Tag: JK Tyre National Championship

  • Tijil Rao wins another race to lead the table; Sarvesh, Abhishek shine on bikes

    Tijil Rao wins another race to lead the table; Sarvesh, Abhishek shine on bikes

    Coimbatore, August 27, 2023: Bengaluru teenagerRuhaan Alva of MSport signed off on a merry note winning the first race on Day 2 but compatriot Tijil Rao of Dark Don Racing had the last laugh with a fine victory in the last race as he made it a double in the in the premier LGB Formula 4 class of the 26th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship, the first round of which concluded at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday.

    Tijil Rao, who shared honours with Arya Singh yesterday, won another race and made it a double to take the championship lead. In the opening race, all eyes were on the Dark Don Racing stars but it was Bengaluru’s Ruhaan who won Race 3 with a stunning overtake in the final lap. However, Tijil made a comeback with a facile win in the final Race 4 and ended Round 1 on a high leading the points table in the LGB F4 class.

    Arya Singh (Dark Don Racing) dominated for most part but Ruhaan played catch up with some brilliant driving. The former was beginning to feel the pressure. There was a little bumping and jostling now and then between the two but Ruhaan kept searching for space to sneak in. He managed to find one in the final lap and crossed the line much without any further hiccups.

    Kolkata’s Arya Singh, #10, leads Dilijit TS, #44 while Ruhaan Alva, Yellow #27, waits for his time. INDIAinF1 photo

    The second was as good as the first but Tijil did one better than the rest to clinch the thriller. With the reverse grid in play, it was Saran Vikram Tmars (Mars Racing) who started off on a blitzy note staying in the lead for good five laps, however it was Ruhaan who overtook him and was primed for victory.

    Tijil Rao after Race 3 (in pic) makes a strong comeback.

    Tijil Rao at his best:

    Ruhaan failed to hold on to the lead as he spun out of the race giving the Dark Don’s racers a fresh leash of life with Diljith and Tijil battling it out for the victory. While it looked like the senior pro Diljith would close the round on a high, it was the young Tijil who showed grit and great skills to overtake in the 13th lap. It was a sight to behold as both the racers were involved in a to and fro action but eventually Tijil brought in his car ahead of others to win the race, and a double in the weekend.

    Neythan McPherson wins Novice Cup Race 3

    In the JK Tyre Novice Cup, Bengaluru’s Arjun S. Nair of Momentum Motorsports, who cracked a double on Saturday, for once could not celebrate on top of the podium in the first race as his teammate Neythan McPherson from Pune staved off a stiff challenge from him and Aman
    Nagdev (MSport) and took a good win.

    The nine-lap race saw the safety car out twice and that took some flow and shine out of the event.  Aman and Arjun finished second and third respectively.

    But in the second race, Joel Joseph (DTS Racing) came out victorious, while Arjun and McPherson wrested the next two spots.

    Good week-end for Arjun Nair

    However, it was a good week-end for Arjun Nair, who took two victories and two podiums to lead the table in the Novice class after Round 1. “The weekend results justified the countless hours spent fine-tuning our strategies, perfecting my driving, and pushing myself all the time. The competition is fierce, but I managed to raise my performance up to it. I am motivated to work hard physically and to give my best for the remainder of the championship,” said Arjun Syam Nair confidently.

    Sarvesh Balappa rules the roost

    Hubballi’s Sarvesh Balappa, starting on P2, ruled the field in the JK Tyre presents 250 Cup. Pole sitter G Abhinav (Coimbatore) brought some cheer to the home crowd clocking the fastest time of 1:25.00. He maintained a good pace but not good enough to outsmart Sarvesh at the end. Bengaluru’s Rohit ad had to be content with the third spot.

    Abhishek Vasudev at his best

    In the JK Tyre Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup, it was the Bengaluru boys who stole the show with a clean sweep. Abhishek Vasudev emerged victorious with an impressive timing of 13 minutes 53.248 seconds, while his city-mates, Ullass Nanda (13:53.651) and Md Samrul Zubair (13:57.403) were the others who stood second and third on the podium respectively. 

    Provisional Results (Day 2):
    LGB Formula 4 Race 3

    1. Ruhaan Alva, MSport: 22 minutes 09.037 seconds;

    2. Arya Singh, Dark Don Racing: 22:09.084;

    3. Tijil Rao, Dark Don Racing: 22:10.131.

    Race 4

    1. Tijil Rao, Dark Don Racing: 27:51.142;

    2.Diljith TS, Dark Don: 27:51.822;

    3.Saran Vikram Tmars, Mars Racing: 28:05.523.
    Novice Cup Race 3

    1. Neythan McPherson: Momentum Motorsports; 14:28.205;

    2. Aman Nagdev; MSport: 14:28.801;

    3. Arjun S Nair, Momentum Motorsports: 14:29.264.

    Race 4
    1. Joel Joseph, DTS Racing: 16:20.908;

    2. Arjun S Nair, Momentum Motorsports: 16:21.077;

    3. Neythan McPherson, 16:21.201, Momentum Motorsports.

    Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup Race 2
    1. Abhishek Vasudev, 13:53.248;

    2. Ullass Nanda 13:53.651;

    3. Md. Samrul Zubair 13:57.403.

    JK Tyre 250 Cup

    1. Sarvesh Balappa: 15:16.3452;

    2. Abhinav G: 15:19.623;

    3.Rohit Lad: 15:27.436.

    ends

  • Arjun Nair bags a double in Novice class; Arya Singh, Tijil Rao share LGB F4 honours

    Arjun Nair bags a double in Novice class; Arya Singh, Tijil Rao share LGB F4 honours

    Coimbatore, August 26, 2023: It was a fantastic start by Dark Don Racing as their drivers Tijil Rao and Arya Singh shared a win apiece in the LGB Formula 4 class, the premier event, in the opening round of the 26th JK Tyre National Racing Championship which began at the Kari Motor Speedway in Chettipalayam here on Saturday.

    Tijil started the day finishing on top of the podium in the opening race. It was not easy though for the Bengaluru youngster as his teammates Arya Singh (Kolkata) and T.S. Diljith (Thrissur) gave him a run for his money. The lead kept changing hands lap after lap and, midway through, it was all about holding one’s nerve. But Tijil, despite the pressure, kept his cool, waited for the right moment to strike, and planned his move well in the final lap to take the checkered flag in style.

    For Team Dark Don racing it did not matter as Arya and Diljith wrested the next two positions. In the second race, Arya gained sweet revenge over Tijil with a thrilling win. It was wheel-to-wheel racing between the two and, with three laps to go, it looked like anybody’s game and, with it, another clean sweep for Dark Don Racing. The arrival of the safety car made it even more exciting for the spectators but not for the top three contenders as the back markers gained a slight
    advantage.

    At this juncture, all eyes were on Arya and Tijil but the former did one better than the latter when it mattered most to finish the day on a merry note. Tijil and Viswas Vijayaraj of Ahura Racing had to rest content for the second and third spots respectively.

    Bengaluru’s Arjun Nair, representing Momentum Motorsports, started the season on a super note as well clinching a sweet double in the JK Tyre Novice Cup. He clocked the fastest timing in both the races and showed all that he had the race pace to beat the best.

    R. Anand of Chennai scored over a strong field to take the prime spot on the podium in the JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup. In an incident filled race, which had to be restarted due to a couple of accidents saw Md Samrul Zubair of Hyderabad give Anand a run for his money but Anand crossed the line with rather consummate ease.

    Jagadish in action in the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup races on Saturday. Photo by Rahul Reghu

    Results (Day 1)

    LGB Formula 4 Race 1

    1. Tijil Rao, Dark Don Racing: 23:21:171 minutes; 2. Arya singh, Dark Don Racing: 23:21:369 minutes; 3. Diljith TS, Dark Don Racing: 23:21:586 minutes

    LGB Formula 4 Race 2

    1. Arya Singh, Dark Don Racing: 22:28.087 minutes; 2. Tijil Rao, Dark Don Racing: 22:28.370 minutes; 3. Viswas Vijayaraj: Ahura Racing, 22:31.297

    Novice Cup 1

    1. Arjun S Nair Momentum Motorsports: 13:23:275 minutes; 2. Neythan McPherson, Momentum Motorsports: 13:24:517 minutes; 3. Joel Josheph, DTS Racing: 13:27:272 minutes

    Novice Cup Race 2

    1. Arjun S Nair, Momentum Motorsports: 13:41.982 minutes; 2. Saishiva Sankaran, MSport: 13:47.537 minutes; 3. Abhay M, Msport: 13:48.318 minutes

    Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup
    1. Anand R: 14:53.242 minutes; 2. MD Samrul Zubair: 14:53.806 minutes; 3. Abhishek Vasudev :14:54.196 minutes

    About JK Tyre Motorsport:

    JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades. The company laid down a long-term plan to popularize and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So, it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport. JK Tyre’s efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others. JK Tyre Motorsports is very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, the company also gave them opportunities in various national championships. With a vision to promote women in motorsports, the company has curated women-centric events such as JK Tyre WIAA Women’s Rally to Valley, JK Tyre Defence Wives Power Drive, JK Tyre-YFLO Women’s Power Drive, JK Tyre Times Women’s Drive apart from introducing an all-women’s team in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship to encourage women to take up to the sport.

  • Heartbreak for Ashwin Datta as Sandeep conquers title

    Heartbreak for Ashwin Datta as Sandeep conquers title

    Coimbatore, 26 Jan. 2021: Racing ace Sandeep Kumar of Chennai clinched the Formula LGB 4 class as he brought out all his experience to keep his cool for his first major National title with a podium in the last race of the season in the 23rd JK Tyre fmsci National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday.

    Youngster Amir Sayed from Kottayam annexed the Rookie championship even as all eyes were focussed on the title fight in the higher class where championship leader Ashwin Dutta, missed the title by a whisker. The Formula LGB 4 season provided all the thrills and even the last race to decide the winner proved to be a thriller till the last corner of the last lap. But all the chaos and mechanical hiccups were a heartbreak for Ashwin Datta. In a fight between two Dark Don teammates, both from Chennai, Datta began the day with brake issues and logged zero points in Race 1 in the morning yielding much ground to Sandeep.

    The loss was a double whammy as he had to start from the back of the grid for the 12th and final race of the season, which saw the formation lap run for three times before the race was restarted. Ashwin lost his focus and in a melee at the first corner, he was forced to retire after contact with other cars, leaving his teammate from Dark Don in best position to win the championship.

    Sandeep, the 28-year advocate, brought to the fore all his vast experience and played it cool. The 2012 Scirocco cup awardee, who spent two years in Europe, thus gained his first National Championship title, taking second in the final race. He logged 66 points to Ashwin’s 63.Vishnu Prasad, was third with 54 points.

    “I kept my cool and did my job. The final standings have to be tabulated,” said Sandeep.

    Meanwhile, teen sensation Amir Sayed won the Novice Cup. “I enjoyed myself and it was fun driving in this championship. I am happy to win the title,” said Amir, who logged 120 points with an all-win record.

    He was extremely happy to be crowned champion but kept his emotions in check. There was no undue celebration and even on the podium, he was well in control. “It has been a very thrilling and satisfying championship for me,” said Amir.

    Amir, who had started from Karting, is a debutant in the racing championship. He talks about the transition, “I spent a lot of time with Vishnu Prasad on the tracks in Chennai and Coimbatore. He has mentored and guided me and that is why I could do well in this championship,” added Amir. The obvious plan for the next seasons for Amir would be to shift gears and move to the higher category.

    Provisional Race Results: Formula LGB 4 (Race 4 -14 laps): 1. Mohamed Ryan – MSport – 20:21.929; 2. Vishnu Prasad – MSport – 20:23.545; 3. Arya Singh- Dark Don Racing – 20:25.170.

    Race 5 (15 laps): 1. Diljith TS –Dark Don Racing- 23:58.426; 2. Sandeep Kumar A – Dark Don Racing – 23:58.890; 3. Sarosh Hataria – Ahura Racing – 23:59.793

    Race 6: (15 laps): 1. Vishnu Prasad- MSport –21:01.907; 2. Mohamed Ryan – Msport –21:07.490; 3. Sarish Hatarai – Ahura Racing – 21:14.292.

    JK Tyre Novice Cup: Race 5 (10 laps): 1. Amir Sayed- MSport – 14:17.157; 2. Chetan Surineni – Momentum Motorsports – 14:31.672; 3. Aman Chaudhary- DTS Racing – 14:32.509;

    Race 6 (10 laps): 1. Amir Sayed- MSport – 16:34.084; 2. Chetan Surineni- Momentum Motorsports- 16:56.452; 3. Neym Rizvi- MSport- 17:01.933;

    Overall Championship Standings:

    LGB Formula 4

    1. Champion: Sandeep Kumar, Dark Don Racing –66 points;

    2. Ashwin Datta, Dark Don Racing –63 points;

    3. Vishnu Prasad, MSport –54 points

    Novice Cup

    1. Champion: Amir Sayed, Msport – 120 points;

    2. Dhruvin Gajjar, DTS Racing –49 points;

    3. Aman Chaudhary, DTS Racing –46 points.

    Ladies Class

    1. Champion: Anushriya Gulati, Ahura Racing;

    2. Mir Erda;

    3. Phoebe Nongrum.

    Rookie Class

    1. Champion: Anushriya Gulati, Ahura Racing, 77 points.

    eom/JKtyre release/updated 14mar21