INDIA in F1

Tag: INRC

  • K1000 flagged off

    K1000 flagged off

    Bengaluru, March 11: The Karnataka-1000 Rally organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club was flagged off by Karnataka Minister for Youth Empowerment and Sports Narayana Gowda, here on Friday. The 45th edition of the iconic rally that began in 1975 is the second round of the delayed FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021.

    With MRF Tyres as associate sponsor, the stage-rally attracted 53 entries from all over the country in all categories. While the top class, INRC, has five entries with strong contenders Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif, leading the pack with Karna Kadur behind them in a Volkswagen Polo 1.6, along with senior navigator Nikhil Pai. The two INRC cars will open the stages in that order followed by 2019 champion brothers Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan, who spearhead the INRC2 bunch, followed by current INRC2 leader, Fabid Ahmer (co-driver Sanath G) and Sahil Khanna and co-driver Harish KN.

    There are 10 INRC2 cars while the number in INRC3 reduced from 23 in the first round in Coimbatore to 19 here. INRC4 will be with 9 entries while the FMSCI Gypsy Challenge will witness 10 competitors. Five of these drivers are eligible for the Junior INRC title-fight and the number of lady drivers reduced from 10 in Coimbatore to seven here. The fastest lady driver Athira Murali has skipped the event as her co-dirver George is not well and the popular Malayalam vlogger could not find a replacement in time.

    The competitors who tasted the terrain finishing the reccee on Friday headed back for tedious drive to Bengaluru again for the ill-conceived schedule pitted the important Driver’s briefing and Ceremonial start in a star hotel in the Garden city. Ideally, the show should have been completed on Thursday in Bengaluru. That would have allowed some breathing space for the competitors. The now have the Special Stages for two days of competition near the town of Gubbi, about 100 Kms from Bengaluru on Saturday and Sunday. The first Special Stage is scheduled to start at 9:15 am on Saturday.

    At a pre-event Press Conference, seven times National champion Gaurav Gill, along with co-driver Musa Sherif who is participating in his 300th Rally, described the Special Stages after this morning’s reccee as “super-fast and technical”, a view shared by all competitors.

    “There are some fast tarmac stretches where the speeds can touch 180kmph and there are some rough and tricky bits too. So, it is important to get the right speeds. For me, the mantra is controlled aggression to maximise the points,” Gill, a three times FIA Asia Pacific Rally champion, said.

    Sherif, 50, from Kasargod, in response to felicitations on reaching a milestone of 300 rallies, said: “It started as a hobby in 1993 but soon became a full-time passion and I never thought I would do so many rallies without a break. I thank all the drivers, sponsors, crews, teammates, and my fans, for this wonderful moment. It is they who gave me these opportunities.”

    Musa Sherif, will be starting his 300th rally. Starting as a rider in 1993, he shifted to cars in 1995. These 300 include bike rallies, four-wheeler rallies and also the TSD . rallies, both in India and abroad, for an overall triple century. He read pace notes and “called” for 49 different drivers and competed in 69 international events. Some of the top drivers who he ably assisted were Gaurav Gill, Karamjit Singh and Naren Kumar. He was nominated for Khel Ratna by the federation last year. He won 35 INRC 4W rounds out of which 33 victories came with Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill, the longest and greatest partnership ever in the history of Indian National Rally Championship.

    Leader in the INRC-2 category after a class win in the first round at Coimbatore a fortnight back, Palakkad’s Fabid Ahmer said: “The terrain is very technical, rough and bumpy. It is a challenge to understand the car at these speeds, but I have made good pace notes with my co-driver and am looking forward to a fast rally.”

    Echoing the sentiments, Mujeeb Rehman, winner of the INRC-4 class in Coimbatore, said: “The terrain is super. I like the fast stages and as they are technically tough, co-ordination with co-driver is very important.”

    Special invitees to the press conference were two top female drivers, Dr. Shivani Pruthvi from Davangere and Pragati Gowda (Bengaluru) who recently represented India in the Formula Woman McLaren (GT) trials in England. Both concurred that the Special Stages are “fast with flowing corners”, but the terrain called for a bit of caution.

    Dr. Shivani Pruthvi:

    “First stage has fast and flowing corners while there are rough, narrow and tight corners that will challenge us in the second stage. So it is very technical and it is important to keep the basics right,” said the Doctor from Davangere, who is also competing in the Junior INRC.

    Pragathi Gowda, who just represented India in the Formula Woman selections in England for a seat in the McLaren Customer Racing drive in the GT said: “Bringing the car home will be our primary goal as the stages are quite tricky compared to Coimbatore. There are uphill and downhill sections with fast-moving corners. We are game for it and looking forward to a good rally.”

    “The iconic K1000 is the mother of all rallies as it is the only rally in India which is active from 1975. The stages for the 45th edition are a re-visit to the 2014 stages and will challenge the drivers’ skills. All safety aspects are taken care of and I wish all the drivers a safe rally,” said Praneeth Perumal, Clerk of the Course, and a veteran administrator of KMSC.

    Pragathi Gowda said: “Bringing the car home will be our primary goal as the stages are quite tricky compared to Coimbatore. There are uphill and downhill sections with fast corners. We are game for it and looking forward to a good rally.”

    About the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021The Indian National Rally Championship 2021, promoted by The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India, comprises three rounds – Rally of Coimbatore (Feb 25-27), Karnataka-1000 (March 11-13) and the South India Rally (Chennai, March 25-27). The grid is segregated into five categories based on various specifications – the INRC, INRC-2, INRC-3, INRC-4 and Junior INRC (26 years and below, and without a win). Competitors are eligible for Overall classification and also separately in their respective categories. The top 15 finishers are eligible for points ranging from 30 to 1. The five quickest on each of the two days (Leg-1 and Leg-2) and in each category receive bonus points (5 to 1) in the respective Legs provided they complete the Rally. The maximum points that can be won in each round is 40. A stand-alone sixth category, the FMSCI Gypsy Challenge, restricted to Maruti Gypsy, and not eligible for championship points or classification, completes the grid.

  • Historic K1000 to begin 45th edition on Friday; 300th rally start for Musa Sherif

    Historic K1000 to begin 45th edition on Friday; 300th rally start for Musa Sherif

    Bengaluru, 9 March 2022: The historic Karnataka-1000 Rally, popularly known as K1000, the longest running rally in India, will see a revival of sorts this weekend when the cream of Indian rallying descends on the dirt stages near Tumkur for the second round of the delayed FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2021 that will begin with recce on Friday. Motorsports stalwart Musa Sherif will be entering his 300th rally as a navigator.

    The thrice postponed INRC, saw the departure of Promoters Champions Yacht Club after the Vizag round became a non-starter due to lack of police permissions. Thus, the 7-round original calendar was reduced to three after the FMSCI took upon itself to host three rounds and successfully completed the Coimbatore leg last month. However, they failed to find a sponsor for the iconic Indian Rally Nationals that acquired a National championship status in 1988. But the tyre giants, MRF chipped in once again, but the pandemic hit corporate got involved only as an Associate Sponsor. The event, which has been continuously organised by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC), annually since 1975, save for a couple of years, was hit by the pandemic last year after it was dropped from the calendar in 2020.

    However, the 45th edition to be held from March 11 to 13, has attracted 53 entries with giants Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif beginning as strong contenders. Musa, 50, a native of Kasargod, is knocking on the doors of a huge record as he steps into the Rally car for his personal milestone of 300 rallies, in a non-stop motor sports career of 30 years that began in 1993 as a teenager.

    Musa Sherif – all set for 300th Rally of his career. Photo: Anand Philar

    After a ceremonial flag-off in Bengaluru at the Fairfield Marriott on Friday evening, the action shifts to the Special Stages near Tumakuru, about 65 Kms from the State capital, for a two-day competition on Saturday and Sunday. The total distance of the Rally is 159.82 km of which 121.72 km forms the competitive section.

    Clerk-of-the-Course (CoC) Praneeth Perumal said: “The Karnataka Motor Sports Club welcomes all the competitors to the iconic Karnataka-1000 Rally which we are organising after a gap of two years. The response has been good, going by the 53 entries we have received.

    “Being one of the oldest rallies in India, K-1000 occupies a special place in the country’s motorsport ethos. The event was held every year without a break for over four decades before the pandemic interrupted. The Special Stages, located near Tumakuru, are fairly quick and smooth. We do hope that the competitors have a safe, successful and enjoyable run this weekend.”

    Fabid Ahmer, who lost the 2019 championship by a whisker, losing in road penalties, will be gunning to challenge JK Tyre’s big brother and Guru Gaurav Gill, at K1000.

    The FMSCI INRC 2021 comprises of three rounds – Rally of Coimbatore (Feb 25-27), Karnataka-1000 (March 11-13) and the South India Rally (Chennai, March 25-27).

    With barely a fortnight’s turnaround time between the first round in Coimbatore and the Karnataka-1000, the service crews of the competitors have been working overtime to get the cars in shape after many of them received a pounding in the first round which saw 33 retirements across all categories, including seven times National champion Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif).

    Delhi-based Gill, 40, the triple FIA Asia-Pacific Rally champion and Arjuna Award winner, will be keen to add a seventh K-1000 crown after last winning it in 2017.

    Apart from favourite Gill, the performance of Coimbatore round winner (Overall and INRC-3), Aditya Thakur (co-driver Virender Kashyap) from Himachal, will be closely watched. The 32-year old farmer from Rasol showed good pace to pick up 38 of the maximum 40 points and heads the Overall leaderboard, nine clear of second-placed Fabid Ahmer (G Sanath) from Palakkad, with Gurugram’s Sahil Khanna (KN Harish, Bengaluru), a further three points adrift in third.

    Mujeeb Rehman, who was briefly in Yellow Colours after his class win in Itanagar last year, is back in favourite Greens, leading the INRC 4 class.

    The leaders in other categories of the National championship, promoted by the FMSCI, after Round-1 are: Fabid Ahmer (co-driver G Sanath) in INRC-2; Aditya Thakur (Virender Kashyap) in Overall and INRC-3; Kasargod’s Mujeeb Rehman (co-driver Ravindra Kumar, Bengaluru)) in INRC-4; Coimbatore’s Raghuram Saminathan (Bharat Sargur, Bengaluru) in Junior INRC.

    Gurugram’s Rupender Sheoran (Mohit Malik, Faridabad) heads the non-championship FMSCI Gypsy Challenge category.

    About the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021

    The Indian National Rally Championship 2021, promoted by The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India is segregated into five categories based on various specifications, the INRC, INRC-2, INRC-3, INRC-4 and Junior INRC (26 years and below, and without a win).

    Competitors are eligible for Overall classification and also separately in their respective categories. The top-15 finishers are eligible for points ranging from 30 to 1. The five quickest on each of the two days (Leg-1 and Leg-2) and in each category receive bonus points (5 points for 1st…, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd, 2 for 4th and 1 for 5th) in the respective Legs only if they complete the Rally and bring the car home (Parc Ferme). The maximum points that can be won in each round is 40. A stand-alone sixth category, the FMSCI Gypsy Challenge, restricted to Maruti Gypsy, completes the grid. The gypsy drivers are not eligible for championship points or classification.

  • Aditya Thakur & Virender Kashyap clinch Rally of Coimbatore in style: INRC Ro.1

    Aditya Thakur & Virender Kashyap clinch Rally of Coimbatore in style: INRC Ro.1

    Coimbatore, 27 Feb 2022: Aditya Thakur, a farmer from Himachal Pradesh, along with his co-driver Virender Kashyap, scripted a dream-win in the Rally of Coimbatore, the first round of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021 of which MRF Tyres is the Associate Sponsor, here on Sunday.

    The overall result changed after the Stewards meeting which disqualified Maninder Singh Prince and co-driver Vinay Padmashali for removing their car from Parc Ferme at a time when it would amount to an infringement. Thus, defending champions in their class Sahil Khanna and Harish moved to Overall third place. Read the report here.

    It was a day of dramatic twists and turns as the tricky Special Stages took a heavy toll of the top contenders in the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club-organised season-opener. Favourite and 7-times National champion Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif), overnight leader Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pail), Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) who led briefly today after moving up from overnight fourth, and Dean Mascarenhas (Gagan Karumbaiah), who was placed third overall going into Leg-2 today, dropped out due to various issues with their vehicles, thus opening up the path for 32-year old Thakur’s maiden win.  

    Thakur, taking part in the INRC-3 category but eligible for Overall classification, thus notched his maiden Overall win in a National Championship since his INRC debut in 2018, also at Coimbatore. “I am absolutely delighted with my maiden win in the National championship. We made a small mistake yesterday which put us in second position overnight. Today, I decided to just go for it and did not back off though I was a bit careful.

    “The MRF tyres were simply fantastic in terms of the grip and durability. Also, Chettinad Sporting built this car like a tank. So, I was able to push. A big thanks also to Sanjay Sikand (ex-Rally driver) whose birthday it is today, for nurturing my skills from when I was eight years old. My family and friends who pooled in some money to help me take part in the championship, were of a great support,” said an emotional Thakur.

    Meanwhile, Gill, who had retired yesterday with an electrical problem, but rejoined today under the Super Rally format, was the quickest for much of the day until his second retirement while Palakkad’s Fabid Ahmer (G Sanath) was among the most impressive performers on the day by clocking some fast times which took him up the leaderboard and finish Overall second, and first in INRC-2 category.

    A very dejected Kadur said: “We had to pack up due to some electrical issues which we are trying to understand and sort out. We started having issues like drop in power towards the end of today’s first Stage. Then, two Kms into the second Stage, the car stalled entering a corner. We tried everything to start and continue, but just couldn’t. It is another learning lesson, though expensive in terms of losing from a winning position.”

    The winners in the other categories were: Mujeeb Rehman (Ravindra Kumar) in INRC-4, Raghuram Saminathan (Bharath Sargur) in Junior INRC and Rupender Sheoran (Mohit Malik) in FMSCI Gypsy Challenge.

    Provisional results (after Leg-2):

    Overall / INRC: 1. Aditya Thakur / Virender Kashyap (both Himachal) (02Hrs, 03mins, 29.5secs); 2. Fabid Ahmer / G Sanath (both Palakkad) (02:04:29.2); 3.Maninder Singh Prince (Delhi) / Vinay Padmashali (Bengaluru) (02:04:36.8). 3. Sahil Khanna (Gurugram) / Harish KN (Bengaluru) (02:05:03.4); (Note: Result revised after Stewards meeting penalty, late evening)

    INRC-2: 1. Fabid Ahmer / G Sanath (both Palakkad) (02:04:29.2); 2. Sahil Khanna (Gurugram) / Harish KN (Bengaluru) (02:05:03.4); 3. Aroor Vikram Rao / AG Somayya (both Mangaluru) (02:06:25.7);

    INRC-3: 1. Aditya Thakur / Virender Kashyap (both Himachal) (02:03:29.5); 2. Maninder Singh Prince (Delhi) / Vinay Padmashali (Bengaluru) (02:04:36.8); 3. Syed Salman Ahmed (Mysuru) / Rishab BK (Mangaluru) (02:06:08.6).

    INRC-4: 1. Mujeeb Rehman (Kasargod) / Ravindra Kumar (Bengaluru) (02:12:18.3); 2. Deepak Chandra / Kenith Harsha (both Bengaluru) (02:24:39.6); 3. P Ananth Kumar / GM Manjunath (both Bengaluru) (02:29:18.0).

    Junior INRC (only 2 finishers): 1. Raghuram Saminathan (Coimbatore) / Bharath Sargur (Bengaluru) (02:17:16.5); 2. Shivani Pruthvi (Davangere) / Deeksha Balakrishna (Bengaluru) (02:22:45.2).

    FMSCI Gypsy Challenge: 1. Rupender Sheoran (Gurugram) / Mohit Malik (Faridabad) (02:13:46.0); 2. Sanjay Agarwal / Smitha Prasad (both Bengaluru) (02:15:17.7); 3. Mettuchetty Venkatapathy / S Santosh Kumar (both Coimbatore) (02:17:15.4).

  • Karna Kadur jumps into the lead; Gaurav Gill retires after setting blistering pace

    Karna Kadur jumps into the lead; Gaurav Gill retires after setting blistering pace

    Coimbatore, February 26: On a day of shock exits, Bengaluru pair of Karna Kadur and co-driver Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) took the overall lead in the Rally of Coimbatore, the first round of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021, here on Saturday.

    Driving a Volkswagen Polo, Kadur, supported by MRF Tyres, enjoyed lead of over one minute in the Overall standings after four loops of the extremely dusty Special Stages ahead of Himachal Pradesh’s Aditya Thakur (Virender Kashyap) and Mangaluru’s Dean Mascarenhas (Gagan Karumbaiah) who, however, is placed first in INRC-2 category. Thakur leads the INRC-3 class at the end of Leg-1.

    The Rally, organised by Coimbatore Auto Sports Club with MRF Tyres as the associate sponsor, will conclude on Sunday when the two physical Special Stages will be run twice in the reverse order. The scheduled start is at 8:48 am.

    This morning, 7-times National champion Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) packed up after SS-2 due to an electrical issue with their Mahindra XUV 300 and when he was ahead by 49 seconds. Also to retire was 2019 champion Chetan Shivram (Dilip Sharan) from Bengaluru with a broken drive-shaft in SS-1. Both Gill and Shivram, however, will rejoin the rally on Sunday in a bid to secure Leg points.

    Kadur, despite nil seat time, showed tremendous pace. “I made some mistakes with the set-up for the first loop, but otherwise, enjoyed a good run despite not having any seat time in the car ahead of the rally,” said Kadur.

    On his part, Thakur whose driving skills are honed in the mountains of Himachal, was fortunate to survive a crash after his Polo hit a tree in SS-1, damaging the front fender. “The incident did not really affect the performance of the car. I had good pace today and hopefully, we will do better tomorrow,” said Thakur.

    Mascarenhas, supported by JK Tyres, came away with a bent rear wheel after his Volkswagen Polo slammed into a tree, but had enough pace to lead in the INRC-2 category. “We hit a tree sideways. One of the wheels got bent, but I managed to keep the car on the track. The pace, otherwise, was good. Tomorrow, I will continue with the bent wheel and hopefully, will be able to make time on the leaders,” said Mascarenhas.

    Meanwhile, fancied Fabid Ahmer (G Sanath) from Palakkad, who is considered a front-runner for a podium finish, had a disappointing day after suffering a puncture on SS-1 and he continued with it in SS-2 before changing the tyre at the service halt. It pushed him to fourth in Overall standings. “We lost some two minutes due to the puncture. We had no time to change the wheel between the Stages. In the second loop, we made about 40 seconds. So, I will push hard tomorrow,” said Ahmer.

    Provisional results (after Leg-1):

    Overall / INRC: 1. Karna Kadur / Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports, Bengaluru) (01hr, 00: 06.2secs); 2. Aditya Thakur / Virender Kashyap (both Himachal Pradesh) (01:01:42.2); 3. Dean Mascarenhas (Mangaluru) / Gagan Karumbaiah (Virajpet) (01:02:03.3).

    INRC-2: 1. Mascarenhas / Karumbaiah (01:02:03.3); 2. Sahil Khanna (Gurugram) / Harish KN (Bengaluru) (01:02:16.0); 3. Aroor Vikram Rao / AG Somayya (Mangaluru) (01:03.03.1).

    INRC-3: 1. Thakur / Kashyap (01:01:42.2); 2. Maninder Singh Prince (Delhi) / Vinay Padmashali (Bengaluru) (01:02:18.0); 3. Byram Godrej (Pune) / Varun (Bengaluru) (01:02.58.1).

    INRC-4: 1. Vaibhav Marathe (Goa) / Dinesh S (Shivamogga) (01:07:22.7); 2. Mujeeb Rehman (Kasargod) / Ravindra Kumar (Bengaluru) (01:07:24.8); 3.Shivani Parmar / Dr Vani Parmar (both Mumbai) (01:08:35.4).

    Junior INRC: 1. Pragati B / Trisha Jagannath (both Bengaluru) (01:04:03.6); 2. Raghuram Saminathan (Coimbatore) / Bharath Sargur (Bengaluru) (01:05.52.3) 3. Shivani Pruthvi (Davangere) / Deeksha Balakrishna (Bengaluru) (01:14:16.2).

    FMSCI Gypsy Challenge: 1. Rupender Sheoran (Gurugram) / Mohit Malik (Faridabad) (01:05:12.8); 2. Sanjay Agarwal / Smitha Prasad (both Bengaluru) (01:06:26.0); 3. Mettuchetty Venkatapathy / S Santosh Kumar (both Coimbatore) (01:08:38.2).

  • FMSCI statement: Rally de Vizag, INRC 4w season

    FMSCI statement: Rally de Vizag, INRC 4w season

    As expected, the Federation of Motors Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) released a Statement on the INRC 4w 2021 fiasco as the season failed to take off. However, it absolves itself and appears to have blamed only the Promoter for all the ills and the circumstances leaving the Drivers in the lurch. However, it has to be seen how much money would the Clubs receive to host the remaining three rounds.

    It is also clear that the privateers, drivers and teams, will not get any compensation as expected and demanded by the Promoter. Only solace for the Factory team drivers, as JK Tyre is likely to compensate the 8 or 9 drivers who are in Yellow colours. With not many in the Red colours, virtually all the other 45 will have to fend for themselves.

    Read Yesterday’s article here.

  • INRC 4w 2021 season curtailed to 3 rounds

    INRC 4w 2021 season curtailed to 3 rounds

    By David Bodapati, Indian Rally Historian (Check-out INRC Hall of Fame)

    Bengaluru, 23 Dec 2021: Many a rally lover might feel sad that there was no National rally in India in the year 2021, thanks to the second wave of Carona. But there appears to be a much worse killer virus that has been doing the rounds and, haunting the sport. However, the good news is that the fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for four-wheelers for the year 2021 will begin in the New Year (2022) but it will be restricted to three rounds. The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs (fmsci) in India is preparing to put out a “Statement” on the eve of Christmas, according to reliable sources.

    As already announced by the “erstwhile” Promoter, the season was scheduled to begin with the first round in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, from Dec 16 to 19 but the local city police chief, an IAS officer, played spoilsport and the lack of Police Permission to run on the “street roads” adjacent to the Bay of Bengal beaches forced the organisers to abruptly call off the rally, leaving all the 54 drivers who landed in the “City of Destiny’ on a forced vacation around the picturesque beaches, but with no joy.

    Vizag is a cosmopolitan city, with a culture similar to Bengaluru and unlike Hyderabad and Vijayawada, a commercial hub, the port city is a popular tourist destination. The planned stages were supposed to be held on the Vizag-Bheemli beach road, which saw many Hill Climbs and TSDs, that have been running here for over three decades, one of the main organisers two decades back being Kalinga Naval base. But with most of the riders and drivers moving to Cities, the local organisers became inactive. Near the beach road, there also existed an fmsci-approved Karting track that hosted the 2012 Nationals final round of Rotax Max event. It was washed away by the cyclone in 2017 and rendered useless as the tarmac became bumpy.

    Coming back to INRC, the remaining three rounds, the K1000 in January, the Rally of Coimbatore in February and the South India Rally in March are expected to take place on the same dates which were announced earlier and confirmed by the the Federation (FMSCI) calendar on Dec 21. Former Federation Presidents Bharath Vivek Chandhok of MMSC, Prithiviraj of CASC and current Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) President Gautam Shantappa, an F1 Marshal, confirmed that the clubs are ready to host the three rounds as scheduled. KMSC appears to be ready with the SR, as the route for this year’s rally is expected to be the same one that was prepared for last year’s K1000 (but not held). Supplementary Regulations are usually released one month before the event to facilitate smooth logistics for the participants. So the SR should be out in a day or two, if everything goes well.

    However, the finances are an issue but the Rally Commission for four-wheelers which met on Dec 22 seems to have addressed the issue. The clubs are likely to get Rs.8 lakhs each from the Federation, from the money that was paid by the Promoter to the Federation as INRC bidding fees. The Promoter has paid Rs.75 lakhs for the three-year contract which began in 2019, but the Federation exteneded the rights for one more year for all the Promoters of all the 12 National championships due to COVID 19. There is no clarity on how it works for those who have bid for five years like Madras Motor Sport Club, which is the promoter for three Nationals. The clubs are expected to fend for themselves and look for sponsors to raise the remaining money to organise one round of the Rally Nationals. Conservative estimates, experts feel, put the cost at around Rs.20 lakh to run one round of rally, while a decently-run rally with minimum facilities for all the participants and other stakeholders needs an amount of about Rs.30 lakhs, a former RallyCom member said.

    The cureent Rally commission is headed by chairman Farokh Commissariat. There are rumours that the Promoter has resigned after Rally de Vizag failed to take off while some claim that the Federation has used the termination clause. Either way, the INRC will be without a Promoter for 2021. The worst-ever Calendar year in the three-decade INRC history was the two-round 2012 season. Most of the years had five rounds while nine rounds were hosted in 1995 and 1996. Leelakrishnan, Gaurav Gill, Naren Kumar and Hari Singh and navigators Musa Sherif, Farooq Ahmed, Ram Kumar, are some of the most decorated stalwarts in INRC 33-year history. Many unsung heroes too had their occasional glory but suffered team orders or reasons beyond their control.

    Driver-friendly news?

    Whatever may be the situation, the good news is that the Promoter recommended to FMSCI that each participant who registered for Vizag rally be paid a compensation of Rs.1.5 lakh from the Rs.50 lakh which he claimed is with the Federation as the 2021 season is yet to start. It is a simple logic that all the monies a Sports Federation earns must be pumped back into the sport. It is time for all the stakeholders to realise that, ultimately it is the Sportpersons, who keep the sport alive. Not the Federation, not the organisers, not the former sportspersons, not the Media, et al. Will the Drivers and teams get back the money they spent on Rally de Vizag is a million-dollar question. All the drivers know and organisers know these answers.

    TIME TO RESPECT THE RIDERS AND DRIVERS! They have been taken for granted for too long. Only when this simple issue is sorted out, one will know who are the sinners, who are the saviours of Motorsports in India!

  • Aishwarya overcomes Tanika threat to keep slate clean: INRC2w Ladies Class

    Aishwarya overcomes Tanika threat to keep slate clean: INRC2w Ladies Class

    Puttur (Near Mangaluru), 15 Nov. 2021: Young Tanika Shanbag of Satara put up a valiant fight against FIM World Cupper Aiswarya Pissay but the Bengaluru’s rider astride an Apache RTR bull-dozed her way back, to claim her third consecutive victory in Rally de Mangaluru, the third round of the MRF MoGrip FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2021 for two-wheelers here on Sunday. Aishwarya clocked 50minutes 38.849seconds for her third win.

    Read the men’s overall report for all classes in Round 3 here.

    Tanika Shanbagh, riding a Hero Xpulse 200, came second ahead of another privateer Anam Hashim on Hero Honda Karizma. The teenager clocked 51min, 32.182sec for her second place while Anam took 1hr, 9min, 07.720seconds.

    After the win Aishwarya Pissay, the defending champ, said, “I thank my team, TVS Racing and the mechanics for giving me another winning bike. I also thank Hyperice, the equipment that helps me to recover and maintain my fitness levels. The terrain is challenging and it is good for the National Rally because only such difficult terrain can prepare Indians for the tougher International rallies,” felt the six-time National, champion supported by IIFL, Sidvin, Scott, Puma India, and Go Pro. Aishwarya finished Overall 20, among 55 bikers that took the start and was ahead of 29 men and six women, who all competed on different bikes in various classes.

    The Rally de Mangaluru organised in Puttur by Ace Events, headed by former National Champion Akash Aithal had two physical Special Stages, namely Karambi, a short 5.2-km dirt stage and Karikala, the slippery 15.1-km longer stage. Both the stages were run three time alternately and with the overnight rains making the roads slushy, the riders once again faced technical challenges but unlike the treacherous Kanakapura mud-traps, the Round 3 proved to be a haven.

    Tanika and Aishwarya shared spoils and won three of the six special stages but while the TVS Factory Rider controlled her pace cleverly to limit the damage on the slippery surface, Tanika, nursing an ankle injury sustained in the previous round in Bengaluru rally, had to stop and clear the sticky mud on her bike. “I suffered an injury and did not want to aggravate. So I did not risk too much and stopped to clean my bike in SS3 where I lost a huge chunk of over 30 seconds. But I enjoyed my rally thoroughly as the terrain provided a challenging ride and that is what makes me happy. It is a good learning experience,” quipped the Business Administration student.

    Aishwarya, who began on a ferocious note registering a blistering pace in the Karambi Special Stage, lost crucial time in SS2,. But falling back on her vast experience she extracted the best from her bike in the next four stages to bounce back brilliantly and played safe thereon, with regulated aggression on the slippery track to emerge triumphant for a clean sweep of the first three rounds in the 2021 calendar.

    Bengaluru’s FIM Baja World Cup champion, claimed a solid win at Hampi and went on to take another facile victory in Round 2 at Bengaluru, conquering the technically challenging slushy terrain, and now leads the table in the woman’s category after her third win from three rounds here.

    The fourth round, the Rally of Chikmagalur is scheduled for next Sunday and after two more rounds in Coimbatore and Nashik, the topper with more points is declared as the National champion. Aishwarya is well on her way to bag her sixth bike rally National title. She also won two coveted Road Racing titles.

    Note: Photo added on 15th Nov 2021 with inputs from a Wordswork Press Release.

  • Vizag to kickstart INRC 2021 season on scenic beach tarmac

    Vizag to kickstart INRC 2021 season on scenic beach tarmac

    Visakhapatnam, 10 Nov 2021: Popular as INRC, the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship for Cars will kick-start the delayed 2021 season with Vizag hosting the first round next month, announced Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, Minister of Sports, Andhra Pradesh, here on Wednesday along with the Promoters.

    “This is the first time we are bringing a high-profile motorsports event to Vizag, which last hosted a National karting event in 2012. While karting is an entry level sport, the historic National rally is a flagship discipline in motorsports and we are expecting huge crowds as an array of stars and fast race cars will be seen in action,” the minister added.

    The Minister on behalf of the Promoters also released the four-round Calendar for 2021 season at a Press Conference here. “The Jewel of the East Coast will host the first round on the high-speed tarmac roads on the scenic Beach road from December 17 to 19. Many National rally champions including multiple Asia Pacific Rally champion and Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill have entered the fray,’’ said Merla Vamsi, the Promoter of Champions Yacht Club, which will jointly organise the Vizag round along with the Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC), which runs the famous Karnataka-1000, the oldest rally in the 34-year history of INRC, that got the National status in 1988. The other rounds will be Bengaluru (K1000) in January, Coimbatore in February and Nagaland in March. A fifth round, the contender round is also expected in Hyderabad, subject to clearance from FMSCI.

    The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI), the National Authority that governs motorsport and promotes safe, sustainable and accessible mobility for all road users across India, is affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). FMSCI runs 12 Nationals in different motorsports disciplines like Rallying, Road Racing, Super Cross and Karting.

    The beautiful Vizag-Bhimili beach road from Ramakrishna Beach to Kalinga, where the Special Stages will be held may not see Dolphins in the sea nor spotted deers crossing the road like they did in eighties when Navy used to conduct the Hill Climbs and TSD treasure hunts for motorsports lovers in this region, but the speed maestros like Gill, Karna Kadur, Dean Mascarenhas or Amittrajit Ghosh will be literally flying on the smooth tarmac, with road humps providing a visual treat to the crowds. “To cut the high-speeds we are creating artificial chicanes with soft tyres or tubes and the Stages will be cancelled if average speeds cross 110-kmph. But we are retaining the speed-breakers which will be negotiated with ease and the car jumps will provide a thrilling spectacle at high speeds for the crowds. Also the Police department is kind enough to provide over 400 police and we have trained marshals and local village safety volunteers to guard the route. The roads will be closed for traffic with windows to release the piled up traffic in intervals between the stages. A team of over 35 rally experts and 40 HAM station operators from KMSC Bengaluru, and 10 FMSCI officials will monitor the safety of the rally,” informed Vamsi.

    The rally will have 12 Special Stages, eight to be run on Saturday and four on Sunday. The ceremonial start at Ramakrishna beach will be on Friday, Dec 17. All the cars from teams like MRF, JK Tyre, Mahindras, Yokohoma, Arka Motorsports, Chettinad Sporting, Snap Racing, among others will arrive on Thursday for scrutiny. Many lady drivers, who are provided free entries, will compete on equal footing with men. Bhaskar Gupta will be the Clerk of the Course and every car will have a co-driver who will give navigational calls to the driver based on the Road Book (tulip) provided by the organisers and the notes of the driver prepared during recce (reconnaissance), a practice run which is allowed at normal roads speeds on Thursday or Friday. The actual rally will be on Saturday and Sunday.

  • Aishwarya raring to go: MRF Mogrip Bike rally Nationals

    Aishwarya raring to go: MRF Mogrip Bike rally Nationals

    Bengaluru, 21 October 2021: World Cup winner Aishwarya Pissay along with TVS Racing teammates R Nataraj, Rajendra RE and Abdul Waheed, all in the feature event, will lead an array of riders in Rally de Bengaluru, the second round of the MRF Mogrip FMSCI National Rally Championship 2w – 2021 here on Sunday.

    The National Rally Championship for bikes organised by Ace Events, Puttur returns to Bengaluru amidst much excitement as it attracted about 80 riders from all over the country. The 2019 Overall champion Rajendra RE, who began the season with a bang in the first round at Hampi will have to ward off challenge from defending champion Nataraj and Waheed. Former champions Imran Pasha, Sachin D, Samuel Jacob will be fighting out in Super Sport 260cc Class. Local star Yuvakumar and Satyaraj Arumugam of Combatore, both from Hero Motosports, along while Sarath Mohan from Mallapuram and experienced Venu Ramesh Kumar from Coimbatore, Jatin Jain and Badal Doshi from Vashi, all privateers, will start favourites in their respective classes.

    Aishwarya Pisssay, the 2019 FIM World Cup Baja winner, leads the championship table ahead of youngster Tanika Shanbagh of Satara and Ryhana Bee of Chennai. “I have important upgrades to my bike and with such a well-tuned RTR Apache, I feel confident going into the rally,’’ said Aishwarya, who came back after an injury layoff, winning her class and a creditable 5th in the Rally of Himalayas and continued to dominate the Rally Nationals in Round 1 at Hampi. Tanika, showed glimpses of her talent finishing ahead of Sprint champion Ryhana, who will be looking to bounce back here.

    Of the total distance of around 100km, the Special Stage rally distance would be around 51km with two physical stages of Jupiter (11.53km) and Mars (8.1km) run thrice each at MotoFarm, near Kanakapura, in the same direction, alternately on dirt roads closed to traffic. The Ceremonial Start will be held on Saturday at 4.30pm at MotoFarm, Kanakapura. The competitive stages kick-off at 8am on Sunday. Riders garner points in each round and there will 11 classes which will count for National titles apart from the Overall rider and Team champions after all six rounds. There will also be a Star of Karnataka, the support race and close to Rs.2 lakh prize money and Trophies are awarded.

    “All safety precautions were taken care of and we are strictly following the Government’s COVID19 protocol. The route will be closed for general public and trained Marshals and HAM operators will be at key points to oversee the rally. We have also made RTPCR test mandatory for all outstation riders,” said Aakash Aithal, Clerk of the Course.

  • Hampi becomes a hotbed of Motorsports activity in India

    Hampi becomes a hotbed of Motorsports activity in India

    Bengaluru, 29 Sept. 2021: Motorsports Utsav de Hampi is a household name, thanks to the frenetic sports activity of high-degree in just three years after the birth of Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, that attracted top drivers and riders, and National events to the Heritage land, in and around Hampi. Whether it is the Special Stage rallying for four-wheelers or two-wheelers, Autocross or Motocross, time-tested TSD or the highly-competitive Indian National Rally Championship, all roads lead to Hampi, and even the endurance and adventure sports like 4×4 off-road challenge made the Club special, in the hearts of motorsports lovers. The heritage site and the pride of Karnataka, truly reflecting the slogan, One State, Many Worlds, is not just the only reason for fans and athletes to flock in, `Mecca of Motorsport’ MAV is.

    MAV – The Motorsports Academy

    Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, Hampi, is an FMSCI affiliated club started in 2019 by a group of motorsport fanatics with an intention to bring high-performance motorsports athletes and top-rated National events to northern parts of Karnataka to a very well-known world heritage site. With a vision to take Indian motorsports arena to newer heights, the Academy lines up events and trainings throughout the year in different parts of the country and at home, which culminate into a grand annual Utsav de Hampi, a mega Motorsports Festival consisting of many formats of motorsport events. The Academy successfully bid for the FMSCI Indian National Autocross Championship for a period of 3 years, to add to its armoury, which already has a round of the Indian National Rally Championship for 4-wheelers and 2-wheelers after the successful 4w Candidates round in 2020 where multiple National champions like Musa Sherif, sparkled. He is the only active senior-most Navigator with nine national titles in the country.

    Some of the marquee events of the club are National rallies and highly-challenging 4×4 off-road events, which extend the competitive spirit beyond the rally element, and the club cleverly incorporated motortainment and display of vintage cars that attracted tens of thousands of spectators, who thronged to the tracks to have a glimpse of the high-speed precision racing and stunning off-road action. The club has the knack to pack a visual punch and has cordial relations that cater to even minor needs of the sportspersons making it a truly-attractive event for fans, drivers, riders, officials and media. No wonder sponsors like MRF, JK Tyre, TVS, Karnataka Tourism, Department of Youth Empowerment & Sports, Red Bull, Ultramile Tyres, Brut Force and Royal Orchid Hotels lined up to associate themselves with a hot property called Utsav de Hampi.

    A wheelie for you, come and enjoy motorsports, Hampi is calling…
    Santosh, left and Rohit, the brains behind MAV success.

    The Festival consists of many formats of motorsports, run on multiple weekends, with different disciplines like Stage Rally for 2-wheelers, 4-wheelers, Autocross, TSD Rally, some of which have National status and have attracted top Indian and International drivers and riders in the last three years. The Utsav found its ‘God Father’ in Parth Jindal of JSW Group, who provided the initial thrust, but it was local stalwarts like Santosh HM, Rohit Gowda and Darpan Gowda, who plunged in as the Club took off on its own with a team of dedicated volunteers, going into the last edition of the Festival in 2020 despite the COVID threats, as they managed to follow strict protocol and government’s SoP.  With permissions relaxed for Sports events, the Utsav is back with a bang and has four events lined up for 2021 on the eve of Gandhi Jayanthi. The spirit of Gandhiji, the heritage of Hampi and the adrenalin of a National-level sports event, that is the cocktail of motorsports, that the Motorsports Academy offers and no fan can resist.

    1. JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship – 1, 2, 3 October, 2021

    The 2021 Utsav de Hampi, has become bigger with two National-level events and an even bigger Off-road extravaganza. First off, the Motorsports Academy starts with the JK Tyre fmsci Indian National Regularity Run Championship (INRRC), a popular TSD format which offers the ladder for a lay person to enter motorsports and enjoy the thrills. The event finals has the National status accorded to it by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI), the sole governing body of motorsports in India. The Time, Speed, Distance format with about 20 Time Controls (TC) is from October 1 to 3 and will be the South Zone qualifiers where the top-5 (top-3 for Women’s Cup) will take a shot to become the National Champ in three classes, team, driver and navigator. The Club offered free entries to Women in Motorsports (WIM), an FIA concept to encourage gender diversity and MAV has quickly embraced it providing Lady Freebies, and many gleefully entered the fray with Daughter-Mom Doctor pair of talented Shivani and Deepthi Pruthvi spearheading a bevy of women drivers.

    2. The 4×4 Hampi off-road Challenge – 8 to 10 October 2021

    The Hampi off-road challenge will see some of the finest professionally modified and stock four-wheel drive vehicles and the event, in the backwaters of the beautiful River Tungabhadra, is known to break man and machine, and is an ultimate challenge for expert drivers, who ably assisted by knowledgeable navigators, make the complex tasks look simple thus, delivering fun and frolic for fans that leads to a rich mix of motorsport madness.

    In 2019, the introduction of 4×4 Hampi Off-road Challenge for Jeeps which are ripped-off, curated and tuned for one of the best off-road competitions in the country on par with international events, saw the beginning of a tradition. The record 42 entries in its very 1st edition, consisting of Professionally modified, Modified and Stock category vehicles showcased a plethora of talent and became an instant success. And the tradition of excellence goes on…

    4×4 action that makes every fan skip a heart beat, land in Hampi, experience the thrills!

    3. Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) – FMSCI to Confirm new dates

    The popular Indian National Rally Championship is a flagship event of the Indian Federation which acquired its National status way back in 1988 and has thrown up veteran champs like Leelakrishnan, Naren Kumar, Hari Singh and Gaurav Gill. Considered in the top-3 showpiece events as one of the 12 Motorsports Nationals, it attracts a highly-talented youth and experienced veterans and the event requires high degree of organisational skills with a well-prepared terrain and tulip, as finding good tracks, tarmac or dirt, has become a gigantic task, of late for organising clubs, but not for MAV.

    It conducted the Contender round successfully and is officially granted a round in the National Championship this year, which was put off due to the side effects of COVID19. The Federation and the Promoters are expected to announce the new dates any time now.

    The 2020 INRC contender round Champions display their wares on the podium in Hampi.

    4. MRF Mogrip FMSCI Indian National 2w Rally Championship (INRC-2w) – 16, 17 Oct 2021

    The INRC for 2-wheelers is a popular sister-event of the four-wheeler Rally Nationals. Despite missing from the calendar for some years, Clubs like MAV have taken up the task to set the rally routes and organise the Nationals to the satisfaction of the riders and fans alike and the MRF Mogrip Calendar for 2w rallies is on track again. This year, the inaugural round of the MRF Mogrip FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship for motorcycles (INRC-2w) will be Rally de Hampi organised by MAV that is expected to witness national and international stars like Aishwarya Pissay, the Baja World Cup winner, Hero Yuva Kumar,  a multiple National champion, and many other stars and National champoins like Nataraj of TVS, Vishwa, in other classes, fight for Overall honours on the tricky tracks of Hampi. The rally will have two special stages closed for regular traffic and include an 80.2-km liaison distance (non-competitive transport section)  apart from the 62.5-km of closed to traffic competitive Stage distance for an overall 142.5-km rally. It is efficiently conducted by one of the best Clerks of the Course (CoC) Girijashankar Joshy, a former National rally champion himself, who has an impeccable record in knowledge of rules and the calm and cool nature in which he relays commands to a team of efficient Marshals and officials, in a pious “poojari” style of his own. It is the devotion required for Motorsports safety that separates him from also rans… as he breathes a whiff of fresh air into the motorsports culture.

    Pack your helmet, belt-up and begin the journey into motorsports ecstasy, come to Hampi! A red carpet awaits!

    For details: visit www.mavh.co.in, www.utsavdehampi.com

    Follow & share Instagram: @MAVHAMPI @utsavdehampi