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Tag: Aishwarya Pissay
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Saudi star Al Rajhi, Mare top time sheets to take Dubai Baja lead; Aishwarya on target
Dubai, 19 Feb 2021: Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi dominated the opening leg of the Dubai International Baja with a stunning drive on Friday while UAE-based South African rider Aaron Mare moved within reach of back-to-back bike victories as the rally entered the motorsport record books topping the time sheets on Day 1. Meanwhile, India’s world cupper Aishwarya Pissay had successfully completed the course on Day 1 finishing the SS1 with aplomb despite some initial hiccups.
Reunited with long-time British co-driver Michael Orr, Al Rajhi took his Toyota Hilux Overdrive into a lead of 21mins 31 secs over fellow-Saudi Yasir Seaidan, accompanied by Aleksei Kuzmich in a Mini John Cooper Works Rally
The UAE’s Khalid Al Qassimi and German Dirk Von Zitzewitz were just four seconds further adrift in third place in an Abu Dhabi Racing Peugeot 3008 DKR in the second round of the 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Bajas for cars.
Ruled out last year because of the coronavirus emergency, the rally is being staged in compliance with strict COVID-19 Protocol, and it made history today as the first FIA World Cup cross-country event to be run on solar power.
Yazeed Al Rajhi and co-driver Michael Orr lean in their Toyota Hilux Overdrive on 19 Feb 2021 in Dubai International Baja after Leg 1. An ASO image Based at DEWA’s Innovation Centre located at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the event provided a challenging first leg test for drivers and riders on a 192km passage through the dunes and plains of the Al Qudra desert.
With Al Rajhi taking charge of DEWA’s Innovation Centre Special Stage as he chases a first cars victory in the event, France’s Pierre Lachaume and Loic Minaudier in a PH Sport Zephyr, Pavel Lebedev and Kiril Shubin in a CAN AM Maverick and Claude Fournier with Szymon Gospodqrczyk, also in a CAN AM Maverick, completed the top six.
Lachaume and Minaudier finished the day heading the T3 buggies category while Lebedev and Shubin were winning the race for the T4 title.
Top-seeded Honda rider Mare, returning to action after a 2019 Dakar Rally crash, produced another impressive display as he moved into a 2 mins 20 secs first leg bikes lead over fellow countryman and 2017 winner Mark Ackerman on a Husqvarna, with British KTM rider Sam Smith in third.
The UAE’s Sultan Al Balooshi on a Husqvarna, Jordanian Abdallah Abuaisheh riding a KTM and the UAE’s 2018 winner and World Cup champion Mohammed Al Balooshi on another Husqvarna completed the top six in the opening round of this year’s FIM Bajas World Cup.
Emirati Mansoor Al Suwaidi on a Yamaha YFZ 450 R was a runaway leader of the quads category with a huge lead of 1hr 38 mins 10 secs from Saudi Haitham Al Tuwayjiri on another Yamaha.
Taking place under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, the Dubai International Baja is sponsored by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and Arabian Automobiles Nissan.
“It feels good to welcome back World Cup cross country rallying, especially as we’re setting an example for other events to follow in sustainable motor sport development,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Emirates Motorsports Organization and FIA Vice President for Sport.
Al Rajhi reached the end of the stage to say: “It was a good day and we drove fast, with Michael doing a good job. We had some technical issues at around 30km and later a puncture. But a good day. And good to have Michael back.”
Al Qassimi said: “The first 20km the car was hesitant on the dunes. We tried different ways but kept getting stuck. Because there has been no rain the sand is very soft so we tried to avoid the dunes as much as possible.”
Mare completed today’s leg to say: “It was good stage, pretty technical in places and some very fast straight flats. This has been my first since crashing in the 2019 Dakar. Since then I have had surgery and been focusing on getting fit.”
The event had started without the top-seeded driver and co-driver combination of Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov who arrived in Dubai only for their Mini John Cooper Works Rally to be held up by customs formalities in Saudi Arabia following the Dakar Rally.
Among the early casualties were the UAE’s Yahya Al Helei and Khalid Al Kendi whose Nissan Pick Up went out of the rally with mechanical problems. The surviving drivers and riders next tackle Saturday’s 194 kms Arabian Automobiles Nissan Special Stage which leads to the podium and prizegiving at the Innovation Centre at 5.15pm.
Provisional leading positions after DEWA’s Innovation Centre Special Stage
Cars
1. Yazeed Al Rajhi/ Michael Orr (SAU / GBR) / Toyota Hilux Overdrive 2:40:57.0
2. Yasir Seaidan / Aleksei Kuzmich (SAU /RAF) / Mini John Cooper Works Rally 3:02:28.0
3. Khalid Al Qassimi / Dirk Von Zitzewitz (ARE / DEU) / Peugeot 3008 DKR 3:02:32.0
4. Pierre Lachaume / Loic Minaudier (FRA / FRA) / PH – Sport Zephyr 3:13.43.0
5. Pavel Lebedev / Kiril Shubin (RUS / RUS) / CAN AM Maverick / T4 3:23:51.0
6. Claude Fournier / Szymon Gospodqrczyk (FRA / POL) / CAN AM Maverick 3:28:57.0
7. Mshari Al Therifi / Ali Hassan Obaid (KWT / ARE) / CAN AM Maverick / T4 3:43:47.0
8. Khaled Al Feraihi / Omar Allahim (SAU / SAU) / Nissan Pick Up 4:04:34.0
9. Michael Fadel / Craig Tyson (ARE / ARE) / Polaris / T3 4:25:50.0
10. Laia Sanz / Lucas Cruz (SPA / SPA) / CAN AM Maverick / T4 4:40:58.0
Bikes
1. Aaron Mare (ZAF) / Honda CRF 450 R 2:37:14.0
2. Mark Ackerman (ZAF) / Husqvarna FX 450 2:39:34.0
3. Sam Smith (GBR) / KTM SX – F 450 2:41:08.0
4. Sultan Al Balooshi (ARE) / Husqvarna FC 450 2:41:36.0
5. Abdallah Abuaisheh (JOR) / KTM SX-F 450 2:45:50.0
6. Mohammed Al Balooshi (ARE) / Husqvarna FC 450 2:47:26.0
7. Martin Michek (CZE) / Husqvarna SX F450 2:52:30.0
8. Konrad Dabrowski (POL) / KTM SX-F 450 2:58:53.0
9. Darko Marasovic (CRO) / KTM SX – F 450 3:00:04.0
10. Abdulla Dakhan (ARE) / Yamaha YZ 450 F 3:03:34.0
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Aishwarya Pissay successfully completes SS1 in 18th place, in her class
Dubai, 19 Feb 2021: World Cup Baja winner and ace Indian rider Aishwarya Pissay of TVS Racing successfully completed the Leg 1 finishing 18th in her Group 1, Class 1, and overall 23rd in the FIM 2021 Dubai International Baja here in the Deserts of Al Qudra on Friday.
After a complicated year for the motorcycle world, the Dubai International Baja which attracted 43 competitors (37 motorcycles and six quads) returned to with its tough cross-country section of two stages and a total of 427.2 competitive kilometres.
Taking part in Group 1 for bikes and in the Ladies Moto class, Aishwarya clocked a creditable 4 hours, 31 minutes and 17 seconds for the 202.43km Selective Section 1 (SS1), with a competitive distance of 192.23km, that is part of Leg 1 on Friday. She finished 23rd in the timed stage and in overall timings, and second in the Ladies class which saw three out of four registered riders finish the day. In her Group, she finished 18th.
This year, the ladies should take part in at least one of the 10 FIM 2021 Baja World Cup rounds to be eligible for the finals, which will have a coefficient of 2. Along with the final rankings, two other best event rankings will be counted for the World Cup Baja title. The rounds will have a coefficient of 1.
South African Aaron Mare (Honda) sports the #1 ranked rider, finished first in the overall category ahead of compatriot Marck Ackerman (the second ranke on #2 Husqvarna). While Englishman Smith, on his #4 bike was ahead of Emirati Sultan Al-Balooshi (#3), who saw his brother Mohammed (#7) finish ninth on a Husqvarna, after SS1. Mare clocked 3:06:14.0 to top the time charts after Leg 1 (SS1).
Of the four riders in the female category Pol M finished on top clocking 3:49:44.0 while Aishwarya Pissay of India came second in SS1 with a time of 4:28:18.0 as she had to overcome mid-way hiccups navigating the tough dunes and managed to complete the day successfully. Llobera Farre M was a further 11 minutes behind in third place. The second leg SS2 of 204.75km is yet to be completed for the two-day cross-country rally which is a round of the FIM Baja World Cup.
Konrad Dabrowski (KTM) who, at 19-years-old, has just finished 28th at the Dakar Rally, did not find her name in the finishers list for Day 1.
The 25-year Bengaluru rider, Aishwarya Pissay, is the brand ambassador for Scott and Sidvin, the first two sponsors who supported her entry into the big world of Cross-Country rallying from July 2019. Run by former biker and Indian motorsports officionado Mohan, Sidvin Core Tech, is a customer focused Engineering Service provider for Oil & Gas, Petrochemical & Process Industry. She is also supported by Scott Sports India, CutGear, K&N Engineering and Pepsico, who recognised her talent and hardwork and have been sponsoring her as she backed by TVS Racing and Sherco.
Centred around the city of Dubai, the event got underway with administrative and technical checks at the Innovation Center for international riders on Thursday.
To access the bivouac and all the technical and administration checks, riders and their assistance teams had to undergo a Covid-19 test in a tent located in front of the entrance to the bivouac.
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Aishwarya back at the Dubai Baja, to begin the season
Dubai (UAE), 18 Feb, 2021: India’s Aishwarya Pissay, who became the first ever Indian athlete to win a World title in motorsports, winning the Baja World Cup in women’s category, will be making her second appearance in the Dubai International Baja this year.
The Dubai Baja has a habit of showing what World Cup winners are made of, and expectations are high again this weekend as the fourth edition of the event unfolds in the Al Qudra desert.
The 25-year Bengaluru-based rider will be among the four lady riders at the first cross-country event of the season. TVS Racing’s Aishwarya, first won her major international cross country win here in Dubai in 2019, and went on to win the Baja World Cup in women’s class. Kuwaiti, Sarah Khuraibet, along with Andorra’s Margot Llobera Farre and the Netherlands’ Mirjam Pol will be the other three.
The 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Bajas for cars is already up and running, and top-seed Denis Krotov arrived in Dubai from the sub-zero temperatures of the Baja – Northern Forest, where his challenge in this season’s opener ended when he became stuck in a snowdrift.
Aishwarya Pissay with Fahad Al Musallam of Kuwait as she prepares for the Dubai International Baja. Fahad is chasing a third quads success while Aishwarya is looking for a second win in her second attempt in Dubai. Photo by Edoardo Bauer for ©RallyZone Partnering Krotov in an X-raid MINI John Cooper Works Rally is Konstantin Zhiltsov, who has twice guided Vladimir Vasilyev, the first round winner, to victory in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
The first three editions of the Dubai Baja brought wins for competitors who went on to take World Cup titles that year. The 2018 bikes champion, Emirati Mohammed Al Balooshi, is seeded seventh this time, such is the strength of the 43-rider line-up for the first round of this year’s FIM Bajas World Cup.
Taking place under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, the Dubai International Baja is sponsored by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and Arabian Automobiles Nissan.
Based at DEWA’s Innovation Centre located at the Solar Park, the rally enters the record books as the first FIA World Cup cross-country event to be run on solar power.
“We’re very happy to be setting a trend towards sustainability in rallying, and we’re expecting another classic baja event,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Emirates Motorsports Organization and FIA Vice President for Sport.
Nissan’s sponsorship of the event for a fourth year extends a long standing partnership between the manufacturer and the EMSO, the national motor sport authority.
Michel Ayat, Chief Executive Officer – AWR Automotive, said: “The Dubai International Baja is another exemplary event that further consolidates the emirate’s leading global position in the world of sports. As the official automotive sponsor, AW Rostamani Group consistently supports events of this caliber and is grateful to Mohammed Ben Sulayem for his unwavering drive and ambition.
“2021 is a year of recovery and a return to life as we know it, and it gives us great honour and privilege at Arabian Automobiles to be once again sponsoring the rally. We are grateful for all the initiatives that our wise leadership introduce and for all the support they offer to international events of this nature that strengthen Dubai’s influence on a regional and global scale.”
Friday’s 192km DEWA’s Innovation Centre Special Stage, carving through the Al Qudra dunes, presents a big test of desert driving skill and mechanical muscle. After an overnight halt, the survivors tackle Saturday’s 194 kms Arabian Automobiles Nissan.Special Stage leading to the finish at the Innovation Centre.
Following successive Dubai victories by Poland’s Jakub Przygonski, two of the Arab world’s leading drivers aim to prevent a third successive overseas victory.
This could mean a big duel between the UAE’s Khalid Al Qassimi, twice a runner-up and partnered by German Dirk Von Zitzewitz in an Abu Dhabi Racing Peugeot 3008 DKR, and Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi, joined by British co-driver Michael Orr in a Toyota Hilux Overdrive.
Czech Miroslav Zapletal with Slovakian Marek Sykora in a Ford F150 Evo, the UAE’s Yahya Al Helei and Khalid Al Kendi in a Nissan Pick-up, and fellow Emiratis Khalid Al Jafla and Mirza Ali in a Toyota Hilux, complete the top six out of 29 car entries.
With 15 buggies on show, Britain’s Conrad Rautenbach in a Zephyr heads the T3 class. Top seed in T4, Saudi Saleh Alsaif in a Maverick X3, is up against France’s first round winner, Claude Fournier, and Spanish bikes star Laia Sainz, 13-time Trials World Champion, who moves from two wheels to four.
Two UAE-based South Africans lead the charge in the opening round of this year’s FIM Bajas World Cup for bikes. Last year’s winner Aaron Mare on a Honda and 2017 champion Mark Ackerman riding a Husqvarna, top the seeds ahead of the UAE’s Sultan Al Balooshi and British KTM rider Sam Smith.
Lithuanian Arunas Gelazninkas and Saudi Mishal Alghuneim complete the top six.
A quartet of Saudi riders, Haitham Altuwayjiri, Faisal Alsuwayh, Abdulmajeed Aakhulaifi and Hani Al Nomsi, are out to block a third Dubai Baja win for Kuwait’s Fahad Al Musallam whose hat-trick attempt in 2019 was halted by first leg mechanical failure.
A hardworking and dedicated motorsport athlete, Miss Pissay, who started the sport at a late age, gave up road racing after winning the National title in 2017 to focus on Cross Country rallying. She has topped many events in India in the women’s category which included Raid De Himalaya 2017, and Dakshin Dare for two years in 2016 and 2017. She also won the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for bikes in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. She started with circuit racing winning the TVS Apache Ladies One Make Championship 2017 and then the top honours in the MRF MMSC Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2017, when the women’s category was recognised as a national event by FMSCI, the Indian federation for the sport.
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MRF Mogrip 2w INRC Round 1 at Puttur on Nov 29
Bengaluru, 26 Nov 2020: The first round of the MRF Mogrip fmsci Indian National Rally Championship for two-wheelers will begin the 2020 calendar at Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district on November 28 and 29.
A total number of 67 entries were received at the regular close of entries time on Nov 23 with only 8 more slots left for late entries (till Friday) as the organisers, Ace Events, restricted the number of bikes to 75 for safety and logistics convenience. Promoted by God Speed Racing of Pune, under the able guidance of former 7-time National champion, Shyam Kothari, the rally offers two Special Stages, a 9.7-km Karkala stage and 9.43-km Palangaya stage, which are run three times each on Sunday, making it six Special Stages for a total stage distance of 57.39km and along with 58.2km of transport, the first-round covers 115.59km.
TVS Racing is expected to dominate the proceedings once again in the top class but the huge number of privateers will make their presence in many other classes. Defending champion Rajendra RE in the Group A Pro-Expert SuperBike class is expected to spearhead the TVS Racing challenge once again but the other Group A class Super Bike (expert) is likely to witness stiff competition with reigning champion Jatin Jain having to deal with the likes of strong contenders Badal Doshi of Mumbai and Bengaluru’s Vishwas SD in this class. Last year, Rajendra began with a bang and won all the first three rounds before missing the fourth round at Coimbatore as Team TVS Racing pulled out, but one more win at Mangalore in the 5th round sealed the championship for him with 100 points and he did not take part in the last round, the K1000 in Bengaluru.
The Ladies class with Open Indian Motorcycles will see the presence of Aishwarya PM, the 2019 champion along with Ryhana Bee, who is fresh from the Sprint Nationals, where is she is leading the title race, and Dimpy.
Rajendra, the defending champ in the top class. Many riders like Sachin D, Suhail Ahmed, Sudeep Kottary and Sinan Francis have taken part in the Sprint Nationals to gain some valuable bike time on similar terrain and have won podium places. All of them will be raring to go in their respective classes.
Aakash Aithal will be the Clerk of the Course with the current Indian Rally Champion of four wheelers Chetan Shivaram, being the Assistant CoC. His co-driver Dilip Sharan is the CRO. Bhaskar Gupta of Karnataka Motor Sports Club is the Chief Steward. Chidananda NC and D Uday Kumar are the other stewards while Yogesh Kalro is nomiated as Technical Delegate.
You can watch a video produced by autotrack.ind.in for MRF Racing of last year’s action here.
INRC 2-W final Championship table 2019:
Class 1: Superbike (Pro-Expert):
1. Rajendra RE, TVS Racing, 100
2. R Nataraj, TVS Racing, 51
3. Nikhil Balakrishna, Privateer, 36
Class 1A: Superbike (Expert):
1. Jatain Jain, 101
2. Badal S Doshi, 65
3. Venu Ramesh Kumar, 33
Class 2 – Super Sport 130:
1. M Srikanth, 95
2. Azeeb Mohammed, 86
3. Santhosh Kour, 53
Class 3: Super Sport 165:
1. Ishan Chandra, 126
2. Francis PV, 90
3. Akshay Siddharamaaiyah, 53
Class 4: Super Sport 260:
1. Imran Pasha, TVS Racing, 118,
2. Samuel Jacob, TVS Racing, 91
3. Sachin D, TVS Racing, 90
Class 5: Super Sport 400:
1. Sudeep Kottary, 118
2. Vikram K, 58,
3. Shivan Wani, 48
Class 6: Super Sport 550:
1. Suhail Ahmed, 125
2. Arun Joy, 66
3. Devraj Venkatesh, 59
Class 7: S0 to S3 Scooters upto 210cc (S0 to S3):
1. Syed Asif Ali, TVS Racing, 143
2. Shamim Khan, TVS Racing, 102
3. Pinkesh Thakkar, TVS Racing, 93
Class 8 – Ladies Class: Ladies Class (Open Indian Motorcycles):
1. Aishwarya Pissay, TVS Racing, 150
2. Ryhana Bee, 48
3. Fazeela, 36.
ends
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Aishwarya Pissay makes history as she wins FIM Bajas World Cup in women’s class
Aishwarya Pissay receiving the World Cup on Sunday. Photos courtesy FIM Bengaluru, 11 August 2019: Aishwarya Pissay, the 23-year old from Bengaluru, created history by annexing the FIM Bajas World Cup in the Women’s category after the fourth and final round of the championship, at Varpalota (Hungary), on Sunday. She became the first Indian ever to win a World title in Motorsport. Aishwarya also finished second in the FIM Junior category on the conclusion of the four-round Championship.
Aishwarya, who won the first round in Dubai and was placed third (Portugal), fifth (Spain) and fourth (Hungary) in the subsequent outings, finished with a tally of 65 points, just four ahead of Portugal’s Rita Vieira in the final Overall standings for Women. She was placed second in the Junior category with 46 points, behind championship winner Tomas de Gavardo (60) of Chile.
The TVS Racing’s Bengaluru rider, emerged victorious in the four-round cross country rally based on the total points, with her victory in the first round in Dubai standing her in good stead. In the fourth round in Hungary, the second-placed Vieira Rita, could only finish third for 15 points and thus Aishwarya who finished fourth managed to keep her lead and won the World Cup Baja in the women’s category gaining 13 points for her 4th. Romero Font Rosa won the Hungarian round in this class and Garcia Alvarez Sara finished second.After 805km, including 588km on competitive selective sections around Várpalota and Lake Balaton, the Hungarian Baja rounded off the 2019 FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup. For the record, Adam Tomicek (Husqvarna) claimed his maiden motorcycle victory, the Pole finishing ahead of Stefan Svitko (KTM) and Maciej Giemza (Husqvarna), while Juraj Varja (Yamaha) took the laurels in the quad category from Aleksandr Maksimov (Yamaha).
The 23-year-old Aishwarya is sponsored by TVS, Sidvin, Mountain Dew, Scott Motorsports India, K&N, Cult Sport and BigRock Dirt Park. Before the start of the final round she was leading the women’s category by seven points, after having won in Dubai, finished third in Portugal and fifth in Spain.
A proud moment for Team TVS Sherco’s Aishwarya Pissay from India as she stands on the top step of the podium at FIM Bajas Women’s World Cup on Sunday. An FIM image An ecstatic Aishwarya, said after the podium ceremonies: “It’s absolutely overwhelming. I am out of words. After what happened last year, my first international season, when I crashed in Spain Baja and suffered career-threatening injuries, to come out and win the championship, is a great feeling.
“It was a tough phase of my life, but I believed in myself and was determined to get back on the bike which I did after nearly six months. So, winning the World Cup is huge for me and I will look to better my performance having gained this experience. I also hope I will be able to get more sponsors on board and eventually realise my dream of participating in and finishing the Dakar Rally (considered World’s most difficult cross-country race). In any case, I will pursue that dream no matter what.”
Reflecting on her Hungarian Baja performance, Aishwarya said: “Without a doubt, the Hungarian Baja was one of my best races though I didn’t win. It wasn’t an easy race. Given the nature of the terrain, it was more of endurance than just pace. I was riding a smaller bike (250cc) as against the 450cc bikes other girls were on. So, there was always a difference of 20-25 minutes between me and the other riders.
Aishwary’a medals! “Also, I was wrongly given a road penalty for early check-in which wasn’t my fault. All these factors added to my time. On the positive side, I was happy that I was closing the gap between me and other riders in front of me. I was able to get within seven minutes of Rita (Vieira) and that gave me the confidence. However, it was more about finishing the race and I was focussed on that.”
Aishwarya is scheduled to return to Bengaluru in the early hours of Wednesday, August 14, via Qatar.
On July 30, Miss Pissay finished fifth in the FIM women’s category and 24th Overall in the FIM bike category of the Baja Espana Aragon, the penultimate round of the World Cup.
Earlier in Round 2 at Portugal, Aishwarya took a podium in the women’s category finished third in March. She also topped the women’s category in the first round in Dubai on March 9.
The Hungarian Baja comprised of five Special Stages totalling 588.26 km besides 205.66 of Liaison section. The competitors were flagged-off late on Thursday for SS-1 (7.18 Kms) near to this former mining town.
Miss Pissay has topped many events in India in the women’s category which included Raid De Himalaya 2017, Dakshin Dare for two years in 2016 and 2017. She also won the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) in 2017 and 2018 but before that her focus was on racing and she won the TVS Apache Ladies One Make Championship 2017 and then the top honours in the MRF MMSC Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2017, when the women’s category was recognised as a national event by FMSCI, the Indian federation for the sport.
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Aishwarya gunning for FIM World Cup title: Hungarian Baja
Aishwarya Pissay file photo: INDIAinF1 Bengaluru, 9 August 2019: India’s Aishwarya Pissay will be seeking to win the FIM Bajas World Cup as she begins her campaign in the Hungarian Baja, the fourth and final round of the championship, at Varpalota (Hungary), on Saturday.
Bengaluru-based 23-year old Aishwarya, sponsored by TVS, Sidvin, Mountain Dew, Scott Motorsports India, K&N, Cult Sport and BigRock Dirt Park, is leading the women’s category by seven points, after having won in Dubai, finished third in Portugal and fifth in Spain.
On July 30, Miss Pissay finished fifth in the FIM women’s category and 24th Overall in the FIM bike category of the Baja Espana Aragon, the penultimate round of the World Cup,
Aishwarya’s bike being prepared for the Round in Aragon. A file photo courtesy Miss Pissay Earlier in Round 2 at Portugal, Aishwarya took a podium in the women’s category finished third in March. She also topped the women’s category in the first round in Dubai on March 9.
Looking ahead to the event, Aishwarya said: “Going into the Hungarian Baja, I am hopeful of performing better than in the previous round since the World Cup is at stake. It will not be easy as I have to negotiate nearly 590 Kms of Special Stages, but I am up to the challenge. After the last round in Spain, I stayed back to train. So, I have done pretty much all I can in terms of preparations. My focus here would be on performing well and the results will follow.”
After four rounds of the FIM World Cup, Aishwarya has 52 points, followed by Portugal’s Rita Vieira (45) and Spaniard Sara Garcia Alvarez (36). The trio, along with two other women riders, will be going head-to-head in what promises to be an exciting battle.
The Hungarian Baja comprises five Special Stages totalling 588.26 Kms besides 205.66 of Liaison section. The competitors will be flagged-off late tonight for SS-1 (7.18 Kms) near to this former mining town before heading out to complete the remainder of the course over the weekend.
Miss Pissay has topped many events in India in the women’s category which included Raid De Himalaya 2017, Dakshin Dare for two years in 2016 and 2017. She also won the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) in 2017 and 2018 but before that her focus was on racing and she won the TVS Apache Ladies One Make Championship 2017 before bagging the MRF MMSC Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2017, when the women’s category was recognised as a national event by FMSCI, the Indian federation for the sport.
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Aishwarya finishes 5th; leads women’s World Cup standings: Baja Aragon
Aishwarya Pissay Aragon (Spain), 30 July 2019: India’s Aishwarya Pissay of Team Sherco TVS finished fifth in the FIM women’s category and 24th Overall in the FIM bike category of the Baja Espana Aragon, the penultimate round of the FIM Bajas World Cup, here on Sunday.
Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, sponsored by TVS, Sidvin, Mountain Dew, Scott Motorsports India, K&N, Cult Sport and BigRock Dirt Park, picked up 11 points after completing the 827-km course. It helped her maintain the top position on the women’s World Cup leaderboard.
Earlier in Round 2 at Portugal, Aishwarya took a podium in the women’s category finished third in March. She also topped the women’s category in the first round in Dubai on March 9.
Going into the final round in Hungary scheduled for Aug 10-11, the 24-year old enjoys a seven-point lead over Portugal’s Rita Vieira (45 points) with Spaniard Sara Garcia Alvarez (36) in the third spot. Aishwarya is also placed second in the Junior category, trailing Chilean Tomas de Gavardo by 19 points.
Aishwarya Pissay in action at Baja Aragon on Sunday. A TVS Racing image “Baja Aragon was the scene of my big crash last year that put me out of action for over six months. So, I was determined to shrug off those bitter memories and complete the course, which I did. It was a very technical course and I lost a lot of time in the process. I definitely need to train more in order to get faster in the technical sections. But I’m happy with my progress from last year and crossing finish line on a strong note.
Aishwarya’s file photo: Twitter @MissPissay “More importantly, I managed to maintain my lead in the World Cup standings. To prepare for the last round in Hungary, I am staying back in Spain for training so that I can perform better and win the World Cup,” said Aishwarya.
The first stage began on Friday at 10.30 am for bikes. On Saturday, another two special stages with a total distance of more than 500 kilometers were run as the bikes started early at 6.30 am before the cars took off at 7 am.
The total distance of the timed stages was just over 500 kilometers, as the best drivers and riders in the different categories joined the long list of winners in the golden book of Baja Espana Aragon.
The Bengaluru rider, who turned 24 last fortnight (Aug 14) started her international career in 2018 at the same event and became a professional rally-raid rider as she gave up road racing. Her debut at the first major event last year saw her injure herself critically at the same event but she bounced back with a strong mind and undertook serious training for over four months before the event. She has been practicing for over 5 hours a day including her physical fitness and mental strength and had taken part in Dubai International Baja and Portugal Baja this year.
She has topped many events in India in the women’s category which included Raid De Himalaya 2017, Dakshin Dare for two years in 2016 and 2017. She also won the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) in 2017 and 2018 but before that her focus was on racing and she won the TVS Apache Ladies One Make Championship 2017 before bagging the MRF MMSC Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2017, when the women’s category was recognised as a national event by FMSCI, the Indian federation for the sport.
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Aishwarya’s superb show at FIM Bajas World Cup 2nd round gets her a well-deserved podium
Aishwarya Pissay finishes third in the FIM Baja World Cup on 24th March 2019 Sunday. A TVS Racing image Proença-a-Nova (Portugal), 25 March 2019: India’s Aishwarya Pissay, 23, came up with a gritty performance to finish on the podium with a third-place finish in the women’s category as the Baja do Pinhal, the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup concluded here on Sunday after the riders completed a grueling course of 364.69 Kms over two days.
Though Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, a former Indian National girls racing and rally champion, finished 29thOverall in the two-wheeler class, she was placed third and fourth in the women and junior categories, respectively, but not before enduring a nerve-pull on her right hand on Saturday that cost her a lot of time. The podium finish here fetched her 15 points which took her World Cup tally to 40, following the 25 she received in the first round in Dubai, earlier this month.
Summing up her performance here, Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, who is supported by TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, BigRock Dirt Park (Bengaluru) and Scott Motorsports India, said: “I am extremely thrilled to have completed this rally and collect points for the Baja World Cup. The rally was quite challenging with lots of enduro sections, but I managed to avoid any crashes.
“With the nerve strain on my hand, I couldn’t push up my speeds and that affected my overall performance. I will continue to train and learn from this experience to be fully prepared for the Baja Aragon, the third round of the World Cup, in July 2019.”
Aishwarya’s hopes of a strong finish were dashed on Saturday when she suffered a nerve damage on her right hand which severely affected her pace, but survived the long Special Stage of 191.27 Kms.
“I had problems using the throttle and because of that, I could not have the pace that I wanted. Otherwise, it was a good day of riding for me as I managed to finish the stage without any crashes. My performance could have been a lot better but I hurt the nerve on my right hand forcing me to take it easy on the bike,” said Aishwarya who completed Sunday’s Special Stage of 173.42 Kms with a strapped right hand.
Looking ahead to the next round, Aishwarya said: “With the experience and confidence I gained by completing the courses in Dubai and here, I hope to perform better in the third round in Aragon in July. I would like to thank by sponsors TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, Big Rock Dirtpark (Bengaluru), Scott Motorsports India for showing belief in me.”
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Bengaluru girl Aishwarya Pissay set for Portuguese round of FIM Bajas World Cup
Aishwarya Pissay file photo courtesy TVS Racing Proença-a-Nova (Portugal), 21 March 2019: India’s Aishwarya Pissay will resume her campaign in the FIM Bajas World Cup, here on Friday when the Baja do Pinhal gets underway with a ceremonial start followed by a Prologue run of 9.57 Kms.
Looking ahead to the Portuguese Baja which also doubles up as the second round of the World Cup, Bengaluru-based 23-year old Aishwarya said: “The Portugal rally will be a fantastic learning experience for me as the stages will have more enduro than fast sections. I have been training with BigRock Spain team for the past couple of weeks in similar terrain and have improved my riding technique.
“I am here to learn and develop my skills as a racer and the more rallies I participate in, the better I get. I am thankful to my sponsors TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, BigRock Dirt Park (Bengaluru) and Scott Motorsports India for supporting and believing in me.”
After Friday’s Prologue, the riders head out on Saturday for the 191.27 Kms Special Stage-1. The event concludes on Sunday at the end of the 173.42 Kms Special Stage-2.
Aishwarya picked up full complement of 25 points after completing the course in the first round in Dubai earlier this month astride a 450cc bike and she is hoping to add to her tally here in Portugal.
“I am hoping to perform much better here in Portugal where, unlike in Dubai, navigation is not a major issue. I am focused on securing as many World Cup points as possible by completing the course,” said Aishwarya who is set to compete in only her third international event following her debut in Baja Aragon (Spain) last year and Dubai earlier this month.
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Aishwarya set for FIM Bajas World Cup in Dubai
Aishwarya Pissay at the official press conference in Dubai on Wednesday, Image: TVS Racing Dubai, 6 March 2019: India’s Aishwarya Pissay, having fully recovered from the injury she suffered last year in Spain, is all set for her second international event, the first round of the FIM Bajas World Cup commencing here on Thursday with a ceremonial flag-off.
Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, 23, sponsored by TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, Scott Motorsports India and Big Rock Dirt Park, will be competing in the 450cc, women and junior categories, astride a non-TVS bike. The event has attracted over 100 riders from 25 countries.
Aishwarya, who was injured after a crash in the Spanish Baja last year and was out of action for nearly six months, said: “This is an exciting start to my international racing season. I have been training really hard over the last few weeks in the sand dunes, which has been a tremendous learning experience. I am thankful to my sponsors TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, Scott and Big Rock Dirt Park for believing and supporting my dreams to represent India on the global motorsport stage.”This will be Aishwarya’s second attempt at an international rally. In 2018, she competed in the Baja Aragon. However, her debut on the global stage ended with a crash that required lengthy rehabilitation. In the past couple of months, she has been training at the Big Rock track run by ace cross-country rider CS Santosh, on the outskirts of Bengaluru. She also went in advance to Dubai to train on the sand dunes.
The first rider will leave the start at 06.45hrs on Friday, March 8th for a 50kms liaison section before starting the opening selective section of 201.60km, one hour later. The second timed section of 204.03km takes place on Saturday, March 9th. In a total of 607km, 407km will be timed against the clock.
