INDIA in F1

Tag: ARRC

  • Sarthak Chavan beats Chiranth to win Race 2 in FIM Asia Road Racing Championship

    Sarthak Chavan beats Chiranth to win Race 2 in FIM Asia Road Racing Championship

    Buriram (Thailand), 27 April 2025: Sarthak Chavan, the Indian champion made a grand statement for India winning the Race 2 of the opening round at the 2025 Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at Chang International Circuit here on Sunday.

    Sarthak Chavan beat his Indian mate Chiranth Vishwanath to become the pride of India after securing the top spot on the podium in the TVS ASIA One Make Championship second race. In Race 1, he finished fifth after he lost the suspension following a contact.

    The race began with young rider Hunter Corney from Australia rocketing into the lead, closely trailed by Hiroki Ono from Japan and Sarthak.

    Chiranth refused to stay deep within the group and sped up to join the front group. He even set a fastest lap time of 1’50:737s with a top speed of 207.3 km/h.

    After swapping leads for several laps, the chequered flag came down in Sarthak’s favour. The Indian rider clocked his first-ever victory in the TVS ASIA One Make Championship with a time of 14’56:976s, 0.130s ahead of Chiranth Vishwanath from India. Hiroki rounded out the winning trifecta in third place with a time of 14’57:216s.

    Hunter, in final lap, made contact with another bike, which caused him to lose control and drop back from the front group, ultimately losing his position in the battle for the podium.

    Sarthak said, “Yesterday was not so good. I could’ve qualified for P1, but it didn’t go well. I had a big contact at Turn 3, and my rear suspension got locked in the mud guard. Yesterday, I was just thinking about what to do on the next day, and today I did it. The last lap was really intense; my bike felt like it was dropping a bit of power, but it was still a great race. I managed to do a good lap time and finish in P1. After about 10 years of being here, my national anthem is finally played in ARRC. I’m happy. Of course, some will say their bike is slow, but that’s not possible because everyone here has the same bike. It was a wonderful opportunity and race.”

    TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 2

    Sarthak Chavan – India (14’56:976s)

    Chiranth Vishwanath – India (14’57:106s)

    Hiroki Ono – Japan (14’57:216s)

    Atih Kanghair – Thailand (14’57:624s)

    Md Ramdan Rosli – Malaysia (14’58:133s)

  • Sarthak Chavan gets podium: TVS one-make event at ARRC

    Sarthak Chavan gets podium: TVS one-make event at ARRC

    Lombok Island (Indonesia), 27 July 2024: India’s Sarthak Chavan, the 17-year-old from Pune, delivered a podium finish, his second this season, in the fourth round of the TVS Asia One Make Championship which is part of the Asian Road Racing Championship at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit, Indonesia, on Saturday.

    In a tight race, Sarthak, who started from P3, came in third behind championship leader Hiroki Ono (Japan) and Malaysian Mohd Ramdan Rosli (Malaysia). Another Indian, Chiranth Vishwanath from Bengaluru, was fourth in the race. Less than one second separated the top four finishers.

  • TVS Asia one-make championship trials at Sepang on April 27

    TVS Asia one-make championship trials at Sepang on April 27

    Bangi, 20 April 2022: The two-wheeler giant in Indian motorsports, TVS Racing is all set to make it international presence with a one-make championship that that will run alongside FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) beginning in Malaysia from May 29. The trials at Sepang are scheduled for April 27.

    Two Wheels Motor Racing (TWMR) announced its partnership with TVS Racing, the factory racing team of TVS Motor Company and the news one-make championship will be name the TVS Asia One-Make Championship.

    The championship will see a total of 16 riders from all over Asia who will be finalised on April 27 for the first year. The selection will be held at the Sepang International Circuit where Round 2 of the ARRC will take place in May.

    Commenting on the development, Mr. Vimal Sumbly, Head – Premium Business, TVS Motor Company, said, “The engineering and performance prowess in our race machines has been derived from TVS Racing’s race-bred pedigree on the track, proving its mettle across a host of racing formats and has put us on the global map.  We are excited about carving our success story internationally. The TVS Asia One Make Championship will play a pivotal role as a milestone in our global journey for TVS Racing.”

    “We take this as an opportunity to take our learnings from the Indian tracks and demonstrate our capabilities internationally.  We also look forward to having international racers atop our TVS Asia One Make Apache RR 310 motorcycles competing in the future championships.”

    Ron Hogg, Promotions Director of Two Wheels Motor Racing Sdn. Bhd. said, “The participation of TVS Racing in the One-Make Championship is a bold gesture that would certainly open avenues in discovering new talents. More importantly, bringing in a new partner and manufacturer will ignite the interest for FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in general.”

    On the impact towards the motorsport industry, Ron continued, “Motorsport industry is ever-changing. From a technological perspective, we move very quickly from two-strokes to four-strokes and having said that, we foresee further development of machines to suit the needs of the industry. Being rider-centric, we constantly look for ways that would pave opportunities for riders to pursue professional riding at a higher level. Our collaboration with TVS Racing in this One-Make Championship is part of our strategic plan that would serve the needs of our Asian riders at the regional front consequently contributing to a comprehensive development within the motorsport industry.”

    FIM Asia President, Stephan P Carapiet said, “The One-Make Championship collaboration is an important mark in the motorsport championships as it forms yet another platform for the development of future motorsport stars and an opportunity to race the TVS One-Make machines. TVS will now be able to showcase the capacities, qualities and reliabilities of the machine in the racing field and through the technical specifications and data obtained from the races, they will also be able to make forward approaches in developing enhanced features that would better serve the needs of their domestic use.”

    “India is a base for motorcycle manufacturers with a sales projection that supersedes the rest of the Asian markets. The involvement of TVS in racing however goes the extra mile to exhibit their advancement in technology and potentially spark interest in motorsport among the 1 billion population. FIM Asia fully supports this initiative and with the financial subsidies and opportunities provided by TVS Racing, we look forward to the participation of over 10 countries for the coming round in Malaysia.”

    TVS Asia One-Make Championship will participate in four rounds of the ARRC:

    1.     27th – 29th May 2022 Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia

    2.     1st – 3rd July 2022 (TBC)

    3.     12th – 14th August 2022 Sugo International Circuit, Japan

    4.     18th – 20th November 2022 Chang International Circuit, Thailand

  • Rajiv Sethu, Senthil ready for ARRC final round in Buriram; Kritik Habib for Talent Cup

    Rajiv Sethu, Senthil ready for ARRC final round in Buriram; Kritik Habib for Talent Cup

    Rajiv Sethu after completing another win in the Indian domestic races at MMRT recently. Photo by Anand Philar 

    Buriram (Thailand), 28 Nov 2019: The fight for Asia Production 250cc class title has now reached Thai soil for the finale round of 2019 Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) at Chang International Circuit, Thailand. After winning points in each of the 6 rounds till now, ‘Idemitsu Honda Racing India’- the only Indian team in Asia Production 250 class enters the finale round firmly in Top 9 out of 20 teams. 

    Honda’s Indian riders, Rajiv and Senthil, are looking forward to the final round. In his third ARRC season, Rajiv enters last round of AP 250 class with 33 points under his belt. For the 21-year-old, Chang International Circuit holds a history of good performances. In 2018, he scored his maiden international point here. In 2019, Rajiv upped his game during the 3rd ARRC round becoming the first Indian rider to qualify in top-7, new fastest lap time (1:53:573) and over 33% reduction in total race time gap with lead rider from 18 seconds to just 5 seconds within the 10-lap race. Rajiv is already in top 16 out of the 40 riders in AP 250 class, which is an improvement from his overall 27th position in 2018. But he is determined for a repeat top-10 finish this weekend. Meanwhile, Senthil is gunning for a top-25 finish in his maiden ARRC season.

    Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President, Brand and Communication, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Private Limited said, “This year has been a great year for Idemitsu Honda Racing India team. With two top-10 and eight top-15 finishes, Rajiv is now consistently riding with the top bunch. It was at Chang only that Rajiv had qualified in 7th earlier this year. Now we are confident that Rajiv is ready to better his record and close the 2019 season with a good performance. Senthil too has improved his race-craft and gained points in his debut season itself. As the 2019 season wraps up this weekend, we are looking for a strong finish.”

    This weekend, it will be a clash of titans as the AP250 class grid will see 32 riders from 8 Asia Oceania nations (Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taipei, HongKong, India). Expect fireworks this weekend with 5 of the top-8 under equalizer rule. With 4 of the top-5 riders chasing title coming from Honda stables, the Indonesian rider Irfan Ardiansyah must finish second to be crowned the 2019 AP250 FIM Asian Champion. The AP 250 title fight heads for a tie-breaker as Indonesian riders Irfan Ardiansyah and Andy Muhammad are both tied at the top with 176 points each. But with the double equaliser cut of 1000rpm on the top runners, the championship may see new challenge from the next 3 riders on the scoreboard (Awhin Sanjaya, Muklada Sarapuech and Aiki Iyoshi).

    Looking forward to last round of ARRC, Rajiv Sethu, said, “Chang International Circuit is like a second home to me. This circuit has brought good fortune for my team and me in the past. I’m much more confident of my riding style here. This weekend is about being in prime form, strategically moving ahead on the grid and avoiding any riding mistake which can push me back. While Thai riders have the home-ground advantage here and 6 wildcards will heat up the competition even more, my aim is to be in top 10 here.”

    Sharing his thoughts, Senthil Kumar said, “I am excited to return to Buriram (Thailand). In my last visit, I finished in Top 20. As I feel much more comfortable on this track and my machine, I now aim to go full throttle and aim for points for the solo Indian team once again.”

    Parallelly, the marquee Asia SuperBike 1000cc (ASB) class of ARRC 2019 will see the podium contender Malaysian rider Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA team (ranked 4th) return in full form. The team has top personnel from Honda subsidiaries across Asia & Oceania, including a race technician from India.

    The final round of Thailand Talent Cup, Honda’s development program for Asian riders, will also be held this weekend. Representing the next breed of Indian young racers going global with Honda will be Kritik Habib from Gadag, Karnataka. He is ranked 21.

    In its 24th year, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) is Asia’s most competitive motorcycle road racing championship. The 2019 season sees the battle play out in 7 rounds across 5 countries (Malaysia* 2, Australia, Thailand * 2, Japan & China) in 4 classes ASB1000, SuperSports 600 (SS600), AP250 and Underbone (UB150).

  • Grand double for Aussie star Anthony West

    Grand double for Aussie star Anthony West

    Anthony West on way to scoring a double in the ARRC at MMRT on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 5 Aug 2018: Anthony West’s hot form continued as he scored a lights-to-flag victory, his second of the weekend, while destroying the premier SuperSport 600cc field to stamp his class and authority on the fourth round of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship which concluded at the MMRT, here on Sunday.

    Such was 37-year old West’s supremacy today that he won by over seven seconds while recording his fourth win of the season which put him in line for his maiden ARRC title. While West cruised to victory untroubled and unchallenged on his Yamaha, behind him Tomoyoshi Koyoma (MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda), a former MotoGP rider, won a thrilling scrap with fellow-Japanese, the 19-year old Taiga Hada (Idemitsu Honda Racing India), to grab the second spot. For Hada, who became an instant favourite with the large crowd, it was his second podium of the weekend.

    Rafid Topan Sucipto (Yamaha) and Andy Muhammad Fadly (Kawasaki) delivered a 1-2 for Indonesia in the Asia Production 250cc race ahead of Thailand’s Anupab Sarmoon (Yamaha) in a near photo-finish with barely three-tenth of a second separating the trio.

    The two Indian riders in this category, Rajiv Sethu and Anish Damodara Shetty, it was a disappointing finish as they rode in 16th and 19th, thus out of points.

    Among the most notable podium finishers of the day was 14-year old Australian boy Travis Hall who fought his way to third place, his first podium of the season, in the second race of the highly competitive Underbone 150cc class while Malaysians Ahmad Fazli Sham and Md. Helmi Azman took the top two positions. Incidentally, championship leader in this category Indonesian Rheza Danica Ahrens, who had notched five wins in a row, finished a distant 17th following a crash early in the race.

    Bengaluru’s Abhishek Vasudev and Aravind Balasubramaniam (Chennai) shared the honours in the two Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup races. However, in the championship stakes, Coimbatore’s Senthil Kumar, with two second-place finishes, moved to the top of the leaderboard with 99 points, ahead of Vasudev (88) and Anish Shetty (86) who sat out both the races due to injury.

    The TVS One-Make Championship (Apache RR310) double-header dished out close races as Vivek Pillai and PM Soorya, both from Chennai, won one apiece. The victory helped Pillai (94 points) close in on championship leader Deepak Ravikumar (98), who finished second and fifth in the two races, Soorya managed to move up to mid-table with a tally of 33.

    The results:

    SuperSport 600cc (Race-2, 16 laps): 1. Anthony West (Australia, Webike Kazuchi Racing, Yamaha) (27mins, 10.157secs); 2. Tomoyoshi Koyama (Japan, Musashi Boon Siew Honda Racing) (27:17.240); 3. Taiga Hada (Japan, Idemitsu Honda Racing India) (27:17.568).

    Asia Production 250cc (Race-2, 12 laps): 1. Rafid Topan Sucipto (Indonesia, Yamalube KYT TJM WR Super Battery) (22:00:544); 2. Andy Muhammad Fadly (Indonesia, Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing) (22:00.686); 3. Anupab Sarmoon (Thailand, Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) (22:00.830).

    Underbone 150cc (Race-2): 1. Ahmad Fazli Sham (Malaysia, Onexox TKKR Racing) (18:59.247); 2. Md. Helmi Azman (Malaysia, SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing) (18:59.355); 3. Travis Hall (Australia, SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team) (19:03.008).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (CBR 250) organised by MMSC (Race-1, 6 laps): 1. Abhishek Vasudev (Bengaluru) (12:18.230); 2. Senthil Kumar (Coimbatore) (12:18.792); 3. Aravind Balasubramaniam (Chennai) (12:18.891). Race 2 (8 laps): Aravind Balasubramaniam (Chennai) (16:31.817); 2. Senthil Kumar (Coimbatore) (16:32.049); 3. Amit Richard Topno (Ranchi) (16:33.190).

    TVS One-Make Championship (Apache RR310) – Race 1 (6 laps): 1. Vivek Pillai (Chennai) (13:04.471); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai) (13:06.967); 3. Peddu Sriharsha (Hyderabad) (13:06.968). Race 2 (8 laps): 1. PM Soorya (Chennai) (16:17.261); 2. Vivek Pillai (Chennai) (16:17.821); 3. Yashas RL (Bengaluru) (16:17.926).

  • Rajiv Sethu finishes 13th; Anish Shetty crashes out in AP 250cc outing

      • Aussie ace Anthony West triumphs in SuperSport 600cc race

    Chennai, August 08: Veteran Australian Anthony West plotted his way to a brilliant victory, his third in the premier SuperSport 600cc this season to consolidate his top position on FIM Asia Road Racing Championship leaderboard at the MMRT, here on Saturday.

    The 37-year old with a decade’s experience in the World Championship behind him, rode a waiting race over 16 laps on his Yamaha, content to lie in third position after dropping two spots from his pole position start. West, who earlier in the day set a record for fastest qualifying lap of 01:40.585 for pole position, made his move with about two laps from the finish to take the flag ahead of Malaysian Md Zaqhwan Zaidi and 19-year old rising Japanese star Taiga Hada who was representing the Idemitsu Honda Racing India team.

    The Idemitsu Honda Racing India team had another reason to cheer as their rider in the Asia Production 250cc class, Rajiv Sethu, 20, finished 13th in a grid of 24 for his first points this season. However, compatriot and team-mate Anish Shetty, 20, crashed in the eighth of the 12-lap race that Indonesia’s Rheza Danica Ahrens won for his fifth consecutive success in this category.

    In a thrilling finish in the Underbone 150cc race, Ahmed Fazli Sham led a 1-2 for Malaysia as he snatched a dramatic, last-gasp win over Md Helmi Azman with Thailand’s Peerapong Luiboonpeng completing the podium.

    The spotlight no doubt was on the SuperSport 600cc race that boasted of a quality grid with a mix of World championship riders and young guns, but ultimately, it was West’s craftiness and cool that won the day in tricky conditions due to light showers in some sections of the track

    “It was a very difficult race. It took me a few laps to get used to the conditions due to the drizzle before we started. But as the race progressed, I was able to generate more power and then took my opportunities to pass the riders in front,” said West after the victory on his first visit to MMRT.

    Earlier, in the Asia Production 250cc race, Shetty crashed in the eighth lap when he high-sided. “There was an issue regarding the suspension and also my being too aggressive on the throttle which led to the crash. I damaged the left toe which is swollen, but I should be fine for tomorrow’s second race,” said Shetty who is in his maiden ARRC season.

    Sethu said: “I had a bad start, but I gave my best, but other riders too were aggressive and better. However, today, I clocked my best ever time (01:50.555) on this track. Hopefully, I will perform better tomorrow.”

    The other two races scheduled for the day – the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (CBR 250) organised by MMSC and TVS One-Make Championship (Apache RR310) – could not be run today following a heavy downpour soon after the 600cc race.

    The results (Provisional):

    SuperSport 600 (Race-1, 16 laps): 1. Anthony West (Australia, Webike Ikazuchi, Yamaha) (27mins, 35.304secs); 2. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (Malaysia, Musashi Boon Siew Honda) (27:35.629); 3. Taiga Hada (Japan, Idemitsu Honda Racing India) (27:36.885).

    Asia Production 250 (Race-1, 12 laps): 1. Rheza Danica Ahrens (Indonesia, Astra Honda) (21:53.4); 2. Mario Suryo Aji (Indonesia, Astra Honda) (21:53.5); 3. Reynaldo Chrisantho (Indonesia, ONEXOX TKK Yamaha) (22:01.9).

    Underbone 150 (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Ahmed Fazli Sham (Onexox TKKR Racing Team, Malaysia) (19:02.205); 2. Md. Helmi Azman (SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing team, Malaysia) (19:02.460); 3. Peerapong Luiboonpeng (Team One For All, Thailand) (19:02.502).

  • Zaqhwan Zaidi quickest rider on Friday: ARRC Practice

    Zaqhwan Zaidi quickest rider on Friday: ARRC Practice

    Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (Malaysia), quickest in the SuperSport 600cc class on Friday.

    Chennai, 3 Aug 2018: A long stint racing astride the 1000cc machine has obviously not affected Malaysian rider Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi’s ability to finesse the 600cc bike. Fresh from a stint in the prestigious Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance Race, the Musashi Boon Siew Honda Racing rider charged on to Chennai, India, where the Madras Motor Race Track played host to Round 4 of the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship here on Friday.

    After the first day of free practices, Zaqhwan led a mixed bag of competitors by posting the fastest time of 1’41.306s. Just off Zaqhwan’s pace, championship leader Anthony West clocked second fastest with 1’41.388s in his first official run on the 3.74km race track.

    The most impressive rider of the day was team Musashi Boon Siew Honda Racing rookie Azroy Hakeem Anuar. Azroy, who has been recording increasingly impressive performances in each successive round of the ARRC, stands third fastest with 1’41.677s. Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider Ratthapong Wilairot and Taiga Hada representing home team Idemitsu Honda Racing India by T.Pro Ten10, rounded up the top five. Defending champion Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman continues to struggle with balance issues and just managed to clock within the top 10.

    FREE PRACTICE: TOP 5 OVERALL

    1. Zaqhwan Zaidi MAS Honda 1’41.306s;
    2. Anthony West AUS Yamaha 1’41.388s;
    3. Azroy Hakeem Anuar MAS Honda 1’41.677s;
    4. Ratthapong Wilairot THA Yamaha 1’41.828s;
    5. Taiga Hada JPN Honda 1’41.838s;

    ASIA PRODUCTION 250cc: DOUBLE 4-HR CHAMP ANUPAB OUT TO END RHEZA’S DOMINATION

    Anupab Sarmoon’s recent success at the 41st Suzuka 4 Hour Endurance Road Race has given the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider the additional impetus he needed to try to bring an end to Rheza Danica Ahren’s domination in the Asia Production 250cc class.

    Just a week ago, Anupab successfully defended his Suzuka 4 Hour title with the help of his team mate, Peerapong Boonlert. As the AP250 riders went out on track for the first day of practice in Round 4, Anupab has been able to equal speedy Rheza’s pace at the top of the timesheets. Although the Astra Honda Racing Team rider emerged as the fastest rider of the day with 1’48.030s, Anupab was able to lap within the same parameters, coming home second fastest with 1’48.252s.

    With the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship now entering the second half of its 2018 season, Anupab, currently third overall in the AP250 standings, is under pressure to bring home more podium finishes and race wins. As Rheza took the win in round after round, Anupab’s last victory was taken in Round 1, and he has only managed two podium finishes so far.

    As always, Anupab will be facing a field of top Indonesian aces in the AP250 class. The Astra Honda Racing Team’s latest wonderkid, Mario Suryo Aji, posted third fastest with 1’48.775. Rey Ratukore, ONEXOX TKKR Racing Team’s latest recruit, was fourth fastest with 1’48.853s. Andy Muhammad Fadly from Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing, ended the free practices fifth fastest with 1’49.510s

    FREE PRACTICE: TOP 5 OVERALL

    1. Rheza Danica Ahrens INA Honda 1’48.030s
    2. Anupab Sarmoon THA Yamaha 1’48.252s
    3. Mario Suryo Aji INA Honda 1’48.775s
    4. Rey Ratukore INA Yamaha 1’48.853s
    5. Andy Md Fadly INA Kawasaki 1’49.510s

    UNDERBONE 150cc: RECORD BREAKING DAY IN THE UNDERBONE CLASS

    The Underbone 150cc riders kicked off a record-breaking day as Round 4 of the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship officially got underway at the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai, India. With most of the

    Underbone riders having had some experience at the challenging South Indian race track, the class is now competing on a whole different level.

    At the end of Free Practice 2, the top seven riders in the class have managed to break the 2017 1’53.944s lap record held by Mohd Akid Aziz. As of Practice 2, SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team duo Mohd Helmi Azman and Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam have emerged as the provisional leaders of the class, clocking 1’53.169s and 1’53.178s respectively.

    Defending champion Mohd Akid Aziz was third fastest with 1’53.225s followed by Mohd Adib Rosley from the YY Pang camp. Filipino wonderkid, McKinley Kyle Paz, again riding wildcard for the UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor Asia Team was impressive on his first run out on the Madras Motor Race Track. He posted fifth in the class with 1’54.252s.

    However, Akid came out with guns blazing in the 30-minute qualifying session. The UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor Asia Team rider beat his own fastest time by two whole seconds and clocked the fastest time in the class with 1’51.970s. Half a second off Akid’s pace, SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team duo Mohd Helmi Azman and Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam logged the second and third fastest times with 1’52.524 and 1’53.325s respectively.

    QUALIFYING: TOP 5 OVERALL

    1. Mohd Akid Aziz MAS Yamaha 1’51.970s
    2. Mohd Helmi Azman MAS Honda 1’52.524s
    3. Fakhrusy Syakirin MAS Honda 1’53.325s
    4. Mohd Affendi Rosli MAS Yamaha 1’53.387s
    5. Mohd Adib Rosley MAS Yamaha 1’53.795s

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  • Indians Rajiv Sethu, Anish Shetty aim to finish in top-10: ARRC

    Indians Rajiv Sethu, Anish Shetty aim to finish in top-10: ARRC

    Anish Shetty in action in the AP250cc Practice I at the MMRT on Friday. Photos by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 3 Aug 2018: Home riders, Chennai’s Rajiv Sethu and Bengaluru-based Anish Damodara Shetty, enjoyed a fairly satisfactory outings during the three practice sessions but with plenty of scope for improvement as the fourth round of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got underway at the MMRT, here on Friday.

    Competing in the Asia Production 250cc class, the Idemitsu Honda Racing India team-mates Sethu, 20, and Shetty,23, though off the pace by about three seconds, did generate hopes of strong results over the next two days when they go through the qualifying session followed by two races.

    Shetty, in his debut season in the championship, was quicker than Sethu in two of the three sessions with a best of 01:51.2, while the Chennai youngster finished the day clocking 01:51.5.

    Sethu, who is still seeking his first points this season, said: “The three practice sessions went quite ok, though I still need to pull out better timings tomorrow for the qualifying. I had a good second session and my immediate goal for this weekend is to try and finish in top 10.”

    Rajiv Sethu in action in the AP250cc practice session in the Asian Road Racing Cham;ionship that began at MMRT on Friday.

    For Shetty, it has been a case of hitting the ground running and still managed to earn two points in the second round in Australia. “It has been a steep learning curve for me. There has been so much to learn in such a short time! I have never ridden such a powerful bike which is much more powerful than the Honda CBR 250 which I ride in the National championship. The AP 250s are twin cylinder machines and much quicker than the CBR250,” said the techie from Bengaluru.

    On his practice sessions today, Shetty said: “I had some issues with the suspension early on, but after some changes, I had a good second session when I posted my best timing for today of 1:51 (one minute, 51.2 seconds). We made some changes ahead of the third session and I had to get used to them. For tomorrow, I hope I can go quicker.

    The quickest rider in the AP 250cc class was championship leader Rheza Danica Ahrens (Indonesia), winner of four the six races over three rounds so far and whose best over three sessions was a 01:48.03.

    Meanwhile, the premier SuperSport 600cc class dished out exciting action with promise of more to come over the next two days. Twice champion (2014 and 2016) Md Zaqhwan Zaidi, the 23-year old Malaysian, posted the quickest timing of the day with a blistering 01:41.306 on his Honda, ahead of championship leader Anthony West (Australia), riding the Yamaha at the MMRT for the first time, who posted his best lap of 01:41.388.

    In the other practice sessions, Aravind Balasubramaniam topped the time sheets in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup organised by MMSC (CBR250), clocking 02:02.205, while Yashas RL was the quickest in the TVS RR310 One-Make Championship with 02:02.4.

    Malaysian Md Akid Aziz on a Yamaha took the top spot in the Underbone 150 qualifying with a 01:51.970.

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  • World-class action in store as Asia Road Racing Championship returns to MMRT

    World-class action in store as Asia Road Racing Championship returns to MMRT

    File photo of super sport 600cc race of 2017 at MMRT. Photo by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 1 August 2018: A refurbished Madras Motor Race Track is all set for some top-drawer action as it hosts the fourth round of FIM Asia Road Racing Championship commencing Friday, showcasing the cream of two-wheeler racing talent in the region and who are expected to set the circuit alight as in the past with riding skills and dare-devilry worth going miles to watch.

    A bunch of seasoned campaigners who are no strangers to the MMRT besides a clutch of teenagers will be parading their talent over the weekend in SuperSport 600cc, Asia Production 250cc and the Underbone 150cc categories, alongside two support events, the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (CBR 250, Open) organised by MMSC and the TVS One-Make Championship (Open, Apache R310).

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “It has been barely 11 months since we last hosted an ARRC round, but during this period, the MMRT has undergone a sea change. A new paddock, with 20 spacious garages, a viewing terrace, VIP hospitality suites to accommodate nearly 400 people, a second paddock on the western side with its own circuit and a drag strip have all sprung up at a cost of about Rs 20 Crore. It is an edifice we all are proud of. Yet, these are just baby steps in our long-term plans to transform MMRT into a truly World-class facility. I am sure, the ARRC family will have a far more comfortable stay at the MMRT this weekend than at any time in the past!”

    Ron Hogg, Director, Two Wheels Motor Racing, the promoters of ARRC, said he was amazed at the new infrastructure made available for this weekend’s races and the progress made by the MMSC. He said he would be happy to see two rounds in India in the future since he felt most comfortable with the professional approach of the MMSC.

    On the track, the spotlight will be on the premier SuperSport 600cc category that has the familiar faces of veterans Anthony West (Australia), Decha Kraisart (Thailand), Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (Malaysia) and Tomoyoshi Koyama (Japan) apart from a clutch of young, hungry bucks who have been keeping the established stars on their toes.

    Current Championship leader West, who competed in the World Championship for over a decade, and last year’s champion Karmaruzaman, a former Moto2 rider, who trails the Aussie star by 12 points, will no doubt start firm favourites, but as the previous three rounds in Thailand, Australia and Japan suggested, nothing is quite as straightforward. Also in the mix are two Japanese riders, 35-year old Koyama and Keisuke Kurihara, 20, and Yuki Ito, 27, who won Race 2 in Australia.

    From India’s perspective, Chennai’s Rajiv Sethu, 20, and Bengaluru-based Anish Damodara Shetty, 24, will be keenly followed in the Asia Production 250cc category that Indonesian Rheza Danica Ahrens has dominated with four consecutive wins in six races.

    The two Indians are part of the Idemitsu Honda India Racing team along with Japan’s Taiga Hada, 19, who is competing in the 600cc class. Shetty, in his debut ARRC season, managed to pick up two points by finishing 15th in both the races in Australia while Sethu is still in quest for his first points in his second season. Hada is 13th in the 600cc class with 24 points.

    Shetty will also be figuring in the two races of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (CBR 250, Open) organised by MMSC which he leads with 86 points from Coimbatore’s Senthil Kumar (63), both having won two races apiece in the previous two rounds.

    The TVS One-Make Championship (Open) has also been very competitive with four races thus far over two rounds throwing up different winners. The top three riders – Chennai duo Deepak Ravikumar (70) and Vivek Pillai (61), and Bengaluru’s Yashas RL (58) – are involved in a three-way battle with Hyderabad’s Peddu Sriharsha (46) and Amarnath K Menon (45) from Kozhikode not far behind.

    Malaysian brave-hearts Md Helmi Azman (94) and Md Izzat Zaidi (93) are locked in a fierce battle in the Underbone 150cc category which attracts the most number of entries and dishes out nail-biting finishes.

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    The Madras Motor Sports Club has been the pioneer in developing and promoting motorsport in India since 1953, and we look to further improve in the years to come. It is the club’s endeavour to provide more opportunities for competitors and to this end, it has chalked out a progressive program for 2017. From the days of Sholavaram, MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2015, making it the only club which owns such a facility. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the Asian 2-wheeler racing championships besides a host of other motorsport events over the years. The club also has active participation for its events from vehicle manufacturers who also use the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) extensively for testing their products.

  • Sarath Kumar earns points at Suzuka: ARRC

    Sarath Kumar earns points at Suzuka: ARRC

    S Sarath Kumar at Suzuka on Sunday. A Rama Honda Racing team image

    Suzuka (Japan), 5 June 2017: India’s Shankar Sarath Kumar of Rama Honda Racing team by NTS T.Pro Ten10 secured a few more precious points in the first race of the SuperSport 600cc double-header following an improved performance in the third round of FIM Asia Road Racing Championship here over the weekend.

    Riding the Honda CBR 600WR, Chennai-based Sarath Kumar picked up two points in the first race on Saturday, but drew blank in the second outing on Sunday, but showed improvement through the weekend. He has nine points from three rounds.

    Sarath’s team-mate Rajiv Sethu, riding the Honda CBR 250RR in the Asia Production class for the first time at this iconic circuit, finished outside of points in both the races.

    Both Sarath and Sethu are backed by John Sudheer of the Rama Group of companies besides Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India and Honda Motorsports Japan.

    Sarath said: “Although I improved my timing with each session this time as well, I still do not have enough speed compared to my competitors. As such, I want to review the riding style and be able to run faster in the rounds to follow.”

    Sethu said: “Although racing at the Suzuka circuit was not the first time because of my participation in the Asian Dream Cup in the previous season, it was still a difficult race I was riding the CBR 250 RR for the first time here. Yet, it was still a good experience as I was able to put in some good lap times.”

    However, the Rama Honda team also enjoyed better results as their 600cc spearhead Taiga Hada finished sixth and fourth to be placed fourth in the championship while in the Asia Production class, Tomoyash Koyoma was third in both the races. The fifth RAMA Honda team rider Sena Yamada also picked up useful points in both the SuperSport 600cc races.

    The Rame Honda team is currently placed third in the 600cc championship and fifth in the AP 250 class after three rounds.

    John Sudheer, Chairman, Rama Group of Companies, said: “I am quite satisfied with our team’s overall performance here at Suzuka. It was heartening that both Sarath and Rajiv showed some improvement and I look forward to the next round in Indonesia in August.”

    Rama Honda team director Yusuke Teshima said: “We were aiming to win both AP 250 and SS 600 races, and though we couldn’t, it was one more step forward. We will continue to work on the bikes and be better prepared for the next round.”

    eom/AP Media Comm press release