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Tag: Champions Yacht Club
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K1000 postponed due to COVID19 second wave
Bengaluru, 11 May 2021: Karnataka 1000, popularly known as K1000, scheduled to run as the second round of the Champions Yacht Club fmsci Indian National Rally Championship 2021, from May 28 to 30, was postponed due to the second wave of COVID 19 that hit Bengaluru badly. The new dates will be announced later.
With the way the pandemic is raging, the Indian Championship is expected to be stretched to the end of the year and two back-to-back rounds beginning with South India Rally are likely to be held Chennai and Bengaluru. Last year, Champions Yacht Club conducted two back-to-back rounds in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh and the calendar concluded with the third round in Coimbatore as K-1000, scheduled to be the last round, was cancelled.
The first round of the scheduled six-round National Championship this year, the MMSC South India Rally was postponed last month. The rally which attracted a record number of 73 entries was supposed to be held concurrently with the Asia Leg of the Asian Pacific Rally Championship (APRC). The third round at Coimbatore to be run by the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club, slated to be held from July 16 to 18, also looks like a non-starter.
The postponement was announced by the National body, the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) on May 11 and was confirmed by the BS Gautham, President, Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC).
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Vasundhara Jewellery Group enters INRC with 2 all-woman teams
Hyderabad, 12 Nov 2020: Champions Yacht Club pulled off another first in Indian Motorsports roping in a prominent woman entrepreneur of the city to field a first sponsoring two all-woman teams in the CYC FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2020, which is slated to begin with a back-to-back double leg in the North-Eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh from December 15.
Mrs Vasundhara, a well-known Telangana businesswoman of Vasundhara Diamond Roof Private Limited fame, has come forward to sport a rally team for the first time. The Hyderabad -based jewellers will own two teams, a mix of experience and youth, comprising of renowned Indian woman rallyist Dr Bani Yadav of Gurgaon and another talented youngster, Pragathi Gowda of Bengaluru, with Mrs Vasundhara, taking the initiative to plunge into the sport with the first-time entry as a sponsor and team owner with two entries.
Andhra Pradesh, hosted the finals of the Indian National Autocross Championship last January, before the pandemic halted all motorsports events with the scheduled first round at Chennai, the South Indian Rally, being put off just a week before it was supposed to take off in March last week. Hyderabad, on the other hand, was famous for the Charminar Challenge rally, INRC event season finale, for many years in the past, and rallying is not new to the Telangana capital which has produced many rallyists of yore and had Andhra Pradesh Motor Sports Club during the combined state status which is now Telangana. With the coming of Team Vasundhara, Hyderabad will make its presence in INRC once again through a Team Owner, that too a woman owner, and with Bani Yadav in the driver’s seat, it is something to look forward to for a Rally fan.
Champions Yacht Club, the promoters of INRC, headed by young rally enthusiast Vamsi Merla, has already roped in Yokohama Tyres, who are fielding defending champion Chethan Shivaram and also announced a slew of benefits for woman teams by organising clubs waiving off entry fee to all women and their teams. Merla also promised to make transport arrangements for taking the cars to the venue at subsidised rates and accommodation is being provided free for all the participants beginning with the first two rounds at Itanagar, where the Government of Arunachal Pradesh and the Tourism Department of the State are also roped in by CYC.
Christened as ‘Team Vasundhara’ the two lady drivers will take part in INRC 3 class in a rally-spec Volkswagen Polo 1.6 shod with MRF Tyres.
Mrs. Vasundhara, who started the journey 22 years back, was the first women jeweller in entire South Asia and the idea behind promoting women in motorsports is in line with their company’s ethos of `women empowerment’ in all walks of life.
“A woman team owner, coming forward to promote and empower an all-woman team is a huge moment for Indian motorsports and a first time in Indian Rallying. As a promoter we have always strived for more women participation as part of the `Women in Motorsport’ concept introduced by FIA and FMSCI, and this association is seriously a stepping stone towards bringing in more women enthusiasts into motorsports,” Vamcy Merla, promoter of INRC and director of Champions Yacht Club said.
“Being a woman, my mother had to overcome many tough hurdles and challenges to make for herself. Our brand is all about woman empowerment as that is a personal journey for me. So keeping up the motto, we want to promote and empower women in all walks of life. We are pleased to have this opportunity to be part of an all-woman’s team and are glad to have been able to convince Bani (Yadav), a legend in her own right and Bengaluru youngster Pragathi (Gowda),” said Ashish, Director of Operation, Vasundhara Diamond Roof.
After the North-East round in scenic settings, INRC 2020 will move to Southern India with three rounds in Coimbatore, Hampi and the season-finale will be held in Bengaluru, with the iconic K-1000 as the last stop.
Began in 1988 as a National Championship, INRC the flagship event of Indian Motorsports will have five rounds in the depleted 2020-calendar, due to the Corona Virus, and will extend to two more months in 2021. The 33rd year of INRC will also see Hampi, the famous tourist spot in Karnataka, as a new venue to host INRC. The Hampi round will be in between the two Southern Cities once the venue is inspected and approved by the Federation, which looks like a formality as a non-championship curtain-raiser was run last year successfully. Champions Yacht Club who bagged the rights to promote the National Championship will be in-charge of INRC for two more years, with the Federation extending all championship rights for an extra year due to the disruption of regular events, by the pandemic this year.
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Organisers must waive-off entry fee for women, to host INRC round: Vamsi Merla
Bengaluru, 2 Sept 2020: Due to the global race against Corona Virus, which affected both national and international motorsports for over five months, the Indian National Rally Championship, too, was postponed after the lockdown was announced in India.
With the country taking measures to bring back normalcy in the sporting arena along with activities in other walks of life, the Indian government announced Unlock 4.0 and the motorsports fraternity is eagerly waiting for the action to begin. International motorsports, including Formula 1 and MotoGP, have started with tight measures to beat Corona and India too, is expected to resume the events amidst the necessary precautions due to the pandemic.
Vamsi Merla of Champions Yacht Group, the INRC Promoters And the first to respond is the Champions Yacht Club, the promoters of Indian National Rally Championship, the flagship event of Indian Motorsports. The calendar for 2020, was expected to begin with the South India Rally in Chennai but it was the first event to get boxed by the lockdown. The Promoters are eager to announce a seven-round calendar once the go-ahead is given by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). As announced earlier, the Champions Yacht Club is keen to promote ‘Women in Motorsports (WIM)’ and is offering to waive-off the entry fee for all women participants for the Rally rounds apart from providing a slew of incentives for the drivers and teams to promote rallying. “We have written to the Federation to waive the entry fee for female drivers but it looks like the decision has to be taken by the organising club. So Champions Yacht Club has decided to give hosting rights of a rally round only to those clubs who are willing to waive-off the fee,” said Vamsi Merla, the promoter. “So even a male driver with a female navigator will also get a waiver of the entry fee as the team has a female participant,” he clarified.
He also promised that the accommodation for all the participants would be provided free by the Promoters and arrangements will be made taking strict precautions to beat the Virus. “We have put in place measures to tackle the current situation. Social distancing norms and masks are made compulsory along with checking of temperature with thermal scanners, and sanitisers would be provided at all necessary entry points and other places. All large gatherings will be prohibited,” added Merla.
“Rally championship holds a special place in Indian motorsports and over the years, in its 31-year history, INRC has thrown up many champions and the Promoters are keen to encourage newcomers and young talent by providing the necessary facilities to continue the tradition of making champioins,” he added.
When queried how seven rounds could be possible with only four months available, he said that back-to-back rounds were being planned and permission is being sought to extend the calendar for two months into Feb 2021. “Also five clubs have already agreed to waive the fee and promote women participation. So the confirmed rounds are South India Rally in Chennai, K1000 in Bengaluru, Hampi, also in Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh and Coimbatore,” Vamsi Merla revealed. The calendar will be announced soon.
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We want to send talented drivers for ERC, says Vamsi Merla
Bangalore, 12 June 2020: The Champions Group has started providing free rally training sessions in Mysore for drivers who are newcomers, and novice lady drivers to promote `Women in Motorsports’, according to Vamsi Merla of Champions Yacht Club (CYC), the Promoters of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for 2020.
The training sessions for the newcomers are being undertaken by ace rally driver and Autocross champion Den Thimmaiah and all the infrastructure including the rally-prepared cars are being provided by the Promoters. “Soon we will rope in other senior drivers to take the training sessions. Last year, the drivers trained by Gaurav Gill have done admirably during the season and we want to continue to nurture these young and talented drivers,” he added.
“We will be training the drivers in basics of rallying but important tips like how to nurture the car are being given prominence,” said Den Thimmaiah, former INRC round winner in his class.
The Promoters, who are into their second year, are getting ready for the Rally season which was affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. “All the preparations are going on and we are ready from our side and even the organisers of the individual rounds are ready and we are expecting the season to begin in September. If all goes well, the first round will begin with the South India Rally in Chennai,” said Vamsi, the Director of the Champions Yacht Club. However, he cautioned, “I am very eager to start immediately. But it is better not to start if we are putting the drivers at risk. For me, the drivers are very important.”
Vamsi Merla of Champions Yacht Group, the INRC Promoters The promoters have made sincere efforts to not only sponsor many drivers from Team Champions’ side but have also supported many other drivers by getting sponsorships, at least in part, from different corporate houses, and one prominent name is JK Tyres. They have also announced free entry and support in the form of tyres and free transportation of the cars for all woman rally drivers.
In one of his rare interviews to `Indian Motoring’ on Instagram recently, Vamsi Merla revealed how he took to the sport. “I always loved speed and occasionally used to enjoy and do speed drives on the Nice road near Bangalore. Once, a gentleman stopped me and said: `If you have talent go and race on race tracks but don’t play with your life.’ That has changed my life and after that I took part in rallies where I noticed the scenario in INRC and realised that talented and skilled drivers are not able to continue rallying for want of sponsors. That is when I started Team Champions.”
Talking about sponsors, he said that big Corporates like Accenture support F1 but not the local motorsports or the local drivers. “So I thought let’s start something and then I thought everybody will join me. It is actually, not me. Everybody should join to support Indian Motorsports,” he said. Talking about the Director of Champions Group, he said: “Mr Shubakara Rao went to a large extent. But how far can he stretch his limit. I too want to support everyone. My mind tells me support all these drivers but my resources tell me, you can only do this much,” he lamented.
Asked about the tyre giants, Vamsi praised both MRF and JK Tyres, saying that both of them have supported Motorsports from the very beginning. “They are the lifeline of the sport. But what I have seen in the commitment and dedication. I have never in my life seen such committed people in their companies. It is because of such dedicated employees, the companies are doing well. Whether it is Sanjay Sharma or Hari Singh of JK Tyres, or Madhusudhan or Murali of MRF. These are the names that come to my mind immediately but it is such sincere stalwarts who put their companies above their own families that keep the ball rolling. I am pleasantly surprised to see such dedication,” he said.
Vamsi promoted a concept of rallying, similar to that of a league where Indian States can support rally teams. “I am approaching different State Governments. Like, if each State promotes two drivers and two cars, it is not much of a burden. AP Tourism, Karnataka Tourism and others should chip in. Goa Tourism and North East, have already supported some rallies in the past. I will get the support from the Telugu States and I need friends in other States to talk to the governments,” he put forth an idea.
In reply to a query, he said that the promoters are supporting drivers from all zones in the country and he named some youngsters who are doing well like Arjun Rao, Fabid Arakkal, Aditya Thakur and Mohamad Kaif from Bhopal. “Off the cuff, these names come to my mind and I have missed some names. But these are talented ones and if nurtured properly, they can go a long way,” he felt.
Finally, talking about talented drivers he said that they should be promoted abroad. “At the end of the day, it is not just rallying in India. I want to support and get sponsors too, so that our talented drivers can go abroad and take part in bigger events. Once they get laurels for the country, I will be proud. I wanted to start with the European Rally Championship but due to COVID situation, we had put if off for now,” he concluded.
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Top Indian drivers to display skills at Indian National Autocross Finals
Gautam Shantappa, Chief Safety Officer speaking to the media recently at a Press Conference in Vijayawada. Former National champion and veteran administrator of Coffee Day Rally fame Farooque Ahmed (right) and ace Indian rallyist Phalguna Urs (2nd from right) are also seen. Vijayawada, 10 Jan 2020: The cream of motorsport talent from across the country will showcase their talent in the Champions Yacht Club Indian National Autocross Championship Finals 2019 which will be held at Pavithra Sangamam, near Ibrahimpatnam, about 25km from here on the Vijayawada-Hyderabad highway, on Saturday. The 2019 National Championship is approved by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India to spill over into 2020 and is being organised with the Technical Support of Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur.
The Nationals will be supported by the Race of Titans where all the top guns in the country are expected to vie for honours on Sunday. INRC champions Chetan Shivram, Dilip Sharan, Dean Mascarenhas, Younus Ilyas, Dhruv Chandrasekhar and Bikku Babu are expected to take part.
The top-4 finalists in the nine classes held across the country in the five regional championships in 2019 will vie for the grand finals. “Champions Yacht Club has made unprecedented preparations providing competitors a slew of benefits including free entry fee, free transportation of cars and accommodation,’’ said Gautam Shantappa, one of the top F1 Marshals in the country and the Chief Safety Officer for the event.
“It is the endeavour of the Champions Group to dig out Champions in every region and as such we are bringing a National-level prestigious championship for the first time to Vijayawada. All safety aspects are taken care of. Ambulances and fire vehicles will be in place. All are invited to attend the top-class event as many of the champions in the country will be taking part,’’ said Vamsi Merla, the head of Champion Yacht Club, the promoters of Indian National Rally Championship, who have also accepted to organise the INAC Finals this year.
The Championship began with the West Zone qualifying round in Thane on the dirt tracks on October 18 and 19 with the North Zone round happening a day later on October 19 and 20 at Delhi on Tarmac surface. The South Zone was held at Bengaluru on gravel from Novemeber 8 to 10 while Mumbai conducted the second round of West Zone from Nov 29 to Dec 1 on tarmac and the Chandigarh North Zone was held on gravel on Dec 6 and 7. The Haldia Autocross 2019 was the East Zone Qualifier-1 and the proposed round in north-east was not held.
Abhijit Pai of Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur (MSCC) will be Clerk of the Course, the sporting director who will conduct the event looking after all the technical and sporting regulations while he will be assisted by an experienced MSCC team. Nishanth Bendict is the Secretary of the Meet and Samrud Pai will be coordinating the drivers as the Competitor Relations Officer. Dilip Kumar will be the event coordinator.
The finals will start at 8am on Saturday while the scrutiny and documentation will be on Friday. The prize distribution is scheduled for 5pm on Sunday. A prize money of around Rs.2 lakhs will be on offer and the gates are open. However, the VIP tickets for Rs.2000 and Rs.5,000 (with lunch) can be purchased at bookmyshow.
The following classes are open to vehicles manufactured in India:
Group A – Stock
Class 1 Stock : 2-wheel drive | up to 1650 cc
Class 2 Stock : 2-wheel drive | above 1651 cc
Group B – Modified
Class 3 Stock : 2-wheel drive | upto 1400 cc
Class 4 Open : 2-wheel drive | upto 1650 cc
Class 5 Open : 2-wheel drive | above 1651 cc
Group C – Unrestricted
Class 6 Open : 2-wheel drive | upto 1650 cc
Class 7: 2-wheel drive | above 1651 cc
Group D – Unrestricted
Class 8: 4-wheel drive cars/SUVs | Open
Group E – Stock
Class 9: Ladies Open
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Champions Yacht Club brings big time motorsports to Vijayawada: INAC finals
File photo of Mysore Autocross 2019 for representational purpose courtesy Keshava Murthy By Jayaram Sridhar
Vijayawada (AP), 30 Dec 2019: Big time motorsport is all set to enter Vijayawada as the finals of the Indian National Autocross Championship (INAC) will be held at Pavithra Sanghamam from January 10 to 12 in which as many as 64 cars are participating, according to Merla Vamsi of Champions Yacht Club, which is organizing the event.
Speaking at the pre-event press conference, he said the motor racing will be held at the 2-km track laid at the parking area of Pavithra Sanghamam in which around 10 to 12 curves would be designed for the cars to tackle. “Top racers like Gaurav Gill, Dean Mascarenhas and other top Indian drivers will set the track ablaze,” he added.
“The driver eligibility for the INAC final was based on the performance in the four regional rounds – South Zone, West Zone, North Zone and East Zone. Run under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), Auatocross is an entry point for many budding drivers to kick-start a career in motorsports. The championship is based on a point system”.
He said the cars will be allowed to drive a distance of 200 metres at a single stretch before they prepare to tackle a curve. “Two cars will take the track simultaneously with a speed limit of 80 kmph”.
Vamsi said efforts were on spruce up galleries for 10,000 spectators. “The galleries will be properly barricaded and it will be spruced up 30 feet away from the track. We are taking all precautionary steps for the safe conduct of the event which will witness several nail-biting finishes,” said senior rally driver Phalguna Urs, who is in charge of the team that designed the track.
“Ambulances, fire tenders and hospital backup and all safety arrangements for the event are in place,” he added.
Vamsi said the cars will enter the city on the trailers and would go through various safety checks and official scrutiny before they are allowed to hit the track.
“It is a good opportunity for the motorsport enthusiasts to witness the race and it is held for the first time in Vijayawada. After Amaravati F1H2O Power Boat racing championship in 2018, this is the biggest sporting event to be held in Vijayawada”.
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Chetan Shivaram-Dilip Sharan thwart pressure from Dr Bikku Babu-Milen to win K1000 Rally
Chetan Shivram (left) and Dilip Sharan on the podium after winning the K1000 rally, the 4th Round of Champiojns Yacht Club INRC 2019 in Bengaluru on Sunday. INDIAinF1 photo Bengaluru, 24 Nov 2019: Gaurav Gill, Dean Mascarenhas, Karna Kadur, Fabid Ahmer… the top drivers, stalwarts, experienced veterans, talented seniors and upcoming youngsters… many of them bit the dust. The unforgiving terrain of Khoday’s Special Stages saw that only 23 of the 50 cars finished the 44th edition of the K1000 rally, which was run entirely on a private property after many years, with special focus on spectator safety.
In the SUV Challenge, Gagan Karumbaiah (co-driver Thimmu Uddapanda) of Team Champions took the first place to virtually seal the 2019 title.
File photo of Chetan Shivram. @FB Coimbatore round winners, Chetan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan of Team Akshara won the fourth round of the Indian National Rally Championship after thwarting sustained pressure from Dr Bikku Babu and Milen George of Team Champions, and took the overall win by 12.7 seconds and also topped their class INRC3. The Doctor from Kerala had to be content with the overall second place but topped INRC2 and Team Mahindra Adventure’s second entry Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik were overall third, a good three minutes and 27 seconds behind, but were rewarded for finishing the rally with the top prize in the top class, the INRC. Chetan Shivaram took the overall lead in the Championship replacing Fabid Ahmer, with one round remaining, the Popular Rally in Kerala.
Mujeeb Rahman (left) and Goutham, INRC4 winners Motoring stalwart and speed demon Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif, too, had a disappointing outing as he failed to take the start on Sunday and other pre-event favourites Dean Mascarenhas and Shruptha Padival (SS6), and Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pai (SS5) failed to finish the day along with championship leaders Fabid Ahmer and Sanath Gopalan (SS7).
After the shock exit of Gaurav Gill, order seemed to have been restored, with another JK favourite Dean Mascarenhas winning SS5. But he promptly fell in the next stage, leaving the field for Championship leader Fabid Ahmer. But the MRF driver, who was nursing his car carefully, suffered a mechanical failure in SS7 and tumbled out. “What looked like a promising result ended up with broken tie-rod end! Had to stop in SS7 when running 3rd Overall and 2nd in INRC3. We will bounce back at our home rally in Kerala,” quipped Fabid Ahmer.
“The top guns may not have fired today but we couldn’t have hoped for a more thrilling finish. It was good to see so many of the INRC 2 and 3 teams making a mark here, ahead of the known champions,” Hema Malini Nidamanuri, co-promoter of the INRC, said.
SUV winners of K1000 on 24 Nov 2019. (INDIAinF1 publishes other class winners’ photos as they usually get buried in mainstream media. We encourage drivers to send their winning photos to INDIAinF1@gmail.com) Photo: Prabhu Kethanur Dr Bikku Babu and Melen George, winners of INRC2 at K1000 on Sunday. Photo: FB Chethan Shivaram in action at K1000. Photo by Prabhu Kethanoor Fabid Ahmer and Sanath G stall in Special Stage 7 due to tie-rod failure on Sunday. @Fabid on FB File photo of Team Akshara. Courtesy: FB @ChetanShivram Final Provisional Unaudited Results:
Overall: 1. Chetan Shivaram/ Dilip Sharan (Akshara Racing) (1hour, 47minutes, 37.200seconds); 2. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George (Team Champions) (1:47:49.900); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) (1:51.04.300).
INRC: 1. Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) (1:51.04.300); 2. Phalguna Urs/ Chandramouli M (Sanp Racing) (1:53:00.500). (only two cars finished out of six)
INRC2: 1. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George (Team Champions) (1:47:49.900); 2. Sahil Khanna/ Rajit Kadian (Snap Racing) (1:52:00.200); 3. Younus Ilyas/Harish Gowda (Race Concepts) (4:50:24.200).
INRC3: 1. Chetan Shivaram/ Dilip Sharan (Akshara Racing) (1:47:37.200); 2. Jacob KJ/ Murthy PVS (Arka Motorsports) (1:53.35.600); 2. Pradeep Kumar/Ahammad Ansary (Pipe & Pipe) (2:19:58.000).
INRC4: 1. Mujeeb Rahaman/ Gautham CP (Privateers) (1:55:17.900); 2. Shirole Prakhyat H/ Bharath SM (Pvt) (1:57:16.300); 3.Satish Peddineni/ Vinay Kumar PM (Team Champions) (2:33:19.500).
FMSCI SUV Challenge: 1. Gagan Karumbaiah/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Team Champions) (2:47:46.800); 2. Thomas Kuncheria M/ Dwarakanath Sudarshan (Pvt.) (2:13:41.200); 3. Sanjay Agarwal/ Smitha N (Team Champions) (5:03:17.100).
(Note: Results were revised after confirmation from official version at 6.15pm.)
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Gaurav Gill takes lead in K1000; 24 of the 50 cars that took the start suffer casualties
Gaurav Gill leads K1000 at the end of Day 1 in Bengaluru on Saturday. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger Bengaluru, 23 Nov 2019: Speed Maestro Gaurav Gill touched his wonted form, making an immediate impact as he returned to rallying, by speeding to the first-Special Stage win of the popular K1000 rally, the fourth leg of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) at the Khoday’s stages in Amruthnagar, about 20km, near here, on Saturday. But the champion driver was forced to pay attention and drive with caution as the tough stages took a toll on many an experienced driver during the four stages run on Day 1. Still Gill won two of the four stages but displayed controlled aggression and went steady in the other two.
Of the 50 cars that took the flag at the ceremonial start on Friday, 24 cars suffered casualities on Day 1 in the demanding and treacherous dirt stages but five cars out of them will not be able to start the final day of the 44th K1000 Rally, promoted by Champions Yacht Club under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). Only 45 cars will take the start on Sunday.
The Arjuna Awardee and three-time Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner, Gill, dashed with vengeance taking the 18.5km stage in 13min, 43.6sec, the only driver on the day to go under 14-min mark on Special Stage 1. The five-time INRC champion in JK Tyre colours, was followed by talented Karna Kadur, who took 29 seconds more behind him, but kept the pressure on Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) to finish the day in second place. Karna Kadur and navigator Nikhil Pai, of Arka Motorsports, won Special Stage 4 to reduce the deficit and will be gunning for maximum points. Then, it was Dr Bikku Babu who sprang a surprise. Watch Prabhu Kethanoor’s 8-sec Video of Karna Kadur here…
But it was Dr Bikku Babu and Milen George, who won SS2. The doctor from Kerala, who was involved in reviving the Popular rally along with his team, pelted to take a stunning win and Karna despite losing time and finishing 7th in this stage came back and took the second place behind Gill and Musa Sherif in SS3 and went on to win SS4 to make up enough time and stand second, behind Gill, the Delhi-based master of speed.
Overall leader before the start of this round, Fabid Ahmer, driving a Volkswagen Polo, with partial sponsorship from MRF tyres, opted for the smart option, driving steadily in each of the four stages, with the finishing post in his mind. He was in the sixth position at the end of the day and could well go full throttle on the big day.
Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Sanath Gopal, of Team Champions, had their strategy of steady and clean driving as the track took a toll on man and machine on Saturday. Only Popular Rally is remaining in the calendar as the Coffee Day rally at Chikmagalur is likely to be cancelled for want of a sponsor. The Palakkad driver began with caution and was keen on completing the day and could only finish 8th in SS1 but reeled out consistent times and made sure he is safe. The duo was fifth in SS2 but again lost time in SS3 and SS4 finishing 7th and 8th respectively. But Dean Mascarenhas of Mangalore with Shruptha Padival as co-driver has finished the day in overall third and with only 7 points behind to Fabid’s 49, is likely to take the overall lead as INRC goes to Kerala for the last round. Dean has a lead of about 75 seconds to Fabid and will be looking to be cautious on the four stages to be run on Sunday.
Fabid and Sanath even fell behind brothers Chetan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan, who also compete in INRC3. The Bengaluru brothers are in 5th place at the end of the day. Chetan managed to take the 6th place in the first stage and put in some consistent time finishing 3rd in both SS2 and SS3 and clocked fourth best time in SS4 to finish overall 5th after four stages.
Mangaluru boy Dean Mascarenhas in action finishing Day 1 in second place in the K1000 at Bengaluru on Saturday. An INDIAinF1 image Dean, meanwhile, continued to hold sway in the INRC2 category, although he had Dr Bikku Babu and co-driver Milen George, breathing down his neck, only 9.8 seconds behind. The good doctor was the clear surprise package of the day, going past the winning post in SS2; he even left Gill in his wake in SS4, taking the second place to Gill’s third, and claimed the fifth position in SS3 and the 6th in SS1 to boast of the best show of the day. Shahil Khanna and Rajit Kadian are placed third in INRC2.
However, all eyes will be on Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pail. The Arka Motorsports duo, who had two disappointing rounds at Chennai and Coimbatore, showed their mettle to take the overall second position behind Gill and also in the INRC class. Karna showed glimpses of his talent and won SS4 with an impressive timing of 12:24.200. The technically sound driver could be a major threat on Sunday if he can control his speed and manage the tough terrain. They are also second in the INRC class behind Gill and are followed by Phalguna Urs and Chandramouli M, who recovered from a bad crash in Jodhpur.
The INRC 4 class, saw Vaibhav Marate suffering a setback, withdrawing from the first stage itself after a mechanical problem. He should, however, be back in action on Sunday to put his title aspirations back on track, gunning for stage points. In his absence, Mujeeb Rahman and co-driver Gautham CP, privateers on a Honda City took the top position on Day 1. Shirole Prakhyat and Bharath SM, on a Honda City VTech are second, followed by Karthik Arumugam and Lenin Jose in third place.
Thomas Kuncheria M and co-driver Dwarakanth Sudarshan brought their Maruti Gypsy to the top in the SUV Challenge class. Leaders Gagan Karumbaiah and Thimmu Uddapanda are trailing in second place and will be gunning for the final shot on Sunday to take back the lead. K Shivakumar Reddy and Dheeraj KV, also in a Gypsy, are place third with four more Special Stages to be run on Sunday.
“It was an exciting day, opening up the championship in this penultimate round,” Hema Malini Nidamanuri, co-promoter of the rally, said. “We got to see some amazing driving and I am sure it’s going to be even more fun on Sunday,” she added.
Satyapal, communication head, briefing the team at K1000 on Saturday. Photo Moto Port SeenaProvisional Unaudited Results after Leg 1 (Day 1):
Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) (52minutes; 58.200seconds); 2. Karna Kadur/ Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (53:47.800); 3. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shruptha Padival (Privateers) (54:14.300).
INRC: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) (52minutes; 58.200seconds); 2. Karna Kadur/ Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (53:47.800); 3. Phalguna Urs/ Chandramouili M (Snap Racing) (55:37.800).
INRC2: 1. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shruptha Padival (Privateers) (54:14.300); 2. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George (Team Champions) 54:27.100; 3. Sahil Khanna/ Rajit Kadian (Snap Racing) (56:05.800).
INRC3: 1. Chetan Shivaram/ Dilip Sharan (Akshara Racing) (54:28.500); 2. Fabid Ahmer/ Sanath G (Team Champions) (55:32.900); 3. Pradeep Kumar/ Ahammad Ansary (Pipes & Pipes) (56:17.400).
INRC4: 1. Mujeeb Rahaman/ Gautham CP (Privateers) (58:56.100); 2. Shirole Prakhyat H/ Bharath SM (Pvt) (59:11.500); 3.Karthik Arumugam/ Lenin Jose (Pvt) (1:02:11.400).
FMSCI SUV Challenge: 1. Thomas Kuncheria M/ Dwarakanath Sudarshan (Pvt.) (1:07:09.700); 2. Gagan Karumbaiah/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Team Champions) (1:13:36.800); 3. K Shivakumar Reddy/ Dhiraj KV (Pvt.) (3:03:01.800).
Note: The report was edited and results added at 10.45 pm
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Fabid Ahmer ready to sustain momentum at K1000; Gaurav Gill back on track
Documentation by the drivers on Thursday at Resort Area83, the Rally HQ2 for K1000. By David Bodapati
Bangalore, 22 Nov 2019: Overall championship leader Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Sanath Gopalan, from Kerala, are raring to go and are eager to reinforce their lead in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) as the 44th edition of the popular K1000 Rally begins here on Saturday.
The rally attracted a record number of 55 entries with the number 13 left out of the lot, with no stickering done due to the supposed bad-omen it brings. About 49 cars took the start at the Ceremonial Start on Friday.
However, Team Champions’ Fabid and Sanath duo, who got their Volkswagen Polo tyres sponsored by MRF, will face stiff competition from rival JK Tyre-supported Dean Mascarenhas and Shruptha Padival, the winners of the season opener in Chennai, also in a VW Polo. But both the pairs will be wary of speed maestro Gaurav Gill, who will be rallying after a gap of two months, after the unfortunate incident in Jodhpur.
The Mahindra Adventure team’s Gill, navigated by veteran Musa Sherif, stated that he put the `tragedy’ behind him and was eager to get back on wheels in the WRC2 in Australia, but the rally was cancelled due to bush fires and the multiple-Indian National champion lost a chance to get back into the groove. But the three-time Asia Pacific Rally Champion want to be back in full force and it would be a pleasure to see him ease into his own gracious self, thrilling the crowds with speeds, only he can churn out. “I have always enjoyed driving here in the K-1000. I am really looking forward to go out there and enjoying myself. Hopefully, things will turn in my favour this weekend,” said Gill who is currently fifth in the championship along with Musa Sherif.
Karna Kadur and co-driver Nikhil Pai, are always a threat to any team in K1000, and Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik, the second team of Mahindra Adventure, will also be looking to make amends for a late-season splash. Rahul Kantharaj and Vivek Bhatt, in INRC2 and brothers Chethan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan winners of the Coimbatore rally will be the others to watch out for. The other INRC2 pair of Dr Bikku Babu and Milen George can spring a surprise, or two.
Gaurav Gill at the Ceremonial Start at the Uru Brewpark in Amruthnagar, on Friday. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger Champions Yacht Club promoted National Championship, under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) will enter its final stretch, with its Round 4, the K-1000 Rally at a private property in the Garden City. The premier rally organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club is one of the oldest rallies in the country but after a chequered run, the previous promoters, RRPM, denied K1000 a round in the 2019 National Championship, after many successful decades of running.
The final round, the Coffee Day Rally at Chikmagalur is a doubtful starter with the Coffee Day said to be withdrawing the full sponsorship support after the death of its founder Siddharth but the postponed Popular Rally is likely to be held in December or January. The Popular Rally was put off due to a PIL filed in a Kerala court but the court refused to stop the rally.
Along with Fabid Ahmer, INRC4 topper Vaibhav Marate from Goa along with co-driver Arjun, too would get the support from MRF. Both of them are comfortably placed in their categories and look poised to end the year on a high note. Fabid and Sanath, representing Team Champions are also leading INRC 3 class and have a unique style of driving that can be smooth and graceful. Fabid and Sanath, are also leading the Junior INRC class.
The Mangalore pair of Dean and Shruptha are leading the INRC2 class with 65 points followed by another JK stablemate, Younus Ilyas (42 points).
“We have a very strong field of 55 teams in this round too, creating a record in itself,” Vamsi Merla, the promoter of INRC, said. “Every category is very closely contested, with the backing of two very strong supporters. This is what motorsport is all about,” he added.
The rally will have a Special Stage distance of 125km split into two legs. Leg one on Saturday with six Special Stages will run for a distance of 75km while the leg 2 on Sunday will have 50km distance. There are two physical stages, Khoday’s Lakes and Khoday’s Woods. The rally is run completely in private property, in the Resort Area83 and partly in Khoday’s property. The Lakes stage is 18.5km and Woods stage is 6.5km. Both the stages will be run thrice in the same direction on Saturday and twice in reverse direction on Sunday. Fortunately, the liaison distance will be one of the shortest in the recent times with the drivers taking only 13.8km in transport distance. It is a pity that the crowd favourite stage, the Super Special Stage is done away with, this year.
(Note added on Nov 24: Despite SR on FMSCI (on Nov 22) saying six stages on Day1, only four were run in the actual rally.)
The Rally offers a prize money of Rs.1 lakh for the top three classes and Rs.75,000 for INRC4, and Rs.40,000 for SUV class. Rally teaser!
A new clause is added in the Supplementary Regulations, in hind sight, for “Accident Reporting’’: If a driver taking part in a rally is involved in an accident in which a member of the public sustains physical injury, the driver concerned must report this to the next radio point as specified in the road book and signposted on the route according to Article 3.3.3 of the GP’s. If he fails to observe this rule, the Stewards may impose on the crew responsible, a penalty which may go as far as disqualification. The laws of the country must also be complied with in relation to procedures at accidents.
POINTS TABLE after 3 rounds: INRC: 1. Fabid Ahmed & Sanath G 49 points; 2. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 42 points; 3. Chetan Shivram & Dilip Sharan 40 pts.
INRC 2: 1. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 65 points; 2. Younus Ilyas & Harish Gowda 42 points; 3. Vinoth G Kumar & Krishna Charan Dasari 35 points.
INRC 3: 1. Fabid Ahmed & Sanath G 69 points; 2. Chetan Shivram & Dilip Sharan 45 points; 3. Arjun Rao & Rajit Kadian 30 points
INRC 4: 1. Vaibhav Marate & Arjun SSB 74 points; 2. Rakshith Iyer & Chadrashekar 58 points; 3. Suraj Thomas & Shob George 41 points.
SUV Challenge: 1. Gagan Karumbaiah & Thimmu Uddapanda 78 points; 2. Sanjay Agarwal & Smitha N 60 points; 3. Nikhil J & Arjun Dheerendra 49 points.
