports Foundation, has fielded a record-breaking number of 23 team entries for the Rally of Coimbatore, the third round of the Blueband fmsci Indian National Rally Championship 2023 which begins here on Friday. Apart from the team entries, VMSF is said to have supported another 15 privateers.

    “Ammyfied Rallying has a deep vision to promote rallying in India and has been supporting talented drivers from different parts of India. With ample support from VM Sports Foundation, we have created a platform for young talent to step into rallying,” said Aeman Ahmed, Team Principal.

    “I wish all the best to the biggest team, Ammyfied Rallying. Rallying is my passion and I am doing my bit to promote talented drivers so that they can realise their potential,” said Vamcy Merla of the Foundation.

    Ammyfied which has dominated the Gypsy Class so far in the first two rounds has also bagged many podium places in other classes. For this round, drivers were fielded in all the classes except in the top INRC class. Top drivers like Suhem Kabeer and co-driver Jeevarathinam, Maninder Singh Prince and Vinay Padmashali, Chetan Shivram and Shiv Prakash, Ritesh Rai and Lokranjan are in the INRC2 class while Aeman Ahmed and Sagar Mallappa, Himanshu Arora and Kunal Kashyap, Arnav Prathap Singh and Arjun SSB, Arjun Rajiv and Rohit Gowda, Jagbir Nirwan and Karanpreet Mattu, and Nikeetaa Takkale and Venu Ramesh Kumar are in the INRC3 class.

    The team will have another five care in INRC4 namely, Abhin Rai and D Uday Kumar, Prakhyat Shirole and Belli, Phoebe and Sawan, Renuka and Pramod, and Farhan and Arun. Ammyfied’s favourite class, the Gypsy Cup will see the championship leaders Samrat Yadav and Chandu lead eight cars. The other are Darshan Nachappa and Abhinav Ganapathy, Akarsh Sundar and Ravi Kumar Reddy, Gurinder Singh Sidhu and Manjunath GM, Baiju Stephen and Sachin Sharma, Sachin Singh and Prakash M, Madhusudhan V and Harsha, Kalyan MVV and Raghuram Saminathan.

    Vamcy Merla, who recently won the SUV class in a 4×4 event in Coorg, is expected to get behind the wheel of a Gypsy with Raghu as co-driver.

    “I have promoted several FMSCI events in the past too, including the 2019 edition of the Indian National Rally Championship. I have created this foundation to help India’s best rallyists follow their dreams without worrying about money,” said Vamcy Merla, Chairman of the Foundation.

    “The INRC has received a huge boost thanks to VMS Foundation’s enthusiasm and wholehearted support. Several drivers, who can’t afford the costs of competing in an event of this scale and magnitude and skip several rounds every year, are all here in Coimbatore,” J Prithiviraj, secretary of the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club, said. “We have a formidable field and every class is going to be thrilling and a close affair,” he added.

  • Max Verstappen sets record for Red Bull in Hungary; Lando Norris 2nd ahead of Perez

    Max Verstappen sets record for Red Bull in Hungary; Lando Norris 2nd ahead of Perez

    Max Verstappen made Formula 1 history as he scored a record 12th win in a row for Red Bull, with the Dutch driver taking his ninth win of 2023 ahead at the Hungarian of McLaren’s Lando Norris, while the final podium place went to Sergio Pérez who surged through the third place from P9 on the grid. 

    Starting from the front row, Verstappen beat pole position driver Lewis Hamilton to the punch into Turn 1 at the start and after taking the lead the Dutch strode away from the pack to hand Red Bull a victory that moves the team past the 11 wins in a row scored by McLaren in 1988. 

    “What an unbelievable rocket ship that was today,” said Verstappen on his slow down lap. “That was so enjoyable to drive. Twelve wins in a row, unbelievable. I think everyone can be really proud of that achievement.”

    When the lights went out, Hamilton got away well from pole position, but even though Verstappen was slower away on the dusty side of the track he outdragged the Mercedes on the approach to Turn 1 and took the lead as the pair went through the first corner. 

    Behind the front row starters, third-place starter Lando Norris was held up as Hamilton took a wider line into Turn 1 and that allowed the McLaren driver’s team-mate Oscar Piastri to dive down the inside of Hamilton to steal P2. Norris also then got by the Mercedes driver to demote the pole sitter to P4.

    Further back, Pérez, on Hard tyres, got a good start from P9 and when Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu bogged down on the grid, the Mexican along with a gaggle of rivals swept past. Trying to recover Zhou then became embroiled in a close battle with lower-placed rivals and as the midfield funnelled into Turn 1 there was contact. The incident ruled both Alpine cars out of the race as Esteban Ocon was clipped by an AlphaTauri and bounced into team-mate Pierre Gasly. 

    At the front, Verstappen was quickly into the groove and he quickly built a gap to Piastri with Norris in third ahead of Hamilton and the Ferrari cars of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Pérez, meanwhile, was already closing in on Fernando Alonso and at the start of lap eight, aided by DRS, the Mexican powered past the Aston Martin to take P7 place just over 1.5s behind Sainz.

    Sainz had made up places thanks to a start on Soft tyres, but by lap 16 his tyres were beginning to fade and he headed into the pit lane for a set of Hard tyres, promoting Pérez to sixth place. 

    Hamilton made his first stop, for Hard tyres, on lap 17 and a lap later Norris made his first stop. The McLaren driver was followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, but the team struggled with the rear left and after a 9.4s halt Leclerc rejoined in P10. Piastri made his stop on the following lap, but having benefited from an undercut, Norris passed his team-mate as the Australian exited the pit lane. Next into the pit lane was Alonso and when the Spanish driver took on a new set of Hard tyres, Pérez rose to second place, 22.3s behind Verstappen, with both needing to pit. 

    Verstappen headed in on lap 24, and after taking on Hard tyres in a 2.3s stop, the Dutchman resumed in the lead, 2.6s ahead of Pérez with Norris now third ahead of Piastri.

    Pérez’s opening stint on Hard tyres came to an end at the end of lap 24 and the Mexican moved to Medium compound Pirellis in a 2.8s stop before rejoining in P7, again behind Sainz. Pérez was flying, however, and on lap 27 he muscled past the Spanish driver through Turn 1 and then, on the following lap the Red Bull driver powered past Mercedes George Russell, who was still on opening Hard tyres, to take fifth place, five seconds behind Hamilton.

    At the front, at half distance, Verstappen was in total control, with the Dutchman a comfortable 12 seconds ahead of Norris, with Piastri seven seconds further back in third. Hamilton was fourth but just two seconds clear of Pérez who was closing in rapidly. 

    But with Hamilton defending well, the Team reacted by bringing Pérez in for a second stop, behind Piastri. The Australian had a slow stop but the Bulls got Pérez onto a set of Medium tyres in a stunning 1.9s. Piastri rejoined in P5 with Pérez just a second behind. Norris then pitted at the end of lap 44 and he emerged in P3 behind Hamilton who needed another stop. 

    With DRS on his side, Pérez closed up to Piastri and on lap 47 he went round the outside of the McLaren through Turn 1 to take fourth place. And that became a podium place when Hamilton pitted for a second time on lap 50, with the Mercedes driver rejoining in fifth. 

    Verstappen made his final stop of the race at the end of lap 51 and after fitting a used set of Medium tyres, the championship leader emerged in the lead and just shy of 12 seconds in front of Norris, who was 8.6s ahead of Pérez. 

    Over the final 15 laps, Verstappen stretched the gap to Norris to an emphatic 33 seconds as he powered to his seventh win in a row.

    Behind the podium finishers, Hamilton finished fourth ahead of Piastri, while Mercedes’ George Russell inherited sixth place after Leclerc served a five-second penalty at the flag for speeding in the pit lane during his second pit stop. Sainz was eighth for Ferrari and the final points positions were taken by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. 
     

    2023 FIA Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix – Race 
    1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 70 1:38’08.634 
    2 Lando Norris McLaren 70 1:38’42.365 33.731
    3 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 70 1:38’46.237 37.603
    4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 70 1:38’47.768 39.134
    5 Oscar Piastri McLaren 70 1:39’11.206 1’02.572
    6 George Russell Mercedes 70 1:39’14.459 1’05.825
    7 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 70 1:39’18.951 1’10.317
    8 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 70 1:39’19.707 1’11.073
    9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 70 1:39’24.343 1’15.709
    10 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 69 1:38’23.249 1 lap /14.615
    11 Alexander Albon Williams 69 1:38’37.721 1 lap /29.087
    12 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 69 1:38’38.713 1 lap /30.079
    13 Daniel Ricciardo AlphaTauri 69 1:38’44.891 1 lap /36.257
    14 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 69 1:38’59.932 1 lap /51.298
    15 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 69 1:39’00.177 1 lap /51.543
    16 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 69 1:39’09.125 1 lap /1’00.491
    17 Kevin Magnussen Haas 69 1:39’30.985 1 lap /1’22.351
    18 Logan Sargeant Williams 67 1:36’29.224 Not running
         Esteban Ocon Alpine 2 3’28.146 Accident damage
         Pierre Gasly Alpine 1 2’04.981 Accident damage

  • Deepak Ravikumar dominates; Arjun Balu extracts a win from ‘old’ Car

    Deepak Ravikumar dominates; Arjun Balu extracts a win from ‘old’ Car

    Chennai, July 23, 2023: Chennai’s Deepak Ravikumar dominated the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2023 at the Madras International Circuit here this weekend with three wins and two podium finishes in six races as he led a Team Performance Racing sweep in both Indian Junior Touring Cars and Formula LGB 1300 categories. 

    Ravikumar, who celebrated his 36th birthday on July 20, shuttled between the two categories barely without a pause to underline his supreme fitness and adaptability to conditions that turned wet on Sunday which saw persistent light drizzle. He reserved his best for the three Touring Cars races that had a combined 17-car grid comprising three categories, the Indian Touring Cars, IJTC and Super Stock, winning two races and notching a second-place finish behind team-mate Akkineni Anand Prasad. 

    In the Formula LGB 1300 race today, Ravikumar won quite comfortably after front-runners, Viswas Vijayaraj, the 2022 champion in this category, and yesterday’s Race-2 winner Tijil Rao knocked each other out half-way through the eight-lapper when battling for the lead. 

    Deepak Ravikumar in action #25… All photos by Rahul Reghu

    Meanwhile, last year’s champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) from Coimbatore, who won yesterday’s Race-1, completed a double in the Indian Touring Cars category with team-mate Gurunath Meiyappan winning the other race. With his regular Honda City in full ITC-trim still under preparation, he drove virtually a stock car that was anything but competitive as compared to the IJTC cars, while Thrissur’s Diljith TS (DTS Racing) won all three races in the Super Stock class without much ado.   

    Deepak with his five trophies including three for victories…

    Also achieving a triple for the weekend was experienced racer Angad Matharoo from Chennai in the MRF Saloon Car category (Toyota Ethios) without raising a sweat. 

    The results (Provisional, 10 laps except mentioned): 

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-2): 1. Gurunath Meiyappan (Chennai) (19mins, 53.610secs); 2. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore) (19:54.013); 3. Rithvik Thomas (Bengaluru) (19:58.313) (All Race Concepts Motorsports). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (18:25.875); 2. Rithvik Thomas (19:16.427); 3. Gurunath Meiyappan (19:40.365). 

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-2): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai) (19:31.198); 2. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai) (19:37.062); 3. Hatim Shabbir Jamnagarwala (Chennai) (19:43.329) (All Team Performance Racing). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Akkineni Anand Prasad (17:59.606); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (18:00.195); 3. Srinivas Teja (Chennai, Performance Racing) (18:16.233). 

    Super Stock (Race-2): 1. Diljith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (21:09.014); 2. Yokeswaran (Coimbatore, Momentum Motorsports) (21:24.193); 3. Jarshan Anand (Chennai, DB Motorsports) (21:24.775). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Diljith TS (18:56.803); 2. Justin Singh (Delhi, Redline Racing) (19:17.529); 3. Yokeswaran (19:26.035). 

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-3, 8 laps): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Ahura Racing) (15:26.665); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Chennai, MSport) (15:27.719); 3. Aman Nagdev (Noida, MSport) (15:29.919). 

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) (Race-2): 1. Angad Matharoo (Chennai) (23:07.072); 2. Anirudha Arvind (Chennai) (23:44.035); 3. Jaiprashant Venkat (Coimbatore) (23:45.017) (All Redline Racing). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Angad Matharoo (19:36.048); 2. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai) (19:43.684); 3. Jaiprashant Venkat (19:45.769). 

  • Rovanpera claims third Rally Estonia win: WRC

    Rovanpera claims third Rally Estonia win: WRC

    Estonia, 23 July 2023: Kalle Rovanperä secured his third consecutive Rally Estonia triumph this afternoon (Sunday) with a dominant drive on round eight of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship season.

    In 2021 Rovanperä became the WRC’s youngest winner on Estonia’s ultra-fast special stages. He leaves the country two years on 55 points clear at the top of the provisional title standings and a step closer to claiming back-to-back world crowns aboard his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid.

    The 22-year-old Finn, with compatriot Jonne Halttunen co-driving, finished the four-day gravel-based fixture 52.7s ahead of Thierry Neuville, who led after Friday’s opening loop in his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid.

    But Rovanperä seized top spot later that day before reeling off nine consecutive fastest times on Saturday to exert his supremacy.

    With the forecasted rain not materialising during Sunday’s closing leg, Rovanperä again remained untouchable, winning all four stages in and gaining maximum Wolf Power Stage bonus points in the process. Such was the level of his outstanding performance that Rovanperä won 15 of the rally’s 21 special stages.

    “An important event, this one,” he said. “For the championship it’s a really important place to get good points and the plan was this exactly. It’s my favourite event of the calendar so I knew we had to push here, and it went well.”

    Neuville virtually conceded defeat by Saturday night but was in high spirits after enjoying one of the strongest fast gravel rally performances of his career. He could not afford to cruise through Sunday, though, with team-mate Esapekka Lappi completing the podium just 6.8s behind after more than 300 kilometres of fast-paced competition.

    Lappi’s result marked his fourth top-three finish for the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team, which now trails Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT by 57 points in the Manufacturers’ title race. Lappi and Toyota-driving Welshman Elfyn Evans were closely matched with only 7.3s separating them at the final control.

    Teemu Suninen made it three Hyundais in the top five, finishing over one-minute back from Evans after a faultless drive on his i20 N Rally1 debut. Behind him was Pierre-Louis Loubet, who re-passed Takamoto Katsuta on the Wolf Power Stage to claim sixth overall.

    Loubet’s M-Sport Ford Puma team-mate Ott Tänak was the pre-event favourite but his hopes of a home victory were squashed before the rally had even started. Issues on Thursday’s shakedown stage forced a last-minute engine change and incurred a five-minute penalty before the opening stage.

    Andreas Mikkelsen maintained his lead in the FIA WRC2 category and finished ninth in the overall standings. Sami Pajari, campaigning an identical Toksport-run Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 similar to that of Mikkelsen’s, completed the top 10 and won the FIA WRC2 Challenger category in the process.

    Roope Korhonen topped the FIA WRC3 order with Grégoire Munster beating Laurent Pellier to FIA Junior WRC honours. Alexander Villanueva won the WRC Masters’ Cup category.

    Romet Jürgenson, who is taking part in the FIA Rally Star Training Season, used his home round of the FIA World Rally Championship, to build his experience of international-level competition and promptly won the RC4 category after several local sponsors stepped forward to support his participation.

    Secto Rally Finland is up next on the FIA World Rally Championship schedule, the Jyväskylä-based event providing another high-speed gravel spectacle for the WRC stars and their cars.

  • Tijil Rao stuns field to win Formula LGB 1300 Race 2; Arjun Balu begins with a win

    Tijil Rao stuns field to win Formula LGB 1300 Race 2; Arjun Balu begins with a win

    Chennai, July 22, 2023: Bengaluru’s Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsports) came up with a stunning drive to win Race-2 in the Formula LGB 1300 category after starting from P14 on the opening day of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2023 Round 1 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday. 

    Rao, 20, a Business Management student, made up for a retirement in Race-1 that Raghul Rangasamy (Chennai, MSport) won earlier in the day after coming into contact with another competitor. Starting form P14 on the reverse grid, Tijil scythed through the field for a tremendous victory. 

    “Unfortunately, I was involved in an incident in the first race and so, had to make up for that in the next race. It was fun as I managed to overtake all the 13 cars in front of me and win. I should have more such performances,” said Tijil after finishing ahead of Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Ahura Racing) and last year’s champion Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) who started from P11 on the reverse grid.  

    The day’s other winners were Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) in the Indian Junior Touring Cars category, Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) in the Indian Touring Cars class, Thrissur’s Diljith TS (DTS Racing) in the Super Stock segment, and Angad Matharoo (Chennai, Redline Racing) who authored a lights-to-flag win in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Ethios) race. 

    While Tijil and Raghul scored good wins, much of the attention was in the Touring Cars race. Driving an under-powered stock car since his regular Honda City in ITC-trim was not ready for the race weekend, Balu quickly dropped to fourth overall after starting from pole position in the combined grid. Showing good pace, Ravikumar did not take long to get a jump on Balu early in the eight-lap race. So did two others, Akkineni Anand Prasad and Srinivas Teja. The three front-runners, taking part in the Indian Junior Touring Cars category, went on to deliver a podium sweep for Team Performance Racing with Ravikumar finishing well ahead of Prasad and Teja. 

    Behind the foursome, there were close battles up and down the grid. Balu’s team-mates Gurunath Meiyappan and Diana Pundole were locked in a tight tussle before the former finished second ahead of the Pune driver in the ITC category. 

    Further back, Dilijth claimed the honours in the Super Stock category ahead of local challenger Jarshan Anand (DB Motorsports) and Delhi’s Justin Singh (Redline Racing). 

    In the first Formula LGB 1300 race, pole-sitter Viswas Vijayaraj and Deepak Ravikumar forged ahead after the initial jostle through first of the eight laps. Viswas was harried by Ravikumar through much of the six laps, including a brief Safety Car period until the two made contact in the closing stages. Ravikumar dropped to ninth where he finished while Raghul passed Viswas who was nursing a damaged camber strut following the incident, to take the lead and eventually win the race. Finishing third behind Viswas was Bengaluru’s Chetan Surineni (MSport) who had started from P6. 

    The results (Provisional – all 8 laps unless mentioned): 

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore) (15mins, 45.687sec); 2. Gurunath Meiyappan (Chennai) (16:03.174); 3. Diana Pundole (Pune) (16:04.053). All three from Race Concepts. 

    Qualifying (best lap – top 3): 1. Arjun Balu (01:56.126); 2. Rithvik Thomas (01:56.154); 3. Gurunath Meiyappan (01:57.086). 

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai) (15:37.461); 2. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai) (15:37.923); 3. Srinivas Teja (Chennai) (15:38.747). All three from Performance Racing. 

    Qualifying (best lap – top 3): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (01:55.197); 2. Srinivas Teja (01:55.341); 3. Akkineni Anand Prasad (01:56.670). 

    Super Stock (Race-1): 1. Dilijith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (16:51.283); 2. Jarshan Anand (Chennai, DB Motorsports) (17:03.385); 3. Justin Singh (Delhi, Redline Racing) (17:08.050). 

    Qualifying (best lap – top 3): 1. Diljith TS (02:04.728); 2. Jarshan Anand (02:05.110); 3. Justin Singh (02:06.132). 

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1): 1. Raghul Rangasamy (Chennai, MSport) (16:36.969); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (16:39.114); 3.  Chetan Surineni (Bengaluru, MSport) (16:40.603). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (19:18.886); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Ahura Racing) (19:31.153); 3. Viswas Vijayaraj (19:31.557). 

    Qualifying (best lap – top 3): 1. Viswas Vijayaraj (01:52.719); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Ahura Racing) (01:52.809); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (01:53.060). 

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) (Race-1): 1. Angad Matharoo (Chennai) (16:38.754); 2. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai) (16:39.058); 3. Jaiprashant Venkat (Coimbatore) (16:47.584). All three from Redline Racing. 

    Qualifying (best lap – top 3): 1. Angad Matharoo (02:03.052); 2. Diana Pundole (Pune, Redline Racing) (02:03.076); 3. Zahan Commissariat (02:03.458). 

  • MRF MMSC Indian National Car Racing Championship 2023 to begin on Saturday

    MRF MMSC Indian National Car Racing Championship 2023 to begin on Saturday

    Chennai, 20 July 2023: The 2023 season of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship will commence at the Madras International Circuit here over the weekend. The two-day event (July 21-22) with a nine-race card has attracted over 50 entries. 

    The touring and saloon cars will be headlining the season-opener. The ever-popular touring cars will be contested across three classes – the premium Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock. Races in these three categories will be run concurrently from a combined grid. 

    Two other categories are the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) and the Formula LGB 1300 which saw some of the closest races last season. 

    There will be three races for all the classes, offering a maximum of 75 championship points. 

    Organising committee chairman and MMSC vice-president Vicky Chandhok said: “We welcome the participants to the new season that we expect to be as competitive and well-fought as in the previous years.  

    “Having said that, it is heartening to note that the entries include a few women drivers who, going by last season’s performance, are capable of holding their own competing against their male counterparts. 

    “As promoter of the championship, the MMSC is thankful to the main sponsor, MRF Tyres, who have been associated with us for many years.” 

    New timing equipment: Meanwhile, the MMSC will be deploying MYLAPS timing equipment as part of upgrading process. “We plan to give a transponder for each competitor for the weekend against a deposit which they can return after the event. The move is a reflection of MMSC’s endeavours to constantly upgrade facilities and equipment,” said Chandhok.

    There will be live streaming of the races on various social media platforms. 

  • Ceat Indian Supercross Racing League rider registration begins

    Ceat Indian Supercross Racing League rider registration begins

    Pune, July 20, 2023: The CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League, the world’s first franchise-based Supercross league, is thrilled to announce the opening of the rider registration pool for the highly anticipated supercross league in India. In collaboration with the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the league invites riders from around the world to participate and display their skills on the exhilarating supercross tracks, redefining motorsports in India with a captivating blend of action, entertainment, and fierce competition.

    The inaugural season of the Racing League, scheduled from October to December 2023, will feature multiple rounds across various cities in India. With four exciting racing categories, including the 450cc international riders only, 250cc international riders only, 250cc India-Asia mix, and 85cc junior class, the Racing League promises heart-pounding action and intense competition.

    Athletes of all nationalities are welcome to participate in Season 1 of the ISRL, and the organizers are committed to creating a level playing field that highlights talent from around the globe. To ensure fair participation, riders from countries other than India will need to provide a No Objection Letter/Certificates from their respective National Sporting Authorities (ASN)/National Federations for motorsport, in favour of the FMSCI and SXI.

    Eeshan Lokhande, Co-Founder and Director of Supercross India Pvt. Ltd., said,” We have reached out to all the Federations worldwide to ensure that Supercross Racers from across the globe have a chance to register for the rider pool and seize the opportunity to be a part of this historic rider’s auction. The Supercross Racing League is revolutionizing the sport and we hope to attract a league of extraordinary riders who are ready to dominate the world of Supercross. This is your chance to showcase your talent, ignite the track, and propel India to the forefront of the motorsport’s world. Don’t miss out on this exhilarating opportunity!”

    Interested riders can register by completing the Rider Registration form, available on the official SXI website www.indiansupercrossleague.com. The form requires riders to provide essential details such as personal information, racing experience, social media handles, endorsement and contract status, and relevant documentation.

    By registering, riders express their interest in participating in the Player Auction, where Franchises will select riders to represent their teams in the Racing League. Successful riders will have the opportunity to compete at the highest level and showcase their skills on a national stage.

    Mr. Sujith Kumar, Chairman of the Supercross Racing Commission of FMSCI, said, “We are delighted to announce the commencement of rider registration for the CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League. This exciting opportunity not only offers a platform for talented riders from India but also welcomes international riders, thereby elevating the sport to new heights in our country. The participation of international riders will bring a global perspective and enhance the competitiveness of Supercross racing in India. We look forward to witnessing the fusion of diverse talents and the thrilling racing action that awaits us in the upcoming season.”

    Rider Registration does not guarantee participation in Season 1 of the Racing League. It is a necessary step to enter the rider pool and to be considered for selection by Franchises during the player auction. For additional information and to access the Rider Registration Form, visit the official SXI website www.indiansupercrossleague.com.

  • Abdul Tanveer wins Rally of Coimbatore; Third victory for Tanika in Ladies class

    Abdul Tanveer wins Rally of Coimbatore; Third victory for Tanika in Ladies class

    Coimbatore, 16 July 2023: Former National Champion Abdul Waheed Tanveerof Petronas TVS Racing took an important victory at the Rally of Coimbatore, the third round of the MRF Mogrip fmsci National Rally Championship for two-wheelers 2023 at the Windmill farms of Kethanur, the favourite destination of rally riders near Palladam here on Sunday.

    Once again Imran Pasha of TVS did a splendid job finishing an Overall fifth beating many bigger bikes and also duly won his class, the Super Sport 260cc Group B class with ease.

    After Rajendra won the first round in Coorg, Tanveer came back with a win at the Coffee stages in Chikkamagalur to halt the winning run of his teammate and now gained crucial points winning his second straight race to fight for the championship.

    Abdul Tanveer on a victory run. Video by Rahul Reghu

    One of the fastest rallies in the calendar, the high-speed stages of Black Thunder (18.20km) and Thunder World (14.99) were run twice each. The rally promoted by Godspeed Racing, Pune, was professionally managed and hosted by the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC) lead by Shyam Kothari and Clerk of the Course Prithiviraj respectively.

    From the very start, teammates Abdul Tanveer and the reigning champion Rajendra RE began well with the later winning the first stage by just a second but Tanveer returned the favour, with a fastest run in the second stage, but just by a fraction of a second. Then, Rajendra switched up gears and took a 7-second lead in the third, but the fight fizzled out in the last stage, as he suffered an unfortunate brake issue and lost by just a little over four seconds. “My rear brakes failed in the last stage,” said a disappointed Rajendra, but promised, “We had a good fight and definitely I will come back stronger.”

    While Petronas TVS Racing continued its domination sweeping all the top-three overall places, Nataraj R, also a product of TVS, but now running as a privateer, put his brand new 2023 KTM 450 rally spec on top coming out triumphant in the in the Premier Super Bike Expert class beating Suhail Ahmed by a mile.

    Tanika Shanbag, left, and Tanaya Singh of Hero Motosport who finished one-two in the Ladies Class. Defending champion Aishwarya Pissay has moved up to the top class. Photo by Rahul Reghu, for INDIAinF1.com

    Meanwhile, Tanika Shanbagh kept the Hero Motosport flag flying with a strong victory in the Ladies Class. Fighting on equal footing with the male riders, she took a creditable 36th place among the 88 riders who finished the rally. Another new recruit of Hero Motosport, Tanaya Singh of Pune stood second with Palakkad’s Fazeela completing the podium.

    Uttarkhand’s Akhand Pratap Singh astride a Duke 390 won the Super Sport 400cc Group B class while Yogesh P put his Impulse on the top in the SS 165cc class.

    In the Super Sport 550cc Bullet class, Bengaluru’s Naresh VS notched up an easy victory while TVS rider Syed Asif, astride a NTorq, won the Scooter Class. Super Stock up to 450cc Group D class saw two riders from Kulu Manali take the top two spots. Nithish Bhardwaj won the race ahead of Shivam Thakur. Both the privateers were on an XPulse. A Tharun, a privateer from Avinashi won the Star of Tamil Nadu, the local class.

    Satara’s Tanika Shanbag (Ladies Class), Nataraj (Expert), Imran Pasha (SS 260cc), Syed Asif (Scooter) and Nithish Bhardwaj (SS up to 450cc) have won all the three rounds thus far and are leading the championship in their respective classes.

    Provisional Results:

    Abdul Waheed Tanveer with his trusted Apache RTR machine

    OVERALL:

    1. #2 Abdul Waheed Tanveer (Apache RTR, Petronas TVS, Mysore) 56min, 49.928seconds;
    2. #1 Rajendra RE (Apache RTR, Petronas TVS Racing, Shivamogga), 56:54.443;
    3. #3 Samuel Jacob (Apache RTR, Petronas TVS Racing, Udupi) 57:14.986.
    4. #5 Nataraj R (KTM, privateer, Bengaluru) 58: 35.799;
    5. #15 Imran Pasha (Apache RTR, Petronas TVS Racing, Mysore) 01:00:36.501;
    6. #17 Sachin D (Apache RTR, Petronas TVS Racing, Bengaluru) 01:01:23.866;

    CLASS 1: SUPER BIKE – (PRO EXPERT) GROUP A:

    • #2 Abdul Waheed Tanveer (Apache RTR, Petronas TVS, Mysore) 56min, 49.928seconds;
    • #1 Rajendra RE (Apache RTR, Petronas TVS Racing, Shivamogga), 56:54.443;
    • #3 Samuel Jacob (Apache RTR, Petronas TVS Racing, Udupi) 57:14.986.

    CLASS 2: SUPER BIKE – (EXPERT) GROUP A:

    1. #5 Nataraj R (KTM, privateer, Bengaluru) 58: 35.799;
    2. #13 Suhail Ahmed  (KTM, Pvt, Bengaluru) 01: 01:51.959;
    3. #8 Aman Prabhakar Pawade (KTM, Pvt, Nagpur) 01:01:58.615.

    CLASS 4: SUPER SPORT 260 GROUP B:

    1. #15 Imran Pasha (Apache RTR, Petronas TVS Racing, Mysore) 01:00:36.501;
    2. #17 Sachin D (Apache RTR, Petronas TVS Racing, Bengaluru) 01:01:23.866;
    3. #16 T Arun (Xpulse, Hero MotoSports, Hassan)  01:01:50.697.

    CLASS 3: SUPER SPORT 165 GROUP B:

    1. #43 Yogesh P (Impulse, Pvt, Bengaluru) 01.07.08.212;
    2. #96 Abrar Pasha (Impulse, Pvt, Shivamogga) 01.08.09.257;
    3. #42 Francis PV (Impulse, Pvt, Chikkamagaluru) 01.08.12.510.

    CLASS 5: SUPER SPORT 400 GROUP B:

    1. #48 Akhand Pratap Singh (Duke 390, Pvt, Uttarakhand) 01:05:02.310;
    2. #47 Russel Jossy (KTM, Pvt, Mumbai) 01:05:58.002;
    3. #51 Aakash Aithal (KTM, Pvt, Puttur) 01:08:41.646.

    CLASS 6: SUPER SPORT 550 GROUP B:

    1. #54 Naresh VS (Royal Enfield, Pvt, Bengaluru) 01:06:36.009;
    2. #57 Mohammed Zaheer (Royal Enfield, Pvt, Bengaluru) 01:06:39.556;
    3. #53 Jeemon Anthony (Royal Enfield, Pvt, Ernakulam) 01: 08:50.603.

    CLASS 7: SCOOTERS UP TO 210cc GROUP B:

    1. #60 Syed Asif (NTorq, Petronas TVS Racing) 01:10:40.975;
    2. #65 Shamim Khan (NTorq, Petronas TVS Racing) 01:11:46.404;
    3. #64 Goutham N (Aprilia 150, JB Racing, Bengaluru) 01:15:29.063.

    CLASS 9: SUPER STOCK UPTO 450cc GROUP D:

    1. #67 Nithish Bhardwaj (Xpulse, Pvt, Kulu Manali) 01:07:37.880;
    2. #72 Shivam Thakur (Xpulse, Pvt, Kulu Manali) 01:08:09.736;
    3. #71 Eldhose P Benny (Xpulse, Pvt, Thrissur) 01:08:58.158;

    CLASS 8: WOMEN’s CLASS GROUP B:

    1. #87 Tanika Shanbhag (XPulse, Hero MotoSports, Satara) 01:09:48.803;
    2. #91 Tanaya Singh (XPulse, Hero MotoSports, Pune) 01:13:01.502;
    3. #88 Fazeela U (Impulse, Pvt. Palakkad) 01:13:54.462.

    CLASS 10: STAR OF TAMIL NADU:

    1. #108 A Tharun (Pvt. Coimbatore) 01:09:47.943;
    2. #104 G Jagadeesh (XPulse, Pvt, Coimbatore) 01:10:27.483;
    3. #101 Ricarius Venchaslaus (Pvt, Coimbatore) 01:10:49.163.

    (22 Bikes did not finish, including two who were excluded and six ‘did not start’)

    Ends/

  • F1 gets its mojo back… No, it’s not about Verstappen winning again! Samtani on British GP

    F1 gets its mojo back… No, it’s not about Verstappen winning again! Samtani on British GP

    HIGH OCTANE
    –– By Harish Samtani

    Silverstone (UK) 10 July 2023: What on earth happened here?!! Well, two things. One very predictable aspect was in the form of seeing Max Verstappen on the top step. The other that has rocked the F1 stage like none other is the resurgence of the iconic McLaren that was all but consigned to the dustbin of F1 folklore. And, maybe, an important Number 3. Two British drivers on the podium! Just when we thought that the sun had finally set on the British Empire with Hamilton seemingly struggling with his form.

    It’s good! No. Wait. It’s great! There is finally a hum of activity as F1 gets its mojo back. We were annoyed and tired with the foregone results, thus far in 2023. Whilst it would take nothing short of a miracle or a tragedy, heaven forbid, to knock Verstappen off the perch, the very idea that 2024 maybe the renaissance of motor-racing is truly exciting for petrol heads across all ages, and nationalities.

    I was one of the doubters about Max’s abilities but grudgingly have to admit that regardless of how many world titles he wins he will be remembered as a great. No flukes, no superior engineering and that silly lady called ‘Luck’ can bring about his uncanny ability to win or pole vault like he has done in the very recent past. Whilst he was prone to errors early in his career, he seems to have tripped and fallen into a vat of wisdom of late! Does lineage matter? His dad Jos Verstappen was a talent as well in his heydays. Perhaps, the Apple didn’t fall far from the tree after all. Red Bull Honda may have contributed largely to his success with a reliable and quick car, the fact that Sergio Chico Perez – no slouch by any means – is struggling to make ends meet. Victim of circumstances is he? Nah! Max has become the driver people love to hate but I suspect I see the middle finger sticking out of his driving glove!

    The era may not be conducive anymore for him to pull off seven titles such as Hamilton has achieved due to ever-changing tech regulations etc., but his astounding and clinical performances and the ensuing demolition of the fabled Ferraris and Mercedes, who meanwhile must be winging with the fact that it’s a Honda powered weapon that is giving them the blushes!

    While it is early days to welcome the two young boy wonders into the big league, for the 23-year young Lando Norris and the 22-year Aussie Oscar Piastri this result buoys them immensely for sure. The result in Silverstone may even be a one-hit wonder for McLaren but the gauntlet has been thrown and the other teams have to perform or perish before they become innocent victims in the crossfire. Back to the drawing board it is.

    Welcome back to the real F1 as we knew it over a decade ago. After Max led the charge of the young brigade in a Honda-powered car, and with McLaren refusing to say die, is it ‘out with the old, in with the new’ time? Only time will tell!