INDIA in F1

Tag: JK Tyre Racing Nationals

  • 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.

  • Ruhaan Alva completes clean sweep in Novice class; Vishnu, Sohil win a race each

    Ruhaan Alva completes clean sweep in Novice class; Vishnu, Sohil win a race each

    Coimbatore, 24 October 2021: Young Ruhaan Alva of Bengaluru made it a memorable day as he completed a clean sweep in the Novice Class winning the third and final race in the first round of the 24th JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday.

    The talented Team MSport driver, steered his yellow #27 to another clinical finish and did it in style starting from 13th on the grid. After winning the two rounds on the opening day of the season on Saturday in the Novice Class, the Bengaluru teenager changed his gear-box and suffered a 5-place grid penalty and along with the first-eight reverse grid, made him start on P13. Undaunted, the calm and lanky Ruhaan, overtook one by one and drove a fantastic race to claim another seemingly improbable victory.

    He came out triumphant posting 30 out of 30 points and is leading the 4-round Championship table in his Class.

    Behind him Chetan Surineni, who started on P5 had a consistent race as he made up a few places and defended his place even as another karting graduate Jaden R Pariat, was actually the ‘Driver of the Day’. Having started among the back benchers at P17, he exhibited good driving skills and made up postions one-by-one to get on to the top and took the final place on the podium for a well-deserved third place.

    Meanwhile, in the Senior section, former champion and mentor Vishnu Prasad from Chennai and experienced youngster Sohil Shah of Bengaluru, also from MSport, won a race each in the premier LGB Formula 4 class.

    A quick get-away from the lights saw, Vishnu Prasad take the lead from P3 as he was adept at his reflex timings won the first race, and after dilly dallying midway through with his ward, Amir Sayed of Ahura Racing. Amir, the Novice Cup 2020 champion graduated to F4 this season.

    The experienced Vishnu, winner of several titles year after year, managed to break free towards the end for a place atop the podium. “I think we got a lucky break in the beginning when everyone else was fighting,” said the 28-year-old, who mentored Amir last season.

    “Amir is doing really well and I am very happy for him. The guys are fighting it out in the middle with their teachers and are coming up the ranks,” explained Vishnu. Sohil Shash wh got a 10-second penalty finished 10th. But, Sohil came back strongly to take the chequered flag in the second race ahead of Vishnu.

    Earlier, Anish Damodara Shetty of Hubli won the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup’s second race too.

    The results (provisional): FLGB4:

    Race 1: Vishnu Prasad (MSport) 22:45.828; 2. Amir Sayed (Ahura Racing) 22:49.736; 3. Chirag Ghorpade (Momentum Motorsports) 22:53.650.

    Race 2: 1. Sohil Shah 19:01.088; 2. Vishnu Prasad 19:02.222; 3. A. Sandeep Kumar 19:03.875.

    Novice Cup: 1. Ruhaan Alva (MSport) 21:48.110; 2. Chetan Surineni (Quest Motorsports) 21:48.714; 3. Jaden R. Pariat (MSport) 21:48.985.

    Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup: 1. Anish Damodara Shetty (Hubli) 13:57.731; 2. Allwin Xavier (Thrissur) 14:06.374; 3. Anfal Akdhar (Thrissur) 14:08.009.

    Saturday results (revised): FLGB4: 1. Arya Singh (Dark Don Racing) 23:27.088; 2. Raghul Rangaswamy (MSport) 23:29.179; 3. Mohamed Ryan (MSport) 23:29.308.

  • JK Tyre Racing Nationals at Kari Speedweay

    JK Tyre Racing Nationals at Kari Speedweay

    Coimbatore, 9 Dec 2020: The Kari Motor Speedway in Chettipalayam in Coimbatore will hear the familiar roar of Formula cars as the much-awaited 23rd JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship (JKNRC) gets under way here on Friday.
    The organisers have put in place stringent protocols, matching international standards, to ensure that the back to back rounds are held with the safety, comfort and convenience of all the teams, drivers, their support staff, officials and media in mind. “We have studied and followed every precaution prescribed by the world as well as national governing bodies to make sure that the championship is conducted smoothly,” Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre said. “In these unprecedented times we are delighted that we could host such an important event in the FMSCI calendar,” he added.

    JKNRC this season will witness two categories – The National championship class on JK Formula LGB 4, an Indian manufactured single seater racing car weighing 450 kg with 1.3 litre engine and JK Tyre Novice Cup for rookie drivers on a similar looking formula 1300s but with different chassis design and suspension geometry. The former has attracted 26 of the country’s best drivers while the latter has more than 20.

    There will be 12 races over three days, with each day witnessing four races (including two qualifying rounds on Day 1) that will test not only the speed but also the fitness and endurance of the drivers coupled with technical package put together by the teams.

    As in the past, an all-women’s team from Ahura racing will also be in fray adding to flowing of adrenaline on the track.

    The top racers of the country, including Vishnu Prasad, Raghul Rangasamy and Mira Erda (MSport), Ashwin Datta and T.S. Diljith (Dark Don Racing), and Chirag Ghorpade (Momentum Motorsport) to name a few will be in fray, battling for the honours.

    The pomp and gaiety that comes as a package with every JK Tyre Racing Championship will however be missing this time around in adherence of safety regulations.

    Among the key steps taken to battle COVID-19, the organisers will have clear dos and don’ts s right from the main entry gate to all the way up to the track. The pits too have been extended considerably to ensure social distancing.

    Local officials will be helping with bulk of the work to avoid too many visitors from other cities and states.

    The documentation and scrutiny will be on Thursday, followed by a compulsory drivers’ briefing towards the end of the day.

    Friday will witness official practice sessions, qualifying rounds and two races in each category followed by four races on Saturday and Sunday.

    For the sake of race lovers, who have always thronged the circuit in large numbers, the event will be streamed live on Sunday so that they don’t miss the action. Viewers can watch the races on:
    www.jktyremotorsport.com/live
    Facebook.com/jktyremotorsport
    Youtube.com/jktyremotorsport

    About JK Tyre Motorsport:
    JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades back. The company laid down a long term plan to popularise 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.

    The company then endeavored to spot, nurture and sharpen the drivers to turn them into world champions. With this goal in mind, we conceptualized the JK Tyre National Racing Champion in 1997. Our 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. 

    Before all this, JK Tyre had a successful stint in rallying too, conquering the scene in the early 90s. At the same time, gradually, we moved on to various disciplines, including cross-country rallying and off-roading, leaving a mark in each of them with their unique and innovative ways. JK Tyre Motorsports is also 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, we also gave them opportunities in various national championships. Last year was particularly rewarding for us as an All-Women Racing team was introduced for the first time in the LGB 4 category. In addition, the company also undertook various other initiatives to encourage them to try motorsports, even if for fun to begin with.  

    To supplement JK Tyre’s entry into the two-wheeler market, the JKNRC hosted the Suzuki Gixxer Cup and the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup categories and saw enthusiastic participation from across the country. Today, the company is synonymous with motorsports, and even more so with racing, creating a lot of goodwill for
    the brand. Right from budding racers to accomplished drivers in the country, everybody owes their rise and
    success to JK Tyre.  

  • Raghul Rangasamy takes lead in the Formula LGB class: JK Tyre Nationals

    Raghul Rangasamy takes lead in the Formula LGB class: JK Tyre Nationals

    Race 3 Winner Raghul Rangasamy flanked by 2nd placed Vishnu Prasad, left, and Sohil Shah.

    Coimbatore, 1 Sept 2019: On a day of intense battles and loads of drama, Chennai’s Raghul Rangasamy came out trumps, collecting 18 points to shoot to the top of the FLGB-4 standings as Round 2 of the JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship concluded here on Sunday.

    Tanay Gaikwad (Pune), Aaroh Ravindra (Mumbai), Sai Prithvi S (Chennai), Mira Erda (Vadodara) and Ikshan Shanbag (Satara) were the others stars of the day, emerging victorious in their respective categories.
    Most of the big excitement, as expected, emanated from the LGB category, with multiple national champions gunning for glory. After Sohil Shah (MSport) set the stage for a no-holds-barred fight on Saturday with a cheeky win, it was Diljith TS’s (Dark Don) turn to bring Sunday to life.
    Beginning at P7 as the reverse grid came into play, he exhibited speed and control to steadily move up and take the first place. Raghul (MSport), who was at P5, got caught in the front pack to lose the initiative and settled for the second position.
    Raghul, however, took advantage of a similar situation in the day’s second and final LGB-4 race to win it in dramatic fashion. His fourth-place finish on Saturday was enough to give him a total of 47 points. That took him past teammate Vishnu Prasad, who didn’t have the best of weekends despite racing out of his skin.
    Vishnu also suffered the worst of lucks, being cheated by the safety car when he was leading with a big margin in the last race. He had to settle for the second position while he had already endured a sixth-place finish in the earlier race to slip down to a total of 45 points in the two rounds. Diljith, who often seemed alone in this dog-fight, was placed third with 31 points.
    Tanay Gaikwad stole the thunder in the Suzuki Gixxer Cup, collecting the maximum possible 20 points to join Syed Muzammil Ali (Bangalore) at the top of the table.
    After winning the first race on Saturday, Tanay showed his class on Day 2 too, posting his second straight victory. Muzammil clocked the day’s fastest lap (1:23.681) but finished 0.068 seconds behind in the 10 laps.

    Mira Erda (centre) who won the ladies class. A JY Tyre image

    Mumbai’s Aaroh Ravindra stayed ahead in the JK Tyre Novice Cup, by collecting 10 more points to make it a grand sum of 52, including 28 this weekend. Bangalore’s Chirag Ghorpade was second with 39 points, after a second-place finish.

    Vadodara’s Mira Erda continued to rule in the women’s category, finishing ahead of all the ladies for the sixth consecutive time. Coimbatore’s Megaa KS (45) and Anushriya Gulati (28) were in the hunt behind her.
    Chennai’s David Ryan, who was the standout performer in the JK Tyre Inter-College Cup on Day 1 with two wins, lost his pre-eminent position to Sai Prithvi (also Chennai) on Sunday. He, however, finished second to hold on to his overall lead with 28 points.
    The day’s winner Sai Prithvi S (Chennai) and Kedin Akhil (Kolkata) were tied on 16 points for the next two positions.
    Ikshan Shanbag (Satara) claimed the JK Tyre Redbull Road to Rookies, winning both the races over the weekend. He maintained a clean slate after showing his class in Round 1 too.
    Provisional Results: LGB Formula 4 (15 laps)
    Race 2: 1. Diljith TS (Dark Don Racing; 18:14.76); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (MSport; 18:14.96);  3. Sandeep Kumar A (Dar Don; 18:15.31)
    Race 3: 1. Raghul (20:29.90); 2. Vishnu Prasad (Chennai; 20:29.92); 3. Sohil Shah (Bangalore; 20:29.10)
    Suzuki Gixxer Cup (10 laps): Race 3: 1. Tanay Gaikwad (Pune) – 14:18.57; 2. Syed Muzammil Ali (Bangalore; 14:18.64); 3. Shazan Khan (Bangalore; 14:32.58)
    JK Tyre Novice Cup: (15 laps): Race 3: 1. Aaroh Ravindra (Mumbai; 18:19.30); 2. Chirag Ghorpade (Bangalore; 18:24.87); 3. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai; 18:29.31)
    JK Tyre Redbull Road to Rookies: (10 laps): Race 3: 1. Ikshan Shanbag (Satara; 14:56.42); 2. Aditi Krishnan (Bangalore; 15:20.92); 3. Aryan Gurav (Pune; 15:23.78)
    JK Tyre College Cup (8 laps): Race 3: 1. Sai Prithvi S (Chennai; 10:20.80); 2. David Ryan (Chennai; 10:22.73); Chetan Surineni (Bangalore; 10:46.82)
  • Disappointment for Chirag Ghorpade; Rahul Rangasamy, Vishnu Prasad share the spoils

    Disappointment for Chirag Ghorpade; Rahul Rangasamy, Vishnu Prasad share the spoils

    Chirag Ghorpade celebrates his birthday (Sat) with a double but he was penalised for a jump start on Sunday losing a treble. An INDIAinF1 image

    Coimbatore, 28 July 2019: Teammates and Chennai’s ace racing stars Raghul Rangasamy and Vishnu Prasad of MSport won a race each pushing the other to the second place in the elite LGB Formula 4 category as the 22nd JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship concluded at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday.

    While another Chennai racer Sandeep Kumar of Dark Don Racing came third in the Race 2, young Ashwin Datta, also from Chennai, completed the podium in Race 3. Vishnu bagged the fastest lap in both the races. Ashwin, the 20-year-old BBA student missed a chance slipping to third in the last lap after leading the LGB Formula 4 Race 1 on Saturday.

    Suzuki Gixxer podium

    However, the focus of the day in the JK Tyre Novice Cup over 15 laps was on teenager Chirag Ghorpade of Momentum Motorsports, who won both the races on Saturday to celebrate his birthday. But it was Mohamed Ryan of MSport who was promoted to a victory after the stewards penalised Chirag for a jump start. Earlier, Chirag crossed the line first by a comfortable margin. The 14-year-old Chirag, who made his single-seater debut this year, however, is improving at a fast pace and if groomed well is bound to keep up to his celebrated family name.

    Syed Muzammil Ali of Bengaluru made it a double in the JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup, winning Race 2, with a lot to spare while Tanay Gaikwad of Pune, finished second once again, way behind the winner. Sidharth Sajan of Coimbatore came third. Ishan Shanbag won the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup of 10 laps while the other rookies could complete only 9 laps.

    Mira Erda (centre) who won the ladies class on Sunday. Twitter @JKTyreRacing

    Popular Indian woman racer Mira Erda won the women’s category. The MSport driver pushed Mega KS of Ahura Racing to second spot. Diana Pundole, also of Ahura came third.

    Provisional Unaudited Results: Sunday:

    Race 5: LGB Formula 4 (Race 2, 14 laps): 1. Raghul Rangasamy (MSport, Chennai) (18:28.329); 2. Vishnu Prasad (MSport, Chennai) (18:31.673); 3. Sandeep Kumar A (Dark Don Racing, Chennai) (18:32.848); Best lap: Vishnu 1:11.413.

    Race 6: JK Tyre Novice Cup (15 laps): 1. Mohamed Ryan (MSport, Chennai) (23:44.056); 2. Aaroh Ravindra (Momentum Motorsports, Mumbai) (23:47.212); 3. Mihir Avalakki (Birel Art) (23:47.330). Best lap: Aaroh 1:12.988.

    Race 7: JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup (Race 2, 10 laps): 1. Syed Muzammil Ali (Bengaluru) (14:19.609); 2.Tanay Gaikwad (Pune) (14:25.458); 3. Sidharth Sajan (Coimbatore) 14:27.480. Best lap: SM Ali 1:23.929.

    Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup (Race 2, 10 laps): 1. Ikshan Shanbag (Satara) (15:01.223); 2. Prashanth R 3. Aryan Gurav.

    Race 8: LGB Formula 4 (Race 3, 15 laps): 1. Vishnu Prasad (MSport, Chennai) (20:02.742); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (MSport, Chennai) (20:02.810); 3. Ashwin Datta (Dark Don Racing, Chennai) (20:05.316). Best lap: Vishnu: 1:11.333.

    JK Tyre women’s category (Formula LGB4): 1. Mira Erda (MSport); 2. Mega K.S (Ahura Racing); 3. Diana Pundole (Ahura Racing).

    Note: The report is edited after Chirag Ghorpade was disqualified for a jump start.

  • Vishnu Prasad, Chirag Ghorpade sparkle on Day 1: JK Tyre Racing Nationals

    Vishnu Prasad, Chirag Ghorpade sparkle on Day 1: JK Tyre Racing Nationals

    Chirag Ghorpade wins Race 1 of the Novice Cup in Coimbatore on Saturday. Photos: JK Tyre

    Coimbatore, 27 July 2019: Ace racer Vishnu Prasad and young Chirag Ghorpade sparkled on the opening day winning their races in contrasting styles in the 22nd JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Saturday.

    Syed Muzammil Ali proved to be the other hero of the day, cruising to victory in the first round of the support race, the JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup.

    In the revamped opening round of the championship, the focus was on younger talent and they didn’t disappoint with as many as 27 lined up on the grid for their first real shot at glory.

    Momentum Motorsports’ 14-year-old Ghorpade from Bengaluru, was the most impressive, taking the pole position in the morning and winning his first race in the Novice Cup.

    Chirag clocked 13:37.912 minutes to beat the aggressive field by 0.338, leaving his teammate Aaroh Ravindra and Mohamed Ryan (MSport) fighting for the other two places on the podium.

    Seasoned racer Vishnu Prasad win LGB Formula 4 race on Saturday.

    The youngster, who exhibited speed and skill, brought in his 14th birthday in style, winning Race 2 as well. Aaroh was left chasing him in this race too but Parikshit Dardhalli (DTS Racing) upstaged Ryan for the third place.

    The Formula LGB 4 boasted of a star-studded grid, with seven national champions in fray. The race began as a three-way tussle between Vishnu (MSport), Rohit Khanna (Dark Don Racing) and Ashwin (Dark Don Racing).

    Ashwin shot into the lead, going past MSport’s Sohil Shah who began on pole at the first opportunity. He hung on to the lead all the way to the final lap. But the safety car, that came out a couple of hours earlier, hurt his momentum and saw him slip to the third place.

    Vishnu and Rohit exhibited great speed to overtake him and claim the first two positions.

    Muzammil Ali, another Bengaluru lad, was unstoppable in the Gixxer Cup, shining in the practice rounds, grabbing the pole in the qualifiers and winning the race too. Tanay Gaikwad (Pune) and Amul Angadi (Coimbatore) clinched second and third place in a 31-strong grid.

    Provisional Unaudited Results: Saturday: (Timings not received):

    JK Tyre Novice Cup (Race 1): 1. Chirag Ghorpade (Momentum Motorsports); 2. Aaroh Ravindra (Momentum Motorsports); 3. Mohamed Ryan (MSport)

    JK Tyre Novice Cup (Race 2): 1. Chirag Ghorpade (Momentum Motorsports); 2. Aaroh Ravindra (Momentum Motorsports); 3. Parikshit Dardhalli (DTS Racing)

    JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup (Race 1): 1. Syed Muzammil Ali; 2. Tanay Gaikwad; 3. Amul Angadi

    JK Tyre Redbull Road to Rookies (Race 1): 1. Ikshan Shanbag

    LGB Formula 4 (Race 1): 1. Vishnu Prasad (MSport); 2. Rohit Khanna (Dark Don Racing); 3. Ashwin Datta (Dark Don Racing)

  • Bryan Perera emerges star of the day: JK Tyre National Racing Championship

    Bryan Perera emerges star of the day: JK Tyre National Racing Championship

    LGB 4 podium. A JK Tyre image

    Coimbatore, 8 July 2018: Sri Lanka’s Bryan Perera made the most of slightly wet conditions to emerge the star of the day, winning two Euro JK 18 races in the 21st JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship here on Sunday.

    Karthik Tharani, who won the laurels in this category on Saturday, however, made a valiant comeback in the fourth and final race to catch up with Perera as Round 1 came to a thrilling finish.

    Mumbai’s Nayan Chatterjee stayed right behind the leaders by making the podium thrice on Sunday, grabbing the second place twice and the third place once. Another Chennai racer Ashwin Datta enjoyed a good run, finishing second in Race 4 and third in Race 2 and 3.

    In fact, Ashwin Datta has taken top position on the leader-board with 24 points, upstaging Perera and Tharani who have accumulated 23 points. Nayan has 20 points.

    The LGB 4 too proved to be a tantalising affair, with Delhi’s Rohit Khanna and Chennai’s Raghul Rangsamy winning one race each. Chennai’s Vishnu Prasad had won Race 1 on Saturday, to produce three different winners in the three races in this category.

    Vishnu and Kolhapur’s Chittesh Mandody took the second and third places in both the races to pick up valuable points. Vishnu, however, is ahead on points after Round 1 with 22 in his kitty. Raghul and Rohit have 21 and 17 points.

    In the Suzuki Gixxer Cup, Joseph Matthew continued his imperious run, remaining unbeaten over this weekend too. He finished the 10 laps in 14:16.799 minutes, recording his quickest time of 1:23.411 minutes in Lap 6 for his second straight victory.

    Syed Muzamil Ali (Bengaluru) and Malsawmdawngliana  (Aizawl), who had finished third and second last evening, swapped places in Race 2 to finish on the same number of points.

    A carnival-like atmosphere reigned at the Kari Motor Speedway, with a big holiday crowd turning up to enjoy the Race Day. Music, stunts and close races marked the day, as the competitors gunned for glory.

    The Ahura Racing team once again were greeted with the loudest cheers, with the five girls in red tackling the wet conditions with elan.

    The slippery track didn’t deter them, leading to a series of photo-finishes in all the categories. Bryan Perera recorded the day’s fastest lap in Race 3, taking just 1:00.279 minutes in his Euro JK 18 car.

    Provisional Results: Euro JK 18, Race 2: 1. Bryan Perera (Sri Lanka, 15:22.568); 2. Nayan Chatterjee (Mumbai, 15:26.377); 3. Ashwin Datta (Chennai, 15:29.942).

    Euro JK 18, Race 3: 1. Bryan Perera (Sri Lanka, 14:15.491); 2. Nayan Chatterjee (Mumbai, 14:17.269); 3. Ashwin Datta (Chennai, 14:23.294).

    Euro JK 18, Race 4: 1. Karthik Tharani (Chennai, 15:33.789); 2. Ashwin Datta (Chennai, 15:34.334); Nayan Chatterjee (Mumbai, 15:34.403)

    LGB 4, Race 2: 1. Rohit Khanna (Dark Don, 16:56.965); 2. Chittesh Mandody (Kolhapur, 16:59.249); 3. Vishnu Prasad (MSport; 17:02.297).

    LGB 4, Race 3: 1. Raghul Rangasamy (MSport; 21:56.544); Chittesh Mandody (Kolhapur, 21:57.698); 3. Vishnu Prasad (MSport; 21:59.430).

    Suzuki Gixxer Cup, Race 2: 1. Joseph Matthew (Chennai; 14:16.799), 2. Syed Muzamil Ali (Bengaluru; 14:18.749); 3. Malsawmdawngliana (Aizawl; 14:19.951).

    Red Bull Rookie, Race 2: 1. Zothanmawia (Aizawl; 14:36.129), 2. Jerome Vanlalrengpuia (Mizoram; 15:04.514); 3. Andy Lalhmangaihsang (Aizawl; 15:13.476).

    eom/db