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Hat-trick for Karna Kadur, Nikhil Pai; Scratch times help Amittrajit Ghosh edge out Bopaiah
Odd-man out Amittrajit Ghosh (right) on the podium in Chikkamagaluru on Sunday. Chikkamagaluru, 2 Dec 2018: Karna Kadur and his co-driver Nikhil Vittal Pai of Arka Motorsports scored their third consecutive Coffee Day Rally victory for a hat-trick in Chikkamagaluru as the fourth round of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), concluded here on Sunday. The duo, in a Volkswagen Polo, nursed their healthy overnight lead with a sensible drive.
While Kadur, who had won this rally in the previous two years, kept it clean through the three Special Stages, all run in the reverse direction, Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) of Mahindra Adventure took advantage of the scratch times that were allotted to the cancelled Special Stage (SS) 7, to overcome a tough fight from Bopaiah KM (Gagan Karumbaiah) of Team Champions, who drove manfully but fell short by about three seconds. Leading by five seconds overnight, the second-placed duo was defeated off-track by a scratch time of 10-seconds less than what Amittrajit Ghosh was given, that eventually helped the Kolkata driver win the second place behind Karna Kadur. The 10-second parity given by the CoC Ram Kumar, who is an experienced former rally driver himself, appeared odd as Boppaih was faster than Amittrajit Ghosh in all the stages on Day 2, Leg 1. However, it should be noted that the CoC has the privilege to give scratch times, as he deems it fit and it is well within the rules and regulations prescribed in the GP.
Amittrajit Ghosh may have taken these crucial points, thanks to the scratch times, but as he rightly said in the pre-event press conference, his lead in the championship is worth nothing as he has to forego one round and so will lose 18 points while Gill will discard his zero-point North East round of Arunachal Rally.
Behind the trio, hot favourite Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif), also of Mahindra Adventure, and celebrating his 37th birthday on Dec 2, set a scorching pace to top the timesheets in all the three Stages today and finished fifth Overall behind private entrants Younus Illyas (Harish KN) who are tuned by Team Race Concepts and second in the INRC-1 category. More importantly, he earned 10 championship points, but the official standings page shows as 12 points as on Dec 3.
The results meant that Ghosh continues to lead Overall in the Indian National Rally Championship, promoted by the Ramakrishna Race Performance Management, run by his father Arindam Ghosh, with 79 points as against Kadur’s 67 and Gill’s 62, as officially announced on the inrcindia.com website. Thus, the title will be decided in the fifth and concluding round of the Championship to be held in Kerala next month.
Ghosh and Kadur also topped the INRC-1 and INRC-2 categories, respectively, while Delhi’s Arjun Bani Rao (Milen George) won in the INRC-3 class as the three-day event, organised by the Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur, concluded here today.
“The result did not surprise us considering the lead that we had overnight. So, there was no need to push today and I was intent on bringing the car back home safely. We backed off a bit, used the advantage we had and finished the three Stages safely. We are very happy that we won for the third time in a row here in Chikmagalur,” said Kadur.
Meanwhile, Ghosh, still to recover fully from an allergy that also hampered his breathing, said he was happy to have finished second which fetched him precious championship points. “Today, we decided to take it easy in the long stage and push in the two shorter stages. In the context of the championship, it is always good to have points in the bag. So, now, whoever among the three of us (Kadur and Gill being the others) wins in Kerala will emerge champion,” said the London-based Ghosh.
For Gill, who was docked six minutes penalty yesterday after failing to complete the last two Stages following a mechanical problem that forced him to pull out, it was a matter of pushing hard and gain positions keeping in mind the championship stakes. A philosophical Gill, winner of the opening two rounds in Chennai and Coimbatore before a retirement in Arunachal Pradesh, said: “We had a good run the past couple of seasons, but things go up and down. It was not the best of weekends here or in Arunachal. So, now, we will go to Kerala next month and hope to win there. Today, I gave it all I had and drove 110 per cent. It is good that the championship has gone down to the wire. It is good for the sport.”
The results (Provisional):
Overall: 1. Karna Kadur / Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (02hrs,19mins,59.9secs); 2. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure) (02:22:15.3); 3. Bopaiah KM / Gagan Karumbaiah (Team Champions) (02:22:18.8).
INRC-1: Ghosh / Naik; 2. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Mahindra Adventure) (02:23:49.2); 3. Michu Ganapathy / Venu Rameshkumar (Team Champions) (02:27:18.1).
INRC-2: 1. Kadur / Pai; 2. Bopaiah / Karumbaiah; 3. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN (Pvt) (02:22:34.7).
INRC-3: 1. Arjun Bani Rao / Milen George (Chettinad Sporting) (02:24:29.4); 2. Fabid Ahmer / Shahid Salman (Chettinad Sporting) (02:26:34.7); 3. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya (Team Falkon) (02:27:57.4).
FMSCI 2WD Cup: 1. Vikram Gowda / Sudheendra BG (Team Champions) (02:31:51.6); 2. Prakhyat Shirole / Bharath SM (Pvt) (02:32:53.0); 3. Manoj Mohanan / Sob George (02:35:32.7).
FMSCI 4WD Cup: 1. Sanjay Agarwal / Smitha Prasad (Team Champions) (02:31:20.0); 2. Sachin Murthy / Satyapal (02:35:00.5); 3. Avin Nanjappa / Suraj M (Pvt) (02:39:26.5)
Edited on 4 Dec 2018 at 1.20am
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Gaurav Gill suffers mechanical problems again; Karna Kadur leads Coffee Day Rally: INRC
Karna Kadur in action as he took the overall lead on Saturday. Photo by Anand Philar Chikkamagaluru, 1 Dec 2018: Local star Karna Kadur along with co-driver Nikhil Vittal Pai of Arka Motorsports emerged as overall leader with a 59.7 seconds advantage at the end of Leg-1 in the Coffee Day India Rally, the fourth round of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship, here on Saturday. While favourite Gaurav Gill, assisted by navigator Musa Sherif, of Mahindra Adventure team suffered mechanical problems after leading four stages in the coffee estates of Malnad.
However, the surpirse of the day was Bopaiah, who emerged as the best of the rest with a brilliant run on Saturday to stand second overall in the INRC standings.
On a day of drama with 11 casualities, Gill, who was enjoying a comfortable lead, met with disaster as the lower arm of his XUV 500 broke, forcing him to stop in SS-6. He will re-join the competition tomorrow in a bid to score leg points. “A bad day in the office. We had a good morning, winning all the Stages, but on the fifth Stage (of the day), we had an issue with the lower arm with the ball joint completely shearing off. A case of metal fatigue perhaps. We are driving tomorrow and take whatever points we can and stay in the championship. So, maximum attack tomorrow,” said Gill.
Bopaiah (Gagan Karumbaiah) speeding in SS4 on Friday. Photo by David Bodapati While Gill packed up for the day, Bopaiah KM, with co-driver Gagan Karumbaiah, eased into Overall second spot, just 16.5 seconds ahead of an ailing Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) of Mahindra Adventure. Ghosh, battling an allergy and suffering from breathing problems, strove manfully to finish the day without any mishap.
The Special-Stage rallying took its toll as 11 of 46 competitors retired due to reasons ranging from mechanical problems to crashes, because the surface deteriorated as the day wore on. The day’s last Stage was cancelled after Aroor Vikram Rao crashed and only three cars passing the stage ahead of him.
Reflecting on his performance today, Karna Kadur said: “I think the day went pretty well and we got more than what we bargained for. We were concentrating only on our category (INRC-2). In the Super Special Stage, we were the quickest in our category and so we knew how we wanted this rally to be. We took one Stage at a time. We trailed Gaurav (Gill) by 20 seconds after the first Stage today and so, we pushed in the next, and improved. In the process, we got past (Amittrajit) Ghosh which was part of our strategy. Unfortunately, Gaurav packed up as he was our benchmark. Tomorrow, we will try to keep our position as we have a comfortable lead.”
For Ghosh, it was a huge task to even drive the XUV 500, given his indisposition following a “shell fish allergy” that he caught on the flight from London earlier this week. “It is the toughest drive of my rally career. I couldn’t push to my limits. I am just forcing myself to drive. I am not looking at the timings and if we can make a place tomorrow, then we will. Even as I am talking now, I am gasping. I have not had any solid food the whole of this week. Tomorrow, I will drive at the pace I am comfortable with and take whatever points I can from this Rally,” said Ghosh.
Mujeeb Rahman, navigated by Moideen Sharfali in a Maruti Esteem topped the time sheets in the FMSCI 2-wheel drive Cup category and privateers were followed by Vikram Gowda and Sudheendhra BG of Team Champions in a Honda City while another privateer Prakhyat H Shirole was third, also in a Honda City.
In the FMSCI 4-wheel drive Cup class, Team Champions Sanjay Agarwal and Smitha Prasad were leading after Saturday’s Leg 1 by over a minute with Sachin Murthy and Nikhil J running in second and third place respectively.
The results (Provisional):
Overall: 1. Karna Kadur / Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (01hr, 12mins, 50.0secs); 2. Bopaiah / Gagan Karumbaiah (Team Champions) (01:13:49.7); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure) (01:14.06.2).
INRC-1: 1. Ghosh / Naik; 2. Michu Ganapathy / Venu Rameshkumar (Team Champions) (01:16:30.8); 3. Harshita Gowda / Vidhya M (Pvt) (01:24:20.6).
INRC-2: 1. Kadur / Pai; 2. Bopaiah / Gagan Karumbaiah; 3. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN (Pvt) (01:14:52.4).
INRC-3: 1. Arjun Rao / Milen George (Chettinad Sporting)(01:15:17.2); 2. Fabid Ahmer / Shahid Salman (Chettinad Sporting) (01:16:33.0); 3. Darius Shroff / Nitin Jacob (Pvt) (01:18:22.8).
FMSCI 2WD Cup: 1.Mujeeb Rahman / Moideen Sharfali (Pvt) (01:19:19.8); 2.Vikram Gowda / Sudheendhra BG (Team Champions) (01:19:42.2); 3. Prakhyat H Shirole / Bharath SM (Pvt) (01:20:13.4).
FMSCI 4WD Cup: 1. Sanjay Agarwal /Smitha Prasad M (Team Champions) (01:19:52.4); 2. Sachin Murthy / Sathyapal (Pvt) (01:21:07.9) 3. Nikhil J / Arjun Dheerendra (Pvt) (01:26:07.1).
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Off-road event added to JK Tyre Hornbill motor rally at Kohima
File photo of Hornbill Rally. Photo courtesy JK Tyre Kohima (Nagaland), 1 Dec 2018: The picturesque hills in Kohima will reverberate with the sounds of roaring cars as the JK Tyre Hornbill Motor Rally returns to the annual Hornbill Festival of Nagaland in a bigger and more exciting format.
The three-day event, beginning on Sunday, will see some of the country’s top rallyists battle for honours even as the entire town turns into party mode.
The annual rally which is in its 9th year of existence have added the off-road challenge which takes place on December 4.
The exciting off-roading is expected to see top drivers from the region and a few from all over the country, traversing through a course of 1.5 kms negotiating six gruelling obstacles in their bid to win the crown.
Popular as an exotic Northeast state, Nagaland is also organising a World War 2 Peace Rally to pay homage to its martyrs during the Battle of Kohima. Family members of the heroes will be part of a very touching rally, as they will be taken on a parade in vintage cars and jeeps towards the cemetery.
All three events coincide with the famous Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, a seven-day fest cultural performances, ethnic food courts, handlooms and handicrafts bazaars, film and art festivals, fashion shows and a national rock contest.
“We are extremely delighted to be part of the Hornbill Motor Rally once again. JK Tyre has always been keen on tapping motorsport talents from every corner of the country. The Northeast has a number of motorsports enthusiasts and I am sure this year’s competitions will be exciting,” Sanjay Sharma, Head of JK Tyre & Motorsports, said.
The Time, Speed and Distance (TSD) rally will be run over a distance of 55 kilometres, starting from the IG Stadium. Day 1 will come to an end at the Kisama Heritage village. Day 2 will see the Off Road Challenge while Day 3 will be marked by the WW2 Peace Rally.
About JK Tyre Motorsport:
JK Tyre has always been closely associated with the world of sports. Almost three decades back the company laid down a long term and sustained approach to promote Motorsport. Participating in this form of the sport has helped the company in continuously updating its products to meet the challenges of gruelling Indian conditions. The sport at that time in India was perceived for elite but JK Tyre took upon itself to package and redesign the sport to suit the masses. The company not only made the sport affordable but also equivalent to International operating standards. JK Tyre’s foray into Motorsport was a well thought out strategic decision to not only use and develop this virgin branding platform but also to realize the dreams of making India a force in the field of motor sport.
In 2011, the company acquired the Formula BMW Series and rechristened it as the JK Racing Asia Series (JKRAS). With this acquisition, JK Tyre created history in Indian Motorsport by becoming the first Indian company to acquire an FIA accredited series. By taking over the series, JK Tyre promises to utilize it as a platform to encourage and support the world’s best racing drivers and promote India as one of Asia’s motorsport capitals.
Thus, JK Tyre has conquered two steps in the motorsport program where the new racing aspirants first establish themselves in
India, then graduate to Asian level i.e. to Formula BMW, which is now JKRAS and then they move to higher levels of racing. JK Tyre now stands closer to achieving its mission of bringing world-class motorsport to the Indian masses. The Racing and Karting programme by JK Tyre has been the breeding ground for the country’s motorsport talents like Narain Karthikeyan, Armaan Ebrahim, Karun Chandhok, Aditya Patel and other emerging talent.
Another pioneering initiative was the launch of the Truck Racing Championship in India in partnership with Tata Motors. The company developed & designed “JetRacing”-the new generation truck racing tyres especially for this application. With this, JK Tyre became the first tyre company to produce truck racing tyres in India. The combination of the Prima trucks fitted with Jet Racing received an overwhelming response from participants and has definitely brought in a revolution in the Indian racing scenario.
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Jehan Daruvala impressive in the post-season testing: Tops timesheets in the afternoon
GP3 Series – Test 4.
Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Friday 30 November 2018.
Jehan Daruvala (IND, Campos Racing)
Photo: Zak Mauger / GP3 Series Media Service.
ref: Digital ImageAbu Dhabi, 30 Nov 2018: Jehan Dharuvala performed well in the post-season test as he topped the afternoon session after being in the top-two quickest drivers in the morning. The Indian driver was the quickest man at the Yas Marina Circuit seting a laptime in the afternoon session in a 1:54.753 with Campos Racing. Niko Kari set a time of 1:54.683 at the wheel of a Trident in Day 2 morning session of the 2018 post-season tests.
Day 2 opened at 9am local time and Logan Sargeant led the rest of the pack out of the pitlane as soon as it went green. The American driver who spent Day 1 with MP Motorsport moved to Trident this Friday and set the early pace.The studious morning session saw Kari and Daruvala swap positions at the top of the timesheet with the Indian driver drawing first blood in a 1:55.102. The Finn improved further and dipped under 1m55s, but Daruvala went even quicker in a 1:54.689 to retake P1.With one hour and thirty minutes left on the clock, Kari reclaimed the top spot with a laptime 6 thousandths better than Daruvala’s. When the flag dropped, Kari, Daruvala and Sargeant completed the top 3 ahead of Alex Peroni, Linus Lundqvist, Richard Verschoor, Christian Lundgaard, Yuki Tsunoda, Maximilian Fewtrell and Devlin DeFrancesco.The former Force India Academy driver, Daruvala was back at the top of the timesheet in the early stages of the afternoon session, but the battle for P1 raged again as Kari went quickest with a laptime of 1:55.888.Most of the session was dedicated to long runs and we had to wait until the final half hour to see Daruvala retake the top spot in a 1:55.325. DeFrancesco was able to improve on the Indian’s best to go top, but with five minutes left on the clock Daruvala went even quicker to end the session P1. Verschoor and Lundqvist also moved up to second and third respectively in the dying minutes. Piastri, DeFrancesco, Tsunoda, Sargeant, Kari, Lorenzo Colombo and Peroni rounded the top 10.The GP3 Series will run one final day tomorrow.2018 Post-season testing – Day 2: morning session classificationDRIVERTEAMTIMELAP1Niko KariTrident1:54.683192Jehan DaruvalaCampos Racing1:54.689293Logan SargeantTrident1:54.983304Alex PeroniCampos Racing1:55.245175Linus LundqvistCampos Racing1:55.345296Richard VerschoorMP Motorsport1:55.379227Christian LundgaardART Grand Prix1:55.535258Yuki TsunodaJenzer Motorsport1:55.676259Maximilian FewtrellART Grand Prix1:55.6882310Devlin DeFrancescoTrident1:55.6942811Olli CaldwellTrident1:55.8292812Ben HingeleyCharouz Racing System1:55.8962913Oscar PiastriJenzer Motorsport1:55.9752514Felipe DrugovichART Grand Prix1:56.0702215Lorenzo ColomboMP Motorsport1:56.3232716Robert SchwartzmanCharouz Racing System1:56.4132817Ye YifeiMP Motorsport1:56.9003018Fabio SchererCharouz Racing System1:56.9242919Enaam EhmadART Grand Prix1:57.3592920Federico MalvestitiJenzer Motorsport1:57.627372018 Post-season testing – Day 2: afternoon session classificationDRIVERTEAMTIMELAP1Jehan DaruvalaCampos Racing1:54.753292Richard VerschoorMP Motorsport1:54.799363Linus LundqvistCampos Racing1:55.041264Oscar PiastriJenzer Motorsport1:55.085225Devlin DeFrancescoTrident1:55.089266Yuki TsunodaJenzer Motorsport1:55.177297Logan SargeantTrident1:55.274288Niko KariTrident1:55.359259Lorenzo ColomboMP Motorsport1:55.4952710Alex PeroniCampos Racing1:55.6081911Ben HingeleyCharouz Racing System1:55.6652812Miximilian FewtrellART Grand Prix1:55.7333213Robert SchwartzmanCharouz Racing System1:55.8013014Ye YifeiMP Motorsport1:55.8261915Olli CaldwellTrident1:55.9712116Fabio SchererCharouz Racing System1:56.1293217Christian LundgaardART Grand Prix1:56.3133318Felipe DrugovichART Grand Prix1:56.4143119Federico MalvestitiJenzer Motorsport1:56.7343120Enaam AhmedART Grand Prix1:56.80031 -
Lance Stroll to race alongside Sergio Perez in 2019 for Racing Point Force India
Lance Stroll who joined Racing Point Force India team. A RP Force India image Abu Dhabi, 30 Nov 2018: With the last F1 race of the season producing vintage stuff and the after-race entertainment of three multiple world champions who indulged in donuts to thrill the crowd in honour of Fernando Alonso, though duly after permission from Race Control, it not just some famous names that will miss in the next season.
Among the casualities may also be the one with which India has identified itself from 2007, the Force India name.
The team has announced the expected driver from the Stroll family, but it is anybody’s guess if the tag Force India will remain for next season.
Racing Point Force India, for now, is delighted as they announced that Lance Stroll will join the team for 2019 to race alongside Sergio Perez. Lance has pledged his commitment to the team as part of a long-term deal.
Lance’s father Stroll, who was one of the keymen that saw Force India survive after it went into administration early this year, has also invested much as the Canadian consortium took over the team. But since the chassis is registered in Force India name, they could not change the nomen clature completely but did lose all the points which were earned by Force India until that point and still managed to gain and continue their entry as on of the F1 teams. All the teams also agreed to share the exploits with Force India despite such favours are not due to a new team as per the rules. 2019 will tell us if the team can bounce back into its fourth place from the current 7th.
Team Principal and CEO, Otmar Szafnauer, who took over from the beleaguered Vijay Mallya said: “I’m pleased that we can finally confirm Lance’s arrival to race alongside Sergio next year. It gives us an exciting line-up with the perfect blend of youth, talent, and experience. Lance is only twenty and already has two years of Formula One experience under his belt, as well as a podium finish and a front row start. We see huge potential in Lance and believe we can create an environment in which he can flourish. Our team has enjoyed great success nurturing and developing young and talented drivers, and we are very excited to begin our journey with Lance. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Esteban Ocon for his contribution to the team over the last two seasons and wish him well for the future.”
Lance Stroll: “This is the beginning of an incredibly exciting journey in my Formula One career. I look forward to working alongside a successful team with a great culture. It’s a new challenge and I am excited to embrace this new opportunity!”
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Gaurav Gill thrills crowds with fastest time in Super Special Stage: INRC Coffee Day India Rally
Gaurav Gill tops SSS on Friday in the Coffee Day India Rally Photo: Anand Philar Chikkamagaluru, 30 Nov 2018: Reigning champion Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) drove with controlled aggression to top the timesheets in the Super Special Stage which launched the Coffee Day India Rally, the fourth round of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship, promoted by Ramakrishna Race Performance Management, at the Amber Valley school grounds, here on Friday.
Driving the XUV 500 for Mahindra Adventure team, Gill, a virtual cult figure in this coffee town, did not look as spectacular as some of the drivers before him, but the clean lines through the corner saw him clock two minutes, 34.7 seconds for the 2.12 Kms run as he led a 1-2 for his team, ahead of Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) who did 02:35.1. Local lad Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai) of Arka Motorsports, piloting a Volkswagen Polo, was overall third quickest in 02:36.1.
The thousands of spectators who thronged the school grounds, were treated to an action-packed afternoon as Kadur topped in the INRC-2 category while Dhruva Chandrasekar (Arjun SSB) was the fastest in the INRC-3 class with a time of 02:36.6.
The action will shift to the nearby coffee estates on Saturday when six Special Stages will be run. The rally will conclude on Sunday afternoon after the competitors complete one loop of the three Special Stages in the reverse direction.
The results:
Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Mahindra Adventure) (02mins, 34.7secs); 2. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure) (02:35.1); 3. Karna Kadur / Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (02:36.1).
INRC-1: Gill / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Michu Ganapathy / Venu Rameshkumar (Team Champions) (02:45.9).
INRC-2: 1, Kadur / Pai; 2. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN (02:38.8); 3. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (SNAP Racing) (02:39.2).
INRC-3: 1. Dhruva Chandrasekar / Arjun SSB (Team Champions) (02:36.6); 2. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions) (02:37.5); 3. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya (Team Falkon) (02:39.7).
FMSCI 2WD Cup: 1. Adith KC / Suraj Keshava Prasad (Team Champions) (02:40.1); 2. Vikram Gowda / Sudheendra BG (Team Champions) (02:41.1); 3. Prakhyat Shirole / Bharath SM (02:43.2).
FMSCI 4WD Cup: 1. Sanjay Agarwal / Smitha Prasad (Team Champions) (02:46.5); 2 (Tie). Satish P Naidu / Sheraz Ahmed (Team Champions) (02:56.7) and Sachin Murthy / Satyapal (02:56.7).
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Gaurav Gill confident that an Indian driver in an Indian-made tyre will deliver at the world stage
???????????????????????????????????? Chikkamagaluru, 30 Nov 2018: Gaurav Gill looked relaxed and confident and as mature as ever. The King of Indian Rallyng, with 50 points, however, is trailing in overall points and is in second place behind Amittrajit Ghosh. “It was a rare mechanical failure,’’ the A seeded driver brushed off the Arunachal Pradesh DNF, in the last rally, after comfortably leading for the better part of the Rally. But Ghosh, who won the fourth round in the North East, dismissed the lead saying the format is such that in N minus One, Gill still leads the points table if, Ghosh’s 18 points from his low-scoring is given up. Every entry has the comfort of removing one event at the end of all rounds and Gill still is better-placed and is favourite to retain the INRC title with one Round to be held in Kerala, the Popular Rally from Dec 14 to 16.
Gill was cool with the challenging terrain in the coffee land which had good rains and the vegetation making it difficult and technical for drivers but “we will believe and trust our pace notes and the navigators,” said Ghosh. Gill agreed that it is all rallying and the best driver may win. Gill also added that soon an Indian driver with Indian-made MRF tyre has the potential to become the fastest driver in the world.
The Speed Master, Gill, is the current reigning Asia Pacific Rally Champion and not just the Indian National Rally Champion for year 2017. He is gunning for another Indian title, but with the Delhi-based MRF driver moving to World Rally Championship this year, the Chikmagalur leg of APRC had taken a beating with many cars not able to make it to the last round and eventually, the APRC round is cancelled.
The MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) is the premier rallying series in India run under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), which is the Governing Body or ASN of India recognised by the FIA, culminating with the Indian National Rally Champion Driver, Co-Driver and Team. The championship is based on a point system. The championship first received its National Championship title status in 1988. Indian drivers in Indian cars are eligible to take part in the 2018 INRC which is promoted by RRPM, the Ramakrishna Race Performance Management, as it purchased the rights from FMSCI for three years from 2016.
Another A seeded driver young Mangalorean Dean Mascarenhas who was the runner-up in Overall INRC and INRC3 title winner last year, was also trailing Vikram Rao Aroor in INRC3 after three rounds by three points. Vikram has 28 points and Dean garnered 25.
Karna Kadur, the A Seed who won the Coffee Day India Rally last year is competing with Rahul Kantharaj, another A seeded driver, and has taken a lead of 14 points bagging 42 points to 28 points for Rahul. Both are from Team Arka Motorsports.
The three-day Coffee Day India Rally 2018, which is also the fourth round of the National Championship, will witness some of the best names in motorsports battle it out for the top honours. Over the past couple of decades, the three-day event, has grown in stature and popularity among both participants and spectators, thanks to Coffee Day Group’s significant support and constant involvement.
The Championship, promoted by Ramakrishna Race Performance Management (RRPM), kicked off earlier this year in Chennai before moving on to Coimbatore and Arunachal Pradesh. After three rounds, Mahindra Adventure team’s Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik head the leaderboard with 61 points, followed by team-mates Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif (50).
The duo driving the Mahindra XUV 500 will headline the three-day event which commences on Friday with the popular Super Special Stage (2.2 kms) at Amber Valley school grounds. The competitors will then head to the twisty Special Stage located in the nearby Coffee Day Group estates on Saturday and Sunday.
The other big team, apart from Mahindra Adventure is Arka Motorsports that boasts of seasoned, Rahul Kanthraj (co-driver Vivek Bhatt) and talented, Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai) as the standard-bearers. Kadur and Kanthraj are placed third and fourth in the Overall classification behind Ghosh and Gill after three rounds and also head the INRC-2 category, while two young guns from Mangaluru, Aroor Vikram Rao (Falkon Motorsports, 68 points) and Dean Mascarenhas (Chettinad Sporting, 53) are in the lead in INRC-3.
This season’s INRC has seen the entry of a new outfit, Team Champions that was born out of a desire to support talented drivers in need of financial assistance. Team Champions will have a seven-car line-up besides a few more crews they will be supporting. “It is our aim to facilitate the participation of deserving drivers and hopefully, unearth fresh talent. The 2018 is our debut year in INRC and next season, we might be entering more cars,” said Vamcy Merla who manages Team Champions.
Venkatesh M, Director, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts said, “Coffee Day is amongst the first few corporates to cultivate the concept of racing in India with Coffee Day India Rally in 2002. This is our 16th edition and we’re proud to see the love for motorsport grow in our country. Coffee Day India Rally is truly unique given its uncanny combination of a rugged terrain with scenic beauty. It is one of the most challenging races in the calendar, filled with twisty and narrow tracks amidst the coffee plantations. The challenging rally will witness some of the best rally drivers tackle tough terrains, set for a thrilling performance in Chikmagalur. Our team at Coffee Day Group and Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur have relentlessly worked to make the rally one of the most awaited motorsports event in the country. We at Coffee Day are pleased to work towards the continued endeavour and success of the rally.”
The Coffee Day India Rally adorns the INRC scene as the most popular event attracting thousands of spectators from near and far. The enthusiasm of the spectators inspire the participants to raise their game by several notches. It is hardly a surprise then that Coffee Day India Rally 2018 edition has attracted 40-plus entries across various categories – the IRC, IRC-2, IRC-3 and FMSCI 2W Drive Cup.
Additionally, the organisers have included a separate category for Maruti Gypsy vehicles while Volkswagen has provided two VW Polos in Rally trim as the two forward cars – “Zero” and “Double Zero”.
The Special Stages are located as before, in Chettanahalli, Chandrapura and Kumaragode estates. Each of the three stages will be run twice on Saturday and once in the reverse direction on Sunday. The total competitive section is 122.77 kms and 229 kms of liaison for a total distance of 351.77 kms.
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Ebrahim steps down, Prithviraj elected president again: FMSCI
J Prithviraj of CASC, who is elected as the new President of FMSCI. File photo Chennai, 21 Nov 2018: Another era comes to an end in the administration of the Motorsports in India as Akbar Ebrahim stepped down as the President of the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India (FMSCI) here at its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, the 20th of November.
J Prithiviraj representing Coimbatore Auto Sports Club was unanimously elected as President while Shivu Shivappa of Karnataka Motor Sports Club, was elected as Vice-President for a term of one year. Prithviraj was earlier the president of the governing body of motorsports in India in 2014.
The following governing council members were also elected during the AGM: Vicky Chandhok (MMSC), Farokh Commissariat (IARC), Ms Sita Raina (CMSC), Akbar Ebrahim (Meco MS), Arindam Ghosh (RRPM), Farooq Ahmed (MSCC), B Vijaykumar (Spitfire MS) and Sanjay Sharma (PCRT).
Fifty-eight-year-old Prithiviraj, the dynamic fountainhead of the highly active club in the home of Indian motorsports Coimbatore, takes over from Akbar Ebrahim, who led FMSCI for the last two years, igniting the sport in the country and setting an ambitious agenda for the future.
The new council including the president and vice-president, which has been increased from eight to 10, vowed to carry forward the good work of the outgoing president, promising to create more platforms for the youth in the country and adding new championships and verticals in all its disciplines.
“This is a proud moment for FMSCI. We all have a common goal now and I am sure this powerful council can do wonders to motorsports in the country,” newly-elected president Prithiviraj said.
ends
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5th round of MRF Mogrip Supercross at Nashik
MRF MOGRIP-FMSCI NATIONAL SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP 2018
Nashik, 27 Nov 2018: Top guns are expected to take part in the Round 5 of the the 5th and penultimate round of the 19th edition of the MRF MoGrip FMSCI National Supercross Championship 2018 which returns to Nashik. This will be the 5th round of the 6-round FMSCI National Supercross Championship 2018.
The MRF Mogrip fmsci National Supercross Championship is thebiggest off-road 2-wheeler National Racing Championship in India.
Godspeed Racing, Pune spearheaded by 7-times National motocross champion Shyam Kothari have won the rights to promote the championship for the last 6 years hence, Godspeed Racing is organising this year’s championship too.
MRF Tyres along with Godspeed Racing have made a comeback to Nashik and have made this city a part of the racing calendar for this year due to the massive response this event garnered in the previous year.
VENUES 2018:
R # 1 –COCHIN – Completed
R # 2 – GOA – Completed
R# 3 – COIMBATORE – Completed
R # 4 – JAIPUR – Completed
R # 5 – NASHIK – Scheduled
R # 6 – VADODARA – Scheduled
‘Supercross is a motorcycling sport that involves off-road motorcycles racing on artificially created dirt track consisting of steep jumps and obstacles’
The 19th edition of the MRF MoGrip-FMSCI National Supercross championship has attracted almost 100 participants across the 8 categories in each of their previous events. Supercross is gaining popularity in India, with close to ten thousand spectators in hordes at each of the venues last year, leading to an increase in participation and growing involvement and support from Corporate houses and media alike.
MRF Tyres Limited is the title sponsor; TVS Motor Company, Sidvin Energy and IOC Servo are associate sponsors. Also partnering with this Championship are Amor & Vega Helmets.
The Categories:- SX 1 (Foreign Open, Group A, Two/Four Stroke, up to 250cc Two-Stroke and 500cc Four-Stroke
- SX 2 Foreign Open, Group A, Two/Four Stroke, up to 250cc Two-Stroke and 500cc Four-Stroke
- Junior SX, Group A/B/C/D up to 260cc
- Indian Expert Class, Group B, Two/Four Stroke, up to 260cc
- Indian Expert Class, Group C Two/Four Stroke, up to 260cc
- Expert Class, Group C, Two/Four Stroke, up to 260cc
- Novice Class, Group C, Two/Four Stroke, up to 260cc
- Locals Class
Nashik and its terrain is extremely demanding for the man and the machine and when this event in Nasik is scheduled as a penultimate round of the championship, it promises to change a lot of equations in the points table. The riders and teams are completely focussed on getting their set-up, fitness and strategies spot on in order to take full advantage of these conditions.
The technically demanding track is 750 meters in length, which includes 12 double jumps, a cut tabletop, 1 tabletop, whoops and berms. The organizers have created a very demanding track, which will separate the boys from the men.
1st FMX show in Nashik! For the 1st time in history, the city of Nashik stands to witness a thrilling ‘Freestyle Motocross ‘ show which will be put up by 2 of Australia’s top FMX athletes Shaun Webb who will ride a Honda CR 450 and Jordan Sprague who will be astride a Yamaha YZ 250 and we will be able to witness some of the most unbelievable tricks and stunts ever performed on motorcycles.
The scrutiny & administration checks for this event will be held on Friday the 23rd of November& Saturday the 24th of November 2018
Venue Address: ‘Pethe Nagar, behind Kaka ka dhaba, Indiranagar, ’
Mumbai Agra Nashik Highway
Date: Sunday 25th November 2018
Time : 10:00 a.m onwards
