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Gaurav Gill wins Popular Rally in Kochi to bag his sixth INRC title
The 2018 MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship winners Gaurav Gill, left, with his trusted navigator Musa Sherif, in Kochi Sunday. An INDIAinF1 image Kochi, 16 Dec 2018: Speed maestro Gaurav Gill was at his fast and furious best as he drove a matured race on the broken tarmac in the picturesque plantations of Kerala to conquer his sixth Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) title here on Sunday.
Gill who won his first INRC in 2007 and added more titles in 2009, 2011 when the rallies were professionally organised by late Bharat Raj of KMSC along with Annabelle on the IMG and PSP banner, before winning the 2014 and 2017 titles.
The three-time APRC champion was at his imperious best along with his long-time co-driver Musa Sherif, winning seven stages in the Popular Rally, the fifth and final round of the MRF FMSCI INRC 2018, to win the title.
One would look for a Gill, who goes for an aggressive start and wins all the stages with the impeccable record! The very fact that he let go a couple of stages and allowed his speeding mind to be controlled, is a sign of maturity which he has been displaying for quite some time now. In Chikkamagaluru, the previous round, too, he did not quite get the applause that was usually reserved for him for many years past, in the Super Special Stage. But now he is no more the showman! The Gaurav Gill you see as a pilot in the world Rally Championship is a matured magician! There may not be any pleasing visible drifts or dashing straights in the short Indian stages, but he cleverly knocks off several seconds from his rivals with clean lines and judicious driving. He was the best, but there was nothing much to fly around in the dust anymore! Sheer speeds, best times!
Earlier, many a time, he lost Championships and Titles, within a few metres off the finish. Take for example the two SSS casualties in 2010 which cost him the title. Those Nashik days are beyond him now.
Going into this iconic rally in the scenic backdrop of Kerala on equal terms with teammate Amittrajit Ghosh (official table credits Gill with a one-point lead at 62) Ghosh’s 61), who had never been any match, the Master sealed the issue with a comfortable drive.
Gill began slowly, finishing second in the first two stages before he came into his own. Guided by local boy Musa, he quickly got a feel of the terrain and unleashed his magic to win the next five stages with convincing authority. It was controlled aggression at display.
“It was a difficult year for us, especially towards the end due to mechanical issues which were beyond our control,” Gill was humble in his victory. “Kochi was the most difficult, with narrow roads which were fast and had broken tarmac too. We had to push extra hard to stay ahead of the others,” he added.
Amittrajit Ghosh, who had jumped into the championship lead after Gill had a mechanical failure in Arunachal Pradesh, never really had any chance due to the N-1 rule which allows the competitors to discard one round. Ghosh, along with Ashwin Naik, just couldn’t manage the win that would have mattered.
Here in Kochi, the Kolkata driver was beaten by a couple of other drivers from lower classes. It was, however, good enough to give him the second position in the overall championship.
“It was a great year for us compared to last season. The championship just gets more and more competitive, which is great for the sport,” Amittrajit said. “The beginning of the season was really good but we hit issues from Chikmagalur and were really hit by the lack of pre-event testing and wrong set up choices in Kochi,” he said.
INRC 2 competitor, Arka Motorsports’ Karna Kadur with co-driver Nikhil V Pai finished third to take the third place behind the Mahindra Adventure duo in the championship.
Kadur, however, had the consolation of winning the INRC 2 title which he had wrapped up in the previous round itself along with Nikhil Pai.
POPULAR RALLY RESULTS –
OVERALL – INRC
1 Gaurav Gill | Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure; 01:29:58.9)
2 Younus Ilyas | Harish KN (Race Concepts Motorsport; 01:30:33.1)
3 Karna Kadur | Nikhil V Pai (Arka Motorsports; 01:30:54.4)
INRC 1
1 Gaurav Gill | Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure; 01:29:58.9)
2 Sirish Chandran | A A Ragnekar (Privateers; 01:31:17.1)
3 Amittrajit Ghosh | Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure; 01:31:51.6)
INRC 2
1 Younus Ilyas | Harish KN (Race Concepts Motorsport; 01:30:33.1)
2 Karna Kadur | Nikhil Vittal Pai (Arka Motorsports; 01:30:54.4)
3 Phalguna Urs | Srikanth GM (Snap Racing; 01:33:00.4)
INRC 3
1 Dean Mascarenhas | Shruptha Padival (Team Champions; 01:33:07.9)
2 Fabid Ahmer | Sanat G (Chettinad Sporting; 01:34:47.4)
3 Darius N Shroff | Shahid Salman (01:35:20.6)
FMSCI 2WD CUP
1 Vikram Gowda | Sudhundra B.G (Privateers; 01:39:08.9)
2 Suraj Thomas | Sob (Privateers; 01:40:57.8)
3 Lanusanen Pongener | Amrith (Privateers; 01:41:33.4)
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Team TVS Racing’s Jagan Kumar clinches 7th Natioinal title: Super Sport 165cc
Champions all: Anish Shetty, Sathyanaryana Raju, Jagan Kumar, Karthik Mateti and Ann Jennifer. Photos by Anand Philar Chennai, 16 Dec 2018: Nursing severe wrist pain, Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) managed to finish sixth in the concluding race, but the eight points he scored were sufficient for him to clinch his seventh National title even as Rajiv Sethu led a podium sweep for Honda Ten10 Racing as the curtains came down on the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2018 at the MMRT, here on Sunday.
Jagan, who had crashed heavily in the first race yesterday after making contact with team-mate Ahamed Arif, was unable to generate his usual pace and was content to pick up the points he required to seal the championship with 158 points. Ahead of him, Sethu was in a race of his own to win comfortably from team-mates Sarath Kumar and Mathana Kumar to finish second in the championship behind Jagan with 145 points. While Jagan ended the season with two wins, Sethu won four races, but two non-finishes in Round 3, cost him precious points. Mathana (130) ended up third in the championship in this category.
Earlier, Hyderabad’s Sathyanarayana Raju (Gusto Racing) rode a smart race and finish third to take the championship with 159 points in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category. Another Hyderabad rider, Rahil Pillarishetty (Sparks Racing) won from Prabhu Arnuagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah) who finished second in the championship with 147 points ahead of Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing, 142).
Karthik-Mateti-No.-72-from-Hyderabad-winner-of-the-Stock-165cc-race on Sunday. Karthik Mateti (Sparks Racing), a 19-year old Commerce student from Hyderabad, emerged champion in the Stock 165cc category by scoring his third win in five races to finish the season with 111 points, well clear of team-mate Aditya Rao Immaneni (70). Incidentally, 13-year old schoolboy from Chennai Kavin Samar Quintal (Team RACR), became the youngest rider this season to win championship points as he finished ninth.
In one of the closest-finishes of the season, Bengaluru-based Anish Damodara Shetty (Honda Ten10 Racing) pipped TVS Racing’s Kannan Subramaniam by three-thousandth of a second in the Pro-Stock 165cc race as the duo crossed the line locked together. Shetty had already sealed the championship in this category and ended his season on a successful note.
The results (Provisional):
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP (all 8 laps unless mentioned) – Super Sport 165cc (Race 2): 1. Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten10 Racing) (15mins, 41.626secs); 2. Sarath Kumar (Honda Ten10 Racing) (15:47.183); 3. Mathana Kumar (Honda Ten10 Racing) (15:47.683). Final rider standings: 1. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing, 158 points); 2. Rajiv Sethu (145); 3. Mathana Kumar (130). Team championship: TVS Racing. Manufacturer championship: TVS.
Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Race 2): 1. Rahil Pillarishetty (Sparks Racing) (15:29.004); 2. Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah) (15:29.197); 3. Sathyanarayana Raju (Gusto Racing India) (15:32.809). Final rider standings: 1. Sathyanarayana Raju (159 points); 2. Prabhu Arunagiri (147); 3. Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing, 142). Team championship: Gusto Racing. Manufacturer championship: KTM.
Pro-Stock 165cc (Race-2): 1. Anish Damodara Shetty (Honda Ten10 Racing) (16:12.523); 2. Kannan Subramaniam (TVS Racing) (16:12.520); 3. Anup Kumar (Team Alisha Abdullah) (16:14.942). Final rider standings: 1. Anish Damodara Shetty (181 points); 2. Kevin Kannan (Rockers Racing, 123); 3. Senthil Kumar (Honda Ten10 Racing, 118 points). Team championship: Honda Ten10 Racing. Manufacturer championship: Honda.
Stock 165cc (4 laps): Karthik Mateti (Sparks Racing) (08:41.788); 2. Venkatesan I (Pvt) (08:42.661); 3. Anand Rajendran (Pvt) (08:46.975). Final rider standings: 1. Karthik Mateti (111 points); 2. Aditya Rao Immaneni (Sparks Racing, 70); 3. Anand Rajendran (50). Team championship: Sparks Racing. Manufacturer championship: Yamaha.
ONE-MAKE CHAMPIONSHIP – Honda Talent Cup (CBR 250) Race-2: 1. Anish Damodara Shetty (Bengaluru) (16:36.267); 2. Abhishek Vasudev (Bengaluru) (16:36.474); 3.Aravind Balakrishnan (Chennai) (16:36.567). Final rider standings: 1. Abhishek Vasudev (171); 2. Anish Damodar Shetty (165); 3. Senthil Kumar (Chennai, 140).
CBR 150 (Race 2, 6 laps): 1. Mohamed Mikail (Chennai) (13:25.633); 2.Anandhu KK (Chennai) (13:27.569); 3. Varoon S (Chennai) (13:47.180). Race-3: 1. Mohamed Mikail (Chennai) (13:10.101); 2. Kritik Vasan Habib (Gadag) (13:14.564); 3. Anandhu KK (13:16.475). Final rider standings: 1. Mohamed Mikail (233 points); 2. Anandhu KK (151); 3. Kritik Vasan Habib (133).
TVS Girls (Race 2, 5 laps): 1. Ann Jennifer AS (Chennai) (11:57.962); 2. Ryhana Bee (Chennai) (12:02.281); Elakiya Lee (Chennai) (12:13.653). Final rider standings: 1. Ann Jennifer (111 points); 2. Ryhana Bee (104); 3. Elakiya Lee (52).
TVS Apache RR 310 Open (Race 2): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai) (15:32.651); 2. Kannan K (Chennai) (15:34.875); 3. Amarnath Menon K (Calicut) (15:34.881). Final rider standings: 1. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, 176 points); 2. Vivek Pillai (Chennai, 137); 3. Yashas RL (Bengaluru, 136.
Support event – Alisha Abdullah Inter-College Star Race (Race-3, 6 laps): 1. Mervin Kirani (Trichy) (12:47.854); R Vijay Shekar (Chennai) (13:12.758); 3. Reuben Rocky (Kochi) (13:33.948).
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Anish Shetty, Ann Jennifer emerge National champions
Chennai, 15 Dec 2018: On a day of drama, marked by crashes leading to unexpected turnarounds, Bengaluru’s Anish Damodara Shetty and local girl Ann Jennifer emerged champions in the Pro-Stock 165cc and Girls (Stock 165cc) categories, respectively, as the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship dished out edge-of-the-seat excitement at the MMRT, here on Saturday.
The penultimate day of the 2018 racing season saw Deepak Ravikumar of TVS Racing, running third in the last of the six laps, clinching his maiden win in the premier Super Sport 165cc class after championship leaders and his team-mates, Jagan Kumar and Ahamed Arif crashed out after coming together at Turn-1 on the third lap. Earlier in the race, pole-sitter Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten10 Racing) lost ground when the “clip-on” on the handlebar gave away in the second lap, but he still managed to finish third while team-mate Mathana Kumar got up from a fall, following contact with Sarath Kumar, also of Honda Ten10 Racing, two corners before the finish to come in second behind Ravikumar.
Despite the crash, Jagan, eyeing his seventh consecutive National title, continues to lead the championship with 148 points with Ahamed second (128), followed by Sethu (120) and Mathana Kumar (115) with the second and last race to be run tomorrow (Sunday).
Amidst all this action, Ann Jennifer was pushed to the limits by her Sparks Racing team-mate Ryhana Bee who even briefly led before yielding ground in the last lap. Jennifer thus clinched her fourth win in five races to seal the championship in her category.
Meanwhile, Anish Shetty, a techie and part-time gym trainer from Bengaluru, showed remarkable patience to win the Pro-Stock 165cc race by overtaking three front-runners on the last lap. It was 23-year old Shetty’s fourth win and took his tally to 156, way ahead of second-placed Kevin Kannan (Rockers Racing) who remained on 115 after crashing out in the race. Shetty, thus, pouched the championship in this category, with one more race to be run tomorrow.
Later, Hyderabad’s Satyanarayana Raju (Gusto Racing) won a tight race in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category to take a 14-point lead over team-mate Amarnath Menon in the championship stakes. Raju leads with 144 points to Menon’s 130 while Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah), who finished third in the race today despite starting from pole position, is on 129 going into Sunday’s race of the double-header. Another Hyderabad rider, Rahil Pillarishetty (Sparks Racing) came in second behind Raju in a close finish.
The results (Provisional – all six laps unless mentioned):
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP – Super Sport 165cc (Race-1): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing) (11mins, 54.648secs); 2. Mathana Kumar (Honda Ten10 Racing) (12:39.132); 3. Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten10 Racing) (13:07.859).
Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Race-1): 1. Sathyanarayana Raju (Gusto Racing India) (11:32.361); 2.Rahil PIllarishetty (Sparks Racing) (11:32.647); 3. Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah) (11:32.741).
Pro-Stock 165cc (Race-1): 1. Anish Damodara Shetty (Bengaluru) (12:13.060); 2. Anup Kumar (Team Alisha Abdullah) (12:14.279); 3. Kannan Subramaniam (TVS Racing) (12:14.662).
Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing) (11:19.207); 2. Ryhana Bee (Sparks Racing) (11:19.362); 3. Nivetha Kumar (Pvt) (11:38.435).
Stock 165cc (Heat-1, 5 laps): 1. Varun Sobhan (Speed Up Racing) (10:55.058); 2. Anand Rajendran (Pvt) (10:55.086); 3. Venkatesan I (Pvt) (10:55.270).
ONE-MAKE CHAMPIONSHIP – TVS Apache RR 310 (Race-1): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai) (11:44.741); 2. Peddu Sriharsha (Hyderabad) (11:46.800); 3. Amarnath Menon (Kozhikode) (11:46.961).
TVS 200 (Novice, Race-1): 1. Karthik Mateti (Hyderabad) (13:54.912); 2. Anand Rajendran (Chennai) (13:56.833); 3. Alexander AS (Chennai) (13:57.024). Race-2: 1.Anand Rajendran (Chennai) 13:56.527; 2. Alexander AS (Chennai) (14:07.923); 3.Anish Samson (Bengaluru) (14:11.845).
TVS Girls (Race-1): 1. Ann Jenifer AS (Chennai) (11:55.791); 2. Ryhana Bee (Chennai) (12:01.809); 3. Elakiya R (Chennai) (12:25.938).
Honda Talent Cup – CBR 250 (Race-1, 6 laps): 1. Abhishek Vasudev (Bengaluru) (12:22.261); 2. Anish Damodara Shetty (Hubballi) (12:22.641); 3. Aravind Balakrishnan (Chennai) (12:29.805). CBR 150 (Novice, Race-1): 1. Mohamed Mikail (Chennai) (13:06.889); 2. Kritik Vasant Habib (Gadag) (13:14.110); 3. Anandhu KK (Chennai) (13:15.080).
Support Event – Alisha Abdullah Inter-College Star Race (Race-1): 1. David Ryan (Chennai) (12:41.492); 2. R Vijay Shekar (Chennai) (12:52.715); 3. Mervin Kiran (Trichy) (13:14.555). Race-2: 1. David Ryan (Chennai) (12:23.077); 2. R Vijay Shekar (Chennai) (12:23.678); 3. R Shiyam (Chennai) (12:54.380).
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Honda Ten10 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu grabs pole: SS165cc
Chennai, 14 Dec 2018: Rajiv Sethu of Honda Ten10 Racing snatched the pole position in the premier Super Sport 165cc category with a blistering 01:54.906 flying lap to set up an intriguing clash with his TVS Racing rivals as the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship commenced at the MMRT, here on Friday.Sethu, lying a distant third in the championship behind the TVS Racing duo of leader Jagan Kumar and second-placed Ahamed Arif, put in three laps in the 10-minute qualifying session as he scorched the track, displaying impressive pace. Jagan (01:55.231) qualified second ahead of Ahamed (01:55.951) for tomorrow’s Race-1 of the double-header.
Also grabbing pole position was Prabhu Arunagiri of Team Alisha Abdullah with a lap of 01:53.872 in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category where he is third on the leaderboard for this class with 114 points. Championship leader Satyanarayana Raju of Gusto Racing (119 points) qualified third behind Sparks Racing’s Rahil Pilarishetty (66). The other title contender, Amarnath Menon (118), also of Gusto Racing, and struggling for pace, will start fourth on the grid tomorrow.
In the Girls section, leader Ann Jennifer of Sparks Racing comfortably bagged the pole position (02:13.615), well ahead of Kalyani Potekar (Apex Racing Academy) and privateer Nivetha Kumar.
Bengaluru-based Anish Damodara Shetty (Honda Ten10 Racing), enjoying a 16-point advantage, took the top spot on the front row in the Pro-Stock 165cc category with a lap of 01:59.630 while Anup Kumar (Team Alisha Abdullah) and Soorya PM (TVS Racing) completed the front row of the grid.
The results (Qualifying – National Championship):
Super Sport 165cc: 1. Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten10 Racing) (01min, 54.906secs); 2. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (01:55.231); 3. Ahamed Arif (TVS Racing) (01:55.951).
Pro-Stock 301-400cc: 1. Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah) (01:53.872); 2. Rahil Pillarishetty (Sparks Racing) (01:53.880); 3. Satyanarayana Raju (Gusto Racing) (01:54.411).
Pro-Stock 165cc: 1. Anish Damodara Shetty (Honda Ten10 Racing) (01:59.630); 2. Anup Kumar (Team Alisha Abdullah) (02:00.091); 3. Soorya PM (TVS Racing) (02:00.243).
Girls (Stock 165cc): 1. Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing) (02:13.615); 2. Kalyani Potekar (Apex Racing Academy) (02:15.406); 3. Nivetha Kumar (Pvt) (02:16.555).
Stock 165cc: 1. Abhimanyu Gautam (Jind) (02:08.638); 2. Venkatesan I (Chennai) (02:08.721); 3. Anand R (Chennai) (02:08.821).
One-Make Championship – TVS Apache 200 (Novice): 1. Kathik Mateti (Hyderabad) (02:16.433); 2. Alexander AS (Chennai) (02:20.305); 3. Anand R (Chennai) (02:20.720).
Honda Talent Cup – CBR 150 (Novice): 1. Mohamed Mikail (Chennai) (02;07.829); 2. K Vasant Habib (Gadag) (02:09.132); 3. Anandhu KK (Chennai) (02:10.042). CBR 250: 1. Anish Damodara Shetty (Hubballi) (02:01.251); 2. Amit Richard Topno (Ranchi) (02:01.271); 3.Abhishek Vasudev (Bengaluru) (02:02.076).
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 endeavor to provide more opportunities for competitors, and to this end, it has chalked out various progressive programmes. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2014, making it the only club which owns such a facility that has been further upgraded with international-standard Paddock, complete with VIP hospitality suites, 20 spacious garages and a separate Paddock on the western side with its own circuit. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championships (2-wheelers) 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.
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Gill begins favourite as INRC returns to Kerala
INRC drivers pose with the trophies after the drivers’ briefing for the Popular Rally which begins on Friday at Kochi. INRC Photo Kochi, 13 Dec 2018: The 2018 MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship is set for an exciting winner-takes-all finish, with Kerala’s iconic Popular Rally, the fifth and final round of the championship, emerging as the stage for the grand showdown at Kuttikanam near Kottayam. The rally moves to the Special Stages in Kuttikanam after the Super Special Stage at Kochi.
Mahindra Adventure’s two-time INRC champion Amittrajit Ghosh comes into the last round with the highest points (79) but will still start behind his teammate and three-time APRC champion Gaurav Gill due to the N-1 rule which allows the drivers to discard one round’s result.
Gill, in fact, will not only begin on pole position but also as the favourite, given his aggressive style of driving. He has 62 points while Ghosh, with 61 points after the N-1 factor, will be right in his tail.
Ghosh, the European Rally Championship driver, will also fancy his chances, especially two very good rounds in the INRC.
Both will, however, be wary of Arka Motorsports’ Karna Kadur, who is not too far behind with 55 points after the N-1 factor. The former INRC champion is competing in the INRC 2 category but has shown the speed and desire to topple his fancied opponents. He can take his second title if he wins the Popular Rally and Gill finishes third or lower.
The rally was flagged off by Shri. K. Padmakumar, IPS, Hon. Transport Commissioner, Govt. of Kerala, from Hotel Le Meridien, Kochi, today. It will unfold in 9 special stages on the smooth tarmac in the Mundakkayam-Kuttikanam sector in Idukki district on Saturday. Two more special stages will follow on Sunday, after which the rally drivers will head to Ernakulam for a Super Special Stage (SSS), at HMT Colony Road, Kalamassery.
The trophy presentation to the winners of the Popular Rally 2018 and the champagne shower will be held at the SSS venue itself. The official podium ceremony will be held at Le Meridien later in the evening, before invited guests.
“We have had a very good championship this year, with intense competition in all the key categories,” the promoter of the championship, RRPM’s Arindam Ghosh, said. “We are set for an exciting finish and I wish all the competitors a grand run,” he added.
“I thank title sponsor MRF Tyres, main associate Mahindra Adventure and associates York & Arka Motorsports,” Arindam said, expressing his gratitude for their three-year association.
Kerala is hosting the INRC for the first time since 2010 which is doubling up as the Popular Rally. It is in its 24th edition, having made a grand comeback last year after running it successfully for 22 years before a brief hiatus.
“Popular Rally is a matter of great pride for us. We have created a great legacy and are determined to take it to greater heights,” John K. Paul, MD of the organisers Popular Vehicles & Services Ltd, said.
Most of the country’s other top drivers, including Dean Mascarenhas, Vikram Rao and Rahul Kanthraj, will line up to get their hands on the silverware in various categories as the curtain comes down on the 2018 MRF FMSCI INRC.
Kerala will be well represented too, led by Dr Bikku Babu, the National Autocross Champion, along with the rising stars and INRC regulars like Younus Ilyas, Jacob K J, Fabid Ahmer, Nibu Sayed and Noufal Sayed.
For the first time in India, a Mobile App on Popular Rally will be launched to provide all rally related news, events, programme schedules etc. Developed by Appzoc, it can be downloaded free from the Google Play Store or the Apple Store and also through QR code scanning.
Standings for the key categories: INRC Overall: Gaurav Gill / Musa Sheriff (Mahindra Adventure) 62 points; Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure) 61 points; Karna Kadur / Nikhil V Pai (Arka Motorsports) 55 points
INRC 1: Gaurav Gill / Musa Sheriff (Mahindra Adventure) 62 points; Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure) 61 points;
INRC 2: Karna Kadur / Nikhil V Pai (Arka Motorsports); Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports); Jacob K.J / Shrikanth Gowda (Arka Motorsports)
INRC 3: Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya A.G (Falkon Motorsports); Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Chettinad Racing); Suhem Kabir / Jeevarahinam (Team Champions)
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Over 200 entries as MMRT set for grand finale of Indian National bike championship
Chennai, 12 Dec 2018: The 2018 MRF MMSC Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship is set for a thrilling finish with close battles for the titles in various categories as the fifth and final round, boasting of over 200 entries, starts at the Madras Motorsports Race Trust (MMRT) circuit, here on Friday with 21 races, besides qualifying sessions, to be run over three days.The final round is organised by Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).
The card includes One-Make Championships by Honda (Talent Cup – CBR 250 Open and CBR 150 for Novice) and TVS (Apache 310 Open and Apache 200 for Novice), besides a support event, the Alisha Abdullah Inter-College Star Race (Formula LGB 1300) which will have a 11-car grid comprising college students, including 16-year old Deepika from Krishnagiri, and in a first, transgender Apsara Reddy, also a journalist, as a guest driver who will race on Sunday.
It has been a season of surprises and close races. More notably, MRF Tyres provided a huge boost to the championship by offering slick tyres for the two top categories, the Super Sport 165cc and the Pro-Stock 301-400cc. The slick tyres met with unanimous approval of the riders who were able to put in faster lap times due to the higher grip levels, especially through the corners.
Also, the initiative of Madras Motor Sports Club to unearth fresh talent has been an unqualified success with ever-increasing number of entries from first-timers competing in the Stock 165cc category. With about 50 Novice riders in the fray, MMSC introduced heats to arrive at the final grid for the point-scoring race. Hyderabad teenager Karthik Mateti of Sparks Racing and team-mate Aditya Rao from Bengaluru, exerted dominance to head the leaderboard with 86 and 70 points, respectively, winning three of the four races between them.
Similarly, Honda and TVS attracted over 20 entries apiece for in both Open and Novice categories. The TVS race for girls also proved popular with about 15 riders on the grid. Also to be run is the final round of the TVS Media championship.
While the titles in all the National Championship categories are still up for grabs, much of the attention will be on the premier Super Sport 165cc double-header. With a maximum of 50 points on offer, another bitter fight between TVS Racing and Honda Ten10 riders is on the cards. TVS Racing’s Jagan Kumar (148 points), eyeing his seventh title, enjoys a healthy lead over team-mate KY Ahamed (128). Honda Ten10 rider, Rajiv Sethu, has much work to do as he trails Ahamed by 23 points.
The two races this weekend in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category will also be closely watched. As many as four are riders in contention for the title. Leading the pack is Hyderabad’s Satyanarayana Raju (119 points), just ahead of his Gusto Racing team-mate Amarnath Menon (118) from Kozhikode. Behind the duo are Chennai’s Prabhu Arunagiri of Team Alisha Abdullah (114) and Hyderabad’s Peddu Sriharsha (91) of Sparks Racing.
Likewise, it is a four-pronged battle for the title in the Pro-Stock 165cc category where Bengaluru-based Anish Shetty (131 points) of Honda Ten10 Racing leads, ahead of Chennai’s Kevin Kannan (115, Rockers Racing). Not far behind the two leaders are Coimbatore’s Senthil Kumar (106, Honda Ten10 Racing) and Hyderabad’s Rahil Pilarishetty (94, Sparks Racing).
The National Championship for girls has been dominated by Chennai riders Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing) who won three of the four races for a tally of 75 points, Shruthi Nagarajan (Apex Racing Academy) with 63, and Ryhana Bee (Sparks Racing) with 55.
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 endeavor to provide more opportunities for competitors, and to this end, it has chalked out various progressive programmes. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2014, making it the only club which owns such a facility that has been further upgraded with international-standard Paddock, complete with VIP hospitality suites, 20 spacious garages and a separate Paddock on the western side with its own circuit. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championships (2-wheelers) 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.
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Jamie Chadwick, Andreas Estner win
- Max Defourny extends lead in MRF Challenge
Sakhir (Bahrain), December 7: Belgium’s Max Defourny continued his podium run as he scored a win and two second-place finishes in the three races of the MRF Challenge held here today at the Bahrain International Circuit.The 20-year old Defourny was second to Germany’s Andreas Estner in the day’s first race and later finished behind winner Jamie Chadwick (UK) in the next before ending the day with a win in the third.
Having finished on the podium in all the eight races of the championship, organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club, including five in the first round at Dubai last month, Defourny consolidated his position on the leaderboard with 173 points, ahead of Chadwick (129). Two more races are scheduled for Saturday.
Defourny said: “It could or rather, should have been better this week. After qualifying for pole position last night, I made a mistake in the first race today and finished second. In the next race, I got hit from behind at Turn-1 when one of the competitors (Danial Frost of Singapore) spun. There was some damage to the car and I managed to finish second. In the third race today, after we repaired the visual damage to the car, there was a lot of vibration in the left rear, but I managed to pull away to win.”
Defourny was at his best in Race-3 which he started from pole position and won quite comfortably despite the vibrations, while Estner came in second followed by Patrik Pasma from Finland.
The damage to Defourny’s car was the result of a collision before Turn-1 immediately after the Race-2 start between reverse-grid pole-sitter Petr Ptacek (Czech Republic) and Singapore’s Danial Frost. The incident allowed Chadwick, who had started third, to get a jump on the pack, leaving Dylan Young (Australia) and Defourny to scrap for second and third spots. The Belgian finally moved past the Aussie, but by then, Chadwick was long gone. The trio held position to the finish. For Chadwick, it was her maiden win in the championship after three second places in Dubai round.
Earlier, the Race-1 was much closer than the results might suggest. Andreas Estner had a good start and rocketed past pole-sitter Defourny who messed up by dropping the revs which pushed him to third behind Chadwick, who, in turn, was later passed by Frost. Further back, there was hectic scramble for track positions, but was incident-free. Defourny managed to close down on Estner, but the German teenager had sufficient lead to take the flag for his second win in the championship.
Andreas Estner said: “It was pretty good. Had a good start and caught the leader. In the first few laps, I was able to pull a big gap. In the end, Defourny was a bit faster than me as my tyres wore out, but I managed to hold him off.”
Defourny said: “The race was quite bad to be honest. I had a bad start as I came too low in the revs, dropped to third, but passed (Jamie) Chadwick. By that time, Andreas had opened a gap. I struggled a bit, but in the end, I came back quite a lot. However, I never managed to get close enough without attacking. I did not want to take risks, keeping in mind the championship.”
The results (all 10 laps):
Race-1: 1. Andreas Estner (Germany) (Best Lap 02:00.792); 2. Max Defourny (Belgium) (BL 02:00.452); 3. Danial Frost (Singapore) (BL 02:00.865).
Race-2: 1. Jamie Chadwick (UK) (BL 02:00.974); 2, Max Defourny (Belgium) (BL 02:01.082); 3. Dylan Young (BL 02:01.734).
Race-3: 1. Max Defourny (Belgium) (BL 02:01.039); 2. Andreas Estner (Germany) (BL 02:01.499); 3. Patrik Pasma (Finland) (BL 02:01.873).
Qualifying: 1. Max Defourny (Belgium) (02:00.248); 2. Andreas Estner (Germany) (02:00.466); 3. Jamie Chadwick (UK) (02:00.885).
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Prema Racing signs up Jehan Daruvala for new FIA F3 Series 2019
Mumbai, 6 Dec 2018: Jehan Daruvala will step up to the new FIA F3 championship in 2019, with team Prema Racing. The all-new F3 car will be considerably faster than the car Jehan raced in 2017-2018, with a completely new Dallara chassis mated to a 3400cc Mecachrome engine, capable of touching 300 km/hr. The car will also incorporate the halo, a safety mechanism to enhance driver protection which was introduced in F1 this year.
Importantly for Jehan, all races of the new FIA F3 Championship will be support races during F1 race weekends, allowing him the opportunity to learn all the F1 circuits. The new F3 car will also enable racers to get used to F1 features like DRS (Drag Reduction System) & Virtual Safety Car. Pirelli will be the official one make, tyre supplier for all 30 cars on the grid.
As early preparation, the 20-year-old Indian recently tested the outgoing GP3 car in Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina F1 Circuit. He dominated the 3 days of testing, posting the fastest time in 4 sessions and the 2nd fastest time in the remaining 2 sessions. Jehan’s pace was obvious, in spite of testing with 2 separate teams – MP Motorsport & Campos racing.
Jehan has been signed up by Prema Racing, one of the most successful Junior Racing Teams ever. Prema has won 6 drivers & team titles, in 7 years of the F3 European Championship’s existence, Mick Schumacher being the current champion. F1 racers – Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, Antonio Giovinazzi have all raced with Prema on their way to F1.
“The new F3 series is going to be very exciting and a different experience for me. Driving on an F1 weekend, on Pirelli tyres and an expected grid of 30 drivers, is going to be fun and challenging. I am extremely excited and proud to begin this journey with Prema and I am confident that we can achieve great results together. I would like to thank Prema for having the confidence in me and giving me the opportunity to be a part of this successful team.“ said Jehan.
René Rosin – Team Principal of Prema commented, “Jehan is definitely a promising prospect. We have known and respected each other for a while now and we are happy that all the dots finally connected to start what we expect to be a great relationship. He always impressed when he had the right chance in the past, and our goal will be to put him in the right position to express his full potential. We are confident that he will make great progress while providing us with valuable insight heading into the challenging season ahead.”
Jehan Daruvala won the Indian Karting Championship in 2010, before becoming the first and only Indian to win the Malaysian Yamaha Karting Championship, the CIK FIA Asia Pacific KF3 Karting Championship, and the British Super One Karting Championship. Till date, he remains the only Indian on the podium of any FIA World Championship, when he finished 2nd Runner-up in the 2014 CIK FIA World Karting Championship. He also remains the only Indian to have ever won an official Grand Prix, when he won the New Zealand Grand Prix (Toyota Racing Series). Jehan has also won two races of the FIA F3 European Championship.
The 8-Round (16 Races) FIA F3 Championship kicks off on May 10, 2019, in Barcelona, Spain, when the F1 Championship begins its European races.
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Abemo Yanthan was adjudged Best Spotter: JK Tyre Hornbill off-road Cup
Champions of JK Tyre Hornbill Cup. An INDIAinF1 photo Kohima, 5 Dec 2018: Aviu Rutsa along with co-driver Neiketoulie Meyase, and Rudkuobetvo along with Pete cracked the testing mountain terrain of Kohima to emerge victors in the JK Tyre Hornbill Off-Roading Cup here on Tuesday.
Yanger Lushang / Maken Lepden and Bento Swu / Bovito Kiho came second while Ikweithing (Justin) / Kenrak Thou and Irietui / Elu took the third place in the 1.5-km course that comprised six gruelling challenges and obstacles.
Each team comprises of two cars, manned by a driver and a co-driver, to help each other tackle the various obstacles together.
Abemo Yanthan was adjudged Best Spotter while Aviu Rutsa added another feather to his cap by winning the best off-road rig as well.
It is the first time that the off-road event has been added to the annual JK Tyre Hornbill Motor Rally which is in its ninth year of existence.
The rally coincides with the famous Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, a seven-day extravaganza of cultural performances, ethnic food courts, handlooms and handicrafts bazaars, film and art festivals, fashion shows and a national rock contest.
Earlier on Monday, defending champion Gagan Sethi and co-driver Sabatullah Khan stole the show in the picturesque hills by winning the TSD rally spread over 55 kilometres.
The rally coincided with the World War 2 Peace Rally, to pay homage to the martyrs of the Battle of Kohima.
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Five racers get a drive: MRF Challenge Round 2 in Bahrain from Thursday
Sakhir (Bahrain), 4 Dec 2018: The young racers in the MRF Challenge 2018-19 championship are in for a rare treat of getting to drive on a full-fledged Formula One Grand Prix track when the state-of-the-art Bahrain International Circuit here plays host to the second round from December 6 to 8.For the first-timers on the 12-car grid that is brimming with talented young and fearless drivers, it will be an unforgettable experience to race on a GP track which has three straights and 15 corners, not to mention the subtle gradient changes. The idyllic setting is expected to provide more of thrilling and closely contested races that were witnessed in the first round at Dubai last month.
The MRF Challenge is now in its seventh season and comprises od three rounds of five races each in Dubai, Bahrain and Chennai. It proved to be a nursery of racing talent. Several drivers, notably Mick Schumacher who is all set for Formula 2 next year after two seasons in MRF Challenge, have graduated to higher levels or used Asia’s premier winter championship offering cars with F3 Dallara chassis and powered by 2-litre engines, to further hone their skills. All cars are fitted with specifically designed MRF Z.L.O. racing tyres.
Mr Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Ltd, said: “The first round of MRF Challenge in Dubai last month, dished out some exciting fare as the drivers fought it out up and down the grid, while happy at the opportunity the championship has provided them to move to the next level of racing. In fact, it reflects MRF Challenge’s primary objective of offering young racing talent an ecosystem that help nurture their ambitions. Over the years, the MRF Challenge has proved to be a big stepping stone for racing aspirants who have gone on to fare well at the highest levels of racing. We now look forward to the second round in Bahrain and I am sure, the competitors will be eager to race on a full-fledged Formula One circuit.”
The Dubai round saw 20-year old Belgian Max Defourny, a graduate of Formula Renault 2.0 Euro Cup, underlining his talent by winning two of the five races and finishing on the podium in the other three. The strong performance fetched Defourny 106 points, well ahead of Britisher Jamie Chadwick, the lone female racer on the grid, who picked up 78 points with three podium finishes after close battles with Singapore’s Danial Frost (70), the winner of Race-2.
Ranged behind the trio are four drivers separated by just three points – 18-year olds, German Andreas Estner (50 points) and Finland’s Patrick Pasma (49), who won a race apiece, Belgian teenager Michelangelo Amendola (49) and Czech Republic’s Petr Ptacek (47).
For India’s lone representative on the grid, MRF Challenge debutant Chennai-based Chetan Korada, it has been a steep learning curve after several years in the Indian National Racing Championship. He managed to score two points in the Dubai round, but more importantly, improved his lap timings with each outing. “I hope to do much better in Bahrain after the seat-time I had in Dubai. I need to work on a few aspects of my driving, like braking, but I am confident of a better show in Bahrain,” said the 32-year old after the Dubai races.
Two Free Practice sessions and qualifying round are scheduled for Thursday (Dec 6) while two races will be run on Friday (Dec 7) and three more on Saturday (Dec 8).
