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Tag: Indian
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Akash Dingare inches closer to title at Motorcycle Nationals
Chennai, 13 Dec 2013: The final round of the Indian National Motorcycle Championship got underway at the MMRT with India’s leading motorcycle rider’s in action. A total of 13 races took place with many action packed races. 10 riders from Nepal also took place in the one make championships with leading 2-wheeler manufacturers Honda, Yamaha and TVS Racing.
In the YZF R15 Novice category of the Yamaha MMSC One Make Championship. Akash Dingare inched a step closer to the title with a win over Lal Rindika. Championship contender A Muralidharan, who trailed by a point as they headed into the final round had to retire after 4 laps. Shreyas Shankar came third.
Race 2 of the day saw Sumit Lucas Toppo take the title with a close fought win in the CBR 150cc open category in the Honda MMSC One Make Championship. With the top separated by less than one second it was a thrilling race that saw many lead changes. Toppo managed to hold on in the end beating Ananth Raj and Arvind Ganesh. In the Group D 130cc Novice category, C Akash won ahead of KY Ahamed and S Kannan.
K Rajni and Deepak R had a terrific battle in the 165CC Group C category with the former just edging ahead. Both riders started well and were side-by-side for most of the race but Rajni managed to pull ahead on the final lap. K Jagan had to settle for third place after holding off Dinesh Kumar.
The TVS MMSC One Make Championship with the TVS Apache RTR 180 Novice was up next. Lal Rindika continued his excellent run with a 4th consecutive win that puts him in with a chance for the title as well. Championship leader KY Ahamed came in second but has his lead cut to 4 points. Pole sitter Amit Richard came in third place.
In the Yamaha MMSC One Make Championship in YZF R15 Open category, Mathana Kumar continued his fine run of form to close in on Championship leader Shyam Shankar with a dominating win. The battle for second was extremely close with Shyam Shankar, Ananth Raj and Abhishek all finishing within a second off each other.
In the Honda CBF Stunner Novice category, Amit Richard took his first win of the year after holding off Akash Dingare for the win. Mithun Kumar took the final step of the podium. Championship leader Meka Vidhuraj got a penalty and finished in 4th place.
In the Group D 165cc Novice class, Akash Dingare comfortably won ahead of Championship leader Meka Vidhuraj. GA Sunil took his first ever podium finish, albeit 20 seconds off the winner.
Race 9 of the day was the Honda MMSC One Make Championship with the CBR 250cc bikes. Sarath Kumar beat rival K Rajni in convincing fashion. Dinesh Kumar held off A Prabhu to finish third in a closely contested race.
In the Apache RTR 180 open category, which is part of the TVS MMSC One Make Championship, Mathana Kumar won a tight race ahead of Arvind Ganesh and Ananth Raj. For most of the race the top 4 riders were covered by less than a second.
The second YZF R15 Novice race in the Yamaha MMSC One Make Championship took place next with Mizoram rider Lal Rindika beating Akash Dingare by less than three tenths of a second at the finish line. Both riders swapped places many times before Rindika finished ahead. Amit Richard finished a distant third.
The penultimate race of the day saw Sumit Lucas Toppo winning yet again in the CBR 150cc open category in the Honda MMSC One Make Championship. Arun Muthukrishnan finished in second place ahead of D Dinesh.
The final race of the day saw KY Ahamed take the win in the Group D 130cc Novice category. After a race long battle with S Kannan, Ahamed took the lead on the last lap and held on for the win. E Saravanan secured third spot.
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FIA recognises FMSCI as sole representative in India
Chennai, 7 Dec 2013: The FIA (Federation International Automobile) General Assembly and FIA Prize Giving Gala took place in Paris, France this week with India featured prominently at the event. The FIA General Assembly announced that it has removed the MAI (Motorsport Association of India) from any membership and association with the FIA and consequently removed from its rolls. This was just passed unanimously on the floor based on a recommendation by the World Motor Sport Council. This makes the FMSCI, governing body of Motorsports in India, the sole approved representative for the FIA in India.
In other news FMSCI Chairman Dr. Vijay Mallya, who became the first ever Indian to sit on the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC), we re-elected after he was personally handpicked by FIA President Jean Todt. 14 members were elected out of a total of 24 who stood for the elections.
The annual FIA Prize-Giving Gala took place last night and the winners and champions from around the world were honoured including Formula One Champion Sebastian Vettel, World Rally Champion (WRC) Sebastian Ogier, World Karting Champion Max Verstappen, and India’s very Gaurav Gill, the 2013 Asia Pacific Rally Championship, along with many others. Global Manufacturer’s including Volkswagen Motorsport (WRC), Audi AG (World Endurance Champion), Honda (World Touring Car Champion) were also honoured.
FMSCI President Vicky Chandhok, who was present in Paris, commented, “This is a great week for Indian motorsport. Every year we are getting a bigger with regard to our involvement with the FIA. Being recognized as the only representative in India by the FIA has been long time coming and we are thrilled with the decision. Dr. Vijay Mallya being re-elected to the WMSC is proof of India being recognized as an important voice in the world of motorsports. And finally to see Gaurav Gill with the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Sebastian Ogier, Allen McNish being honoured together is a great sight for Indian motorsport.”
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L to R Vicky Chandhok, Gaurav Gill, Jean Todt at the FIA gala in Paris on Friday. An FIA/Adrenna photo -
Gaurav Gill honoured at the FIA prize-giving Gala
Paris, 6 Dec 2013: As the annual FIA Prize-Giving Gala honoured winners and champions from around the world for the year 2013, Gaurav Gill became the only Indian in the champions’ list. He won the Asia Pacific Rally Championship along with New Zealander Glenn Macneall.
Gaurav Gill (2nd from left) receiving the APRC trophy at the FIA prize-giving ceremony in Paris on Friday. An FIA photo The annual FIA Prize-Giving Gala, held in Paris, France, took place this evening and the following winners and champions from around the world were honoured:FIA Formula One World Championship The Bernie Ecclestone Trophy
Formula One Promotional Trophies
FIA World Rally Championship
FIA World Endurance Championship
FIA World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers
FIA World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers
FIA Personality of the Year
FIA World Touring Car Championship
CIK-FIA World KZ Championship
CIK-FIA World KF Championship
FIA Moment of the Year
FIA WRC 2 Championship
FIA WRC 3 Championship
FIA Junior WRC Championship
FIA World Cup For Cross Country Rally
FIA Middle East Rally Championship
FIA African Rally Championship
FIA European Rally Championship
FIA Codasur Rally Championship
FIA Nacam Rally Championship
FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
FIA European Formula 3 Championship
FIA Masters Historic Formula One
ChampionshipFIA World Land Speed Records
FIA Outstanding Official
FIA Founding Members Heritage Cup
Champion Driver: Sebastian Vettel (DEU)
Champion Constructor: Red Bull Racing (AUT)Winner: DMSB (DEU)
Winning Promoter: Brazilian Grand Prix (BRA)
Winning TV: Sky Sports (GBR)Champion Driver: Sébastien Ogier (FRA)
Champion Co-Driver: Julien Ingrassia (FRA)
Champion Manufacturer: Volkswagen Motorsport
(DEU)Champion Drivers: Allan McNish (GBR)
Loïc Duval (FRA)
Tom Kristensen (DAN)
Champion Manufacturer: Audi AG (DEU)Winner: Gianmaria Bruni (ITA)
Winning Team: Ferrari (ITA)
Robert Kubica (POL)
Champion Driver: Yvan Muller (FRA)
Champion Manufacturer: Honda (JPN)Champion: Max Verstappen (NLD)
Champion: Tom Joyner (GBR)
Winner – Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia
Champion Driver: Robert Kubica (POL)
Champion Co-Driver: Maciek Baran (POL)Champion Driver: Sébastien Chardonnet (FRA)
Champion Co-Driver: Thibault de la Haye (FRA)Champion Driver: Pontus Tidemand (SWE)
Champion Co-Driver: Ola Floene (NOR)Champion Driver: Krzysztof Holowczyc (POL)
Champion Co-Driver: Andreas Schulz (GER)
Champion Team: X-Raid Monster Energy (GER)Champion Driver: Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)
Champion Co-Driver: Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA)Champion Driver: Jassy Singh (ZMB)
Champion Co-Driver: David Sihoka (ZAM)
Champion Manufacturer: SUBARU (JPN)
Champion Manufacturer: Skoda (CZE)Champion Driver: Jan Kopecký (CZE)
Champion Co-Driver: Pavel Dresler (CZE)Champion Driver: Gustavo Saba (PRY)
Champion Co-driver: Victor Aguilera (PRY)Champion Driver: Ricardo Triviño (MEX)
Champion Co-Driver: Eduardo Corrales (CRC)Champion Driver: Gaurav Gill (IND)
Champion Co-Driver: Glenn Macneall (NZL)Champion Driver: Raffaele Marciello (ITA)
Champion Team: Prema Powerteam (ITA)Stewart/Fittipaldi Classes Champion: John Delane (USA)
Head/Lauda Classes Champion: Gregory Thornton (GBR)Drayson Racing (GBR)
Michael Scholz (DEU)
Martin Pfundner (AUT)
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Hulkenberg returns to Sahara Force India with a multi-year deal
Silverstone, 3 Dec 2013: Sahara Force India is delighted to confirm that Nico Hulkenberg will return to Sahara Force India in 2014 after agreeing for a multi-year deal, a Sahara Force India release said on Tuesday here.The 26-year-old German is no stranger to Sahara Force India having spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons with the team. The already strong working relationship will ensure a smooth transition as the team moves into the new era of Formula One™.Sahara Force India’s full 2014 driver line-up will be announced in due course.Dr Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director: “I’m delighted to see Nico back with Sahara Force India. When he drove for us in 2012, it became clear Nico was an exceptional talent and he has continued to impress everyone in the paddock with his strong performances this season. Having Nico in our line-up is a real statement of intent and a huge boost for everyone associated with the team. We have high hopes and expectations for 2014 and by signing Nico we have put ourselves in the best position to achieve those objectives and enjoy what could be our most competitive season yet.”Nico Hulkenberg: “I am happy to come back to Sahara Force India. The team is aiming high for next year and I believe that the experience I have gained over the years will help us achieve those goals. I genuinely believe we can have a competitive package in 2014. I’ve heard a lot of positive things about the Mercedes engine as well, so I think there is a lot to be excited about for next year. I know this team and I can see their determination; it’s a great bunch of people and we all share the same hunger for success.”eomfile photo of Nico Hulkenberg. an FIA photo -
Rupert Svendsen-Cook wins thriller at Bahrain; Ghorpade 13th
Sakhir (Bahrain), 29 Nov 2013: British driver Rupert Svendsen-Cook took his second consecutive win as he won Race 1 of Round 2 of the MRF Challenge 2013 at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir, Bahrain. Starting third on the grid, Svensen-Cook got a brilliant start to pass both pole-sitter Tio Ellinas and Arthur Pic around the outside into the first corner on lap 1. Svendsen-Cook led from then on but was pushed all the way to the chequered flag with both Pic and Ellinas right on his tail till the chequered flag.
At the start of the race, both Ellinas and Pic started well and were side-by-side on the run-up to the first corner. As Ellinas and Pic squeezed each other, Svendsen-Cook took the lead by going around the outside of both of them. Pic then got a run on Svendsen-Cook as they approached turn 4 but could not make a
From left: Arthur Pic, Svendsen Cook and Tio Ellinas at Bahrain on Friday. An Adrenna photo move stick and ended up losing out to Ellinas, who overtook him into turn 4. Ellinas and Pic continued to battle as Svendsen-Cook pulled away at the front. Meanwhile, Harry Tincknell started charging through the field after dropping back to 8th place and was soon up to 4th position. The safety car had to come out on lap 2 as Sam Dejonghe was punted into a roll. With the car upside down Marshalls rushed to the car as the driver walked away unhurt.
At the safety car re-start Svendsen-Cook led as Ellinas was busy holding off Pic. Ellinas made a mistake in the last corner of lap 4 which helped Pic jump him into the first corner. Pic set the fastest lap of the race as he started catching Svendsen-Cook. With two laps to go Ellinas joined the fight with the top three being separated by less than a second. Svendsen-Cook managed to hold off both Pic and Ellinas to win the race. Tincknell finished in 4th place ahead of Shinya Michimi and Yudai Jinkawa, who will start on pole position for tomorrow’s reverse-grid race. Brazilian driver Renan Guerra had finished in 5th but received a 30 second penalty.
Race winner Rupert Svendsen-Cook was thrilled to take his second victory in a row. He commented, “It feels absolutely great to win again in the series. This has done wonders for my confidence and my pace is really good. I saw Pic and Ellinas battling and I decided to go around the outside of turn 1. After that I just had to keep them behind and even though they were quick I managed to hold on for the win. Tomorrow will be tougher but I am sure I can get a good result.”
Second place man Arthur Pic commented, “I had a good start in comparison with Tio but not as good as Rupert. Tio and me were side-by-side but he was fair and left me enough room. My first lap was not so good as I dropped back to 3rd place. After the safety car I got past Tio when he made a mistake. I was catching Rupert but made a mistake as well. I am not sure if I could have passed him but would have definitely tried. The pace was really good today so hopefully I can push for the win tomorrow.”
Third place finisher Tio Ellinas was felt he should have finished higher up after securing a double pole yesterday. He commented, “I did not get a good start and lost out to Rupert and Arthur into turn 1. I managed to get past Arthur in turn 4 before the safety car came out. After that I made a mistake on the last corner and Arthur got past me again. I think the top 3 were so similar on pace that we could not overtake without the other one making a mistake. I will have a fresh set of tyres tomorrow so Race 3&4 should be a lot better and I will fight for the win.”
Indian drivers Parth Ghorpade and Raj Bharath finished in 13th & 14th place while Vikash Anand retired at the start with a mechanical problem. Bharath, driving in the series for the first time started 19th and fought his way up to 14th position.
Race 2 of the day was cancelled due the bad light and will take place in the following round.
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MRF Challenge 2013 heads to Bahrain for Round 2
Chennai, 27 Nov 2013: Round 2 of the MRF Challenge 2013 season will kick-off this weekend with the Indian based series heading to the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir, Bahrain. The FIA sanctioned MRF Challenge will continue to mix it with the elite in international motorsport as it will serve as one of the main support races for the FIA World Endurance Championship round. This will be the first time that an Indian series, which includes race cars made in India and run on Indian tyres, will race internationally. This weekend will see 4 races of the MRF Formula 2000 cars in action, India’s faster single-seater cars.
The MRF Challenge also announced the addition of young Indian driver Raj Bharath who will join the championship in Round 2 at Bahrain. He will join other Indian drivers Parth Ghorpade and Vikash Anand on the grid. The battle will resume with Formula Renault 3.5 driver Arthur Pic defending his championship lead against GP3 driver Tio Ellinas and British driver Rupert Svendsen-Cook. The weekend will have 2 free practice sessions, one qualifying session and 4 races this weekend. Other races this weekend include the FIA WEC and the Porsche GT3 Cup.
Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Tyres, commented, “We had a great start to the season in India and now we move on to Bahrain for Round 2 of the MRF Challenge 2013. We are proud to be the first Indian tyre manufacturer to race our tyres internationally in a single-seater series. This is a huge step not only for us, but Indian motorsport as well. The circuit is challenging for drivers and we are confident of another action packed race this weekend.”
The MRF Challenge boasts some of the top upcoming drivers across the world with Formula Renault 3.5 driver Arthur Pic leading the charge. Both Pic and second placed Tio Ellinas were busy after Round 1 as they tested the GP2 car in Abu Dhabi. GP2 Series and Formula Renault 3.5 both serve as the top feeder series for Formula 1 and it is a great for the MRF Challenge to have drivers of this calibre competing here.
The Indian challenge will be boosted with the addition of young driver Raj Bharath joining the competition. Bharath had a successful year in the Formula Masters China Series with race wins, pole positions and podium finishes. Bharath and Parth Ghorpade are the only two Indians to race in internationally single-seater categories this year, along with MRF driver Narain Karthikeyan.
J Anand, Managing Director, JA Motorsports, strongly believes that it can only help young Indian drivers to compete with the best drivers from Europe. He commented, “Our objective was always to build an international series attracting the best drivers from across the globe. This also helps our young Indian drivers develop as they work and compete against a good line-up of drivers. Bahrain will be a new challenge for all the drivers and they are all very excited to be driving over here.”
About MRF Challenge 2013
The four round calendar will include 14 races, and will see the leading single-seater racing category in India go international with two rounds to be held in Bahrain in November and December. The final round of the championship will be held in Chennai in February. MRF also confirmed a prize money of Rs. 6,500,000 for the winners of the Championship.
In its second year, the MRF Challenge 2013 will feature 18 MRF Formula 2000 race cars, which have been made in India by JA Motorsport based in Coimbatore, in collaboration with Dallara, world’s largest racing car manufacturer and also Jayem Automotives Ltd, which is a strategic partner for Tata Motors Ltd. The Formula 3 style car has been built by JA Motorsport in technical collaboration with Dallara, and is considered to be the fastest of its kind in Asia. The MRF Formula 2000 is powered by a 2.0 litre 210 BHP Renault Sport Engine and will have a Hewland 6-Speed sequential gearbox. The race car has also been crash tested to FIA F3 safety standards and will race with MRF ZLO slick and wet tyres.
Please go to www.mrfracing.in for information on Championship Standings.
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Sahara Force India looks forward to closing the gap for 5th place: Mallya
Silverstone, 12 Nov 2013: As Sahara Force India gets ready for round 18 of the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship, here are the views of the team Principal Vijay Mallya and the drivers, Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil. As the team came back into reckoning with two double points finishes in the last two races, Mallya looks forward to another fruitful year at the US GP.Vijay Mallya looks back on a strong team performance in Abu Dhabi and ahead to Austin.Dr Mallya, sum up the mood after two races with double points finishes…I’m very pleased with the last couple of races. As in the first part of the season, we’ve recaptured our form and maximised car performance. We’ve managed the last two races very well and taken a different approach with the strategy. In Abu Dhabi we were the only team to achieve a one-stop race with both cars, which was a bold decision. We managed to pull off the perfect strategy and picked up the rewards.The team’s position in the championship is now looking much stronger…We’re certainly in better shape, but will never take anything for granted. We’ve scored 15 points in two races and we now have some breathing space behind us. But we won’t change our approach heading to Austin. We will go there focussed on closing the gap to fifth place, which is just 18 points.What are your expectations for the United States Grand Prix?I think everybody was impressed by our first visit to Austin last year. The race was a real success and it’s great to see the interest from such an important market. We were in the points last year and we go there determined to get some more this year.Paul on AmericaPaul Di Resta looks forward to visiting Austin.Paul, twelve points for you from the last two races – you must be a happy man…These results are a massive boost for everyone at Sahara Force India. In Abu Dhabi we played the long game and the strategy was spot on. We focussed more on the race set-up rather than one-lap pace and that was the key to making the one-stop strategy work. We’ve also got the car into the window that gives more consistency and confidence. Everything came together and it was a great team performance.Looking ahead to Austin, are you excited to be going back to the United States?It’s great to have a race there, especially at such an impressive facility. I still remember the huge crowd that came to the race last year and the amazing atmosphere. The place was absolutely packed and the whole city was very enthusiastic about Formula One. We go there with high hopes and will try and build on the performance of Abu Dhabi.Which part of the track do you enjoy the most?Sector one stands out for me. It’s very similar to the Maggots and Becketts sequence at Silverstone and the fast chicanes work the car and tyres really hard. It’s a very enjoyable part of the lap and those corners really show you the potential of a Formula One car. The rest of the lap is quite open with a great flow. A lot of the corners are off-camber, too, which adds another challenge.Adrian on AmericaAdrian Sutil prepares for his first experience of the Circuit of The AmericasAdrian, how are you feeling after two races in the points?It’s good to be scoring points again. It’s not been easy and we’ve taken some brave decisions with the strategy and that paid us back. But at the same time you always want to improve and there are still some areas with the car balance where we can make some gains. Hopefully we can make some progress so that I feel more comfortable in Austin.Will this be your first visit to Austin?Yes, but I’ve spent time in America before. I’ve been to a few of the big cities: New York, Los Angeles and Miami, but never to Texas. I hear it’s a beautiful place with a lot happening so it sounds like a great location. I’ve heard lots of good things about the Circuit of The Americas, too.You’ve driven the track on a simulator. What did you think of the layout?It’s a very unusual lap with a big variation of corners. The first sector is interesting with so many turns one after the other and it looks like there are some nice high-speed corners. The feedback I’ve heard is very positive and everyone says it’s smooth and enjoyable to drive. From what I’ve seen it appears to be one of the better new generation tracks so I’m looking forward to getting there and trying it for myself.
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Vijay Mallya (left) and Monica Kalternborn at a press meet in India. Now that he managed to keep the lady at bay, Mallya wants to attack McLaren for a 5th place. A BIC photo -
Gaurav Gill/Musa Sherif thrill the crowds; Ghosh/ Naik win INRC title
Tumkur, 10 Nov 2013: Speed maestro Gaurav Gill and experienced navigator Musa Sherif topped the time sheets and cheered the crowds with their thrilling drifts and daring speed runs in the SUV class as Mahindra Adventure Rally team but all eyes were on reigning National champions Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik, who clocked steady timings. Sporting MRF colours, the duo clinched their second consecutive National title as the IMG 39th K-1000 rally, the fourth round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), concluded near here on Sunday.
Driving a Mahindra XUV 50, the newly-crowned Asia Pacific Rally Champion Gill, has to be satisfied with the SUV Rally Championship title. He is not in contention for the INRC title as he entered a non-INRC class. Teammates Lohitt Urs and co-driver Bonnie Thomas finished second. Malaysian rally ace and former WRC (production) and APRC winner Karamjit Singh and co-driver Jagdev Singh, who set the best times after Gill in their factory-prepared Polo R2 won the Indian Rally Championship.
Driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Cedia in Group N 1600 class, Ghosh and Naik clocked 1hr, 34 mins and 46.6 seconds. Rahul Kantharaj and Vivek Bhat, who were third overnight, took the second place pushing Prithvi Dominic and Pruthivi Sthal to third.
Ghosh will be out of country and will be missing the final round at Chikmaglur next month due to last-minute change in the dates. “I am very happy to clinch the championship here. We were under tremendous pressure but we managed to drive safely and clock steady times,” said the Kolkota rallyist, whose father Arindam Ghosh won the K-1000 in 1981.
Driving a Volkswagen Polo rally car in the INRC 1600cc class, championship leader Arjun Rao and co-driver Satish Rajagopal, who were trailing Phalguna Urs and Anoop Kumar by a narrow margin yesterday, managed to gain 17 seconds in SS 8 to pip them to second place. Sirish Chandran and co-driver Nikhil Pai of Slideways Industries, also in a Volkswagen Polo rally car, came third.
In the Junior INRC class, Suhem MK and navigator Jeevarathinam came first followed by Aroor Viram Rao and co-driver Somayya AG. Rohan Pawar and Arjun Mehta finished third while Championship leader Asad Khan and co-driver Zayne Asrar could manage only a sixth place.
Ten cars out of the 37 that took the starting flag failed to finish the rally. The fifth and final round of the INRC will be held at Chikmaglur on Dec 6, 7 and 8.
Provisional Results (unaudited):
INRC Overall / 2000cc: 1. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Cedia) 1hr, 34mins, 46.6 secs; 2. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Bhatt 1:36:39.2. 3. Arjun Rao / Satish Rajagopal (VW Polo) 01:37:36.0.
INRC / 2000cc: 1. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Cedia) 1hr, 34mins, 46.6 secs; 2. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Bhatt 1:36:39.2. 3. Pruthvi Dominic / Purthivi Sthal (Cedia) 1:45:45.1.
INRC 1600cc:1. Arjun Rao / Satish Rajagopal (VW Polo) 01:37:36.0; 2. Phalguna V Urs / Anoop Kumar DS (VW Polo) 01:37:37.4; 3. Sirish Chandran / Nikhil Pai (VW Polo, Slidways Industries) 01:37:45.1.
JINRC: 1. Suhem MK / J Jeevarathinam 1:40:49.7; 2. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya AG 1:42:45.6; 3. Rohan Pawar / Arjun Mehta 1:44:54.4.
SUV NRC:1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Mahindra Adventure Rally) 1:30:56.3; 2. Lohitt Urs / Bonnie Thomas (Mahindra Adventure Rally) 01:35:24.5.
IRC:1. Karamjit Singh / Jagdev Singh (VW Polo R2, Slideways Industries) 1:31:50.4; 2. Sumit Panjabi / Prakhyath Shirole (Cedia) 1:53:36.51.
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Volkswagen Motorsport’s Rally-Spec Polo R2 testing begins at K1000 today
Malaysian rally ace and Team Slideways Industries driver Karamjit Singh to test the Polo R2 during the upcoming IMS K-1000 Rally
- Polo R2 will start competing in the Indian Rally Championship from 2014 season
Pune, November 5, 2013 – Volkswagen Motorsport India will begin the testing of Polo R2, a specially developed rally car, during the upcoming IMS K-1000 Rally at Bangalore. Multi-APRC title holder Karamjit Singh, who has been driving for Team Slideways Industries, will get behind the wheel of the newly developed prototype. The Polo R2 will compete in a new category that will be introduced by FMSCI in the Indian Rally Championship (IRC) 2014.
Volkswagen Motorsport India has been the pioneer of one-make car racing series in India. Polo Cup started in 2010 and is now in its fourth successful season. While young talent has been identified, trained and promoted to international racing series through the Polo R Cup series over the last few years, it was time for Volkswagen Motorsport India to expand to other forms of motorsport in India. The logical step was taken with the extension of technical support to rally teams competing with Volkswagen Polo in the Indian National Rally Championship.
In an effort to further promote our association with Indian motorsport, Volkswagen Motorsport India has now developed its first prototype of the Volkswagen Polo R2 – a rally-spec version of the Polo. The Polo R2 will compete in a new category R2 that will be introduced by FMSCI in IRC from 2014 season. Before entering the competitive season, the Polo R2 will be tested at upcoming IMS K-1000 Rally in Bangalore and then at the Chikmaglur Rally in December 2013.
The Polo R2 is powered with a four cylinder 1.6-litre MPI petrol engine that produces over 130 PS of power. The engine has been mated with a 5-speed manual transmission. Other modifications to the car include Reiger Suspension and uprated Alcon brakes (285mm front disc and 255mm rear disc). The bodywork modifications comprise of aerodynamic body kit, rear spoiler, a roof vent and stripped interiors. From safety point of view, the car has been equipped with FIA-spec roll-cage, fire extinguisher system and OMP rally seats with six-point harness for the driver and navigator. The Polo R2 will run on 15-inch alloy wheels shod with JK Rally tyres.
Prithviraj Siddappa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, said “The first running in of the car has been done and the feedback has been good so far. Karamjit Singh has been driving the Group N Polo this season for which we have been providing technical and spares support at the rally stages. He will now move up to the R2 which is a more powerful car. His inputs are crucial for us in developing the car further and we hope to see some positive steps after the K-1000 Rally.”
Mahesh Kodumudi, President and Managing Director, Volkswagen India Private Limited, commented “The Volkswagen Polo is a perfect example of German engineering. And when the engineering is right, it is always possible to extract more out of the car. Pushing the performance of the car to the limits and putting it through extreme driving will only bring out the Polo’s real potential. I believe that the Polo R2 is our next step in showcasing the capabilities of the car.”
Motor sports enthusiasts interested in getting further information can log on to the website, www.volkswagen-motorsport.in. This website displays information about all the activities undertaken by Volkswagen Motorsport India.
Follow Volkswagen Motorsport India on Facebook: www.facebook.com/vwindiam and Twitter: www.twitter.com/vwmotorsportind
About Volkswagen Motorsport
In more than 40 years of motorsport history Volkswagen has been setting standards primarily in three areas: The brand celebrated exploits in touring car racing, formula racing and rally racing.
The brand’s history in motorsport started in 1966, in formula racing. Formula V – “V” stood for Volkswagen – became an important career step for drivers like Keke Rosberg or Niki Lauda. With 58 hp and the robust technology of the Beetle it offered favourably priced entry and high-quality racing for young drivers. Later, one-make cups like Formula König powered by Volkswagen and Formula Volkswagen built upon this line and consistently followed through on the one-make cup idea with standard chassis. In 2008 Formula ADAC powered by Volkswagen started to continue this tradition.In comparison with other manufacturers Volkswagen set the pace on the formula stage as well. Between 1979 and 1994 Volkswagen, as a Formula 3 engine manufacturer, won 55 international titles, including seven in Germany. Since September 2007 Volkswagen has been competing in the Formula 3 Euro Series, since 2008 in the German Formula 3 Cup and since 2009 in the British Formula 3, and with success: 2009 saw the title wins in the German and British Championships, and 2010 in all three series. At the prestigious Formula 3 finale in Macau in November 2009 and 2010 Edoardo Mortara celebrated wins “powered by Volkswagen”.
Successes in rally sport
While the first off-road excursions date back all the way to the 1970s, Volkswagen has been systematically promoting young talent since 1980. For half a decade, the Golf Rally Cup offered optimum opportunities to young drivers. Concurrently, Volkswagen in the 1986 World Rally Championship (WRC) clinched the title win in Group A with the Golf and driver Kenneth Eriksson. In cross-country rally sport the brand achieved its first big exploit by winning the 1980 Dakar Rally. From 2009 to 2011 Volkswagen became the first manufacturer to win the legendary rallye with a car powered by a Diesel engine. Volkswagen created history once again by re-entering the WRC 2013 and winning the championship in the debut season itself.
Attractive one-make cups in touring car racing
In more than three decades Volkswagen has shaped the touring car scene as well. The Scirocco Cup, as the first one-make cup from 1976 onwards, produced a subsequent Formula 1 driver, Manfred Winkelhock. It was followed by the Golf Cup and the Lupo/Polo Cup from which numerous talented drivers managed to ascend to higher-level series. Currently, the Scirocco R-Cup is setting bench-marks in the European racing circuits.
Follow the link to take a visual sneak-peek into the history of Volkswagen Motorsport:
http://www.volkswagen-motorsport.com/index.php?id=128&L=1
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Gill creates history as he becomes first Indian to win APRC Title
Longyou (China), 2 Nov 2013: Indian driver Gaurav Gill created history by becoming the first Indian to win the top class in the 2013 FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship title after finishing Day 1 of the Rally of China at the wheel of his Team MRF ŠKODA Fabia S2000 here on Saturday.
According to Adrenna Communications’ release, title rival and team-mate Esapekka Lappi was leading at the end of Day 1 with Gill in second place. Gill, with Australian co-driver, Glenn Macneall, only had to finish the rally to secure his first APRC title, while Lappi is in a position to move up to second in the championship, having finished second in the S2000 category at the recent Sanremo Rally in Italy.
Gill’s team-mate lads Esapekka Lappi from Finland leads the event by 4 minutes. There’s still one day to go, before the finish when Gill and the team can celebrate on the APRC podium. Gill suffered a puncture which cost him 2-3 minutes but managed to get back in the rally.
Team MRF Driver Gaurav Gill (India), 2013 FIA APRC Champion commented “This is definitely the high-light of my career so far, we’ve come close on several other occasions and this year wasn’t easy either. I have to thank the team, my co-driver Glenn (Macneall), Skoda and a big thank you to MRF tyres too as they’ve stuck with me all these years and so it’s nice to reward them and my country. We stopped and changed tyre losing 2-3 minutes, but the main thing is to get the car back here.”
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Gaurav Gill of India pilots the MRF Skoda to finish Day 1 and take the APRC titles in the China leg on Saturday. An Adrenna Communications photo
