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Tag: JK Tyre
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Good response to JK Tyre Hornbill Motor Rally
Kohima, 6 Dec 2013: The 6th JK Tyre Hornbill Motor Rally came to a successful conclusion after exciting action and lots of enthusiasm here in Kohima. In keeping with its commitment of taking motor sports to the farthest corners of the country, JK Tyre with the support from the Government of Nagaland has helped to establish the Hornbill Motor Rally as the premier motorsports event in the North East. The Time, Speed, Distance (TSD) rally is organized by the Nagaland Adventure and Motor Sports Association (NAMSA).
The rally coincides with the famous Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, a seven-day extravaganza of cultural performances, ethnic food courts, handlooms and handicrafts bazaars, film and art festivals, fashion shows and national rock contest.
Dr. Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre with the overall champions in the 4-wheeler Amateur category. A WordsWork photo. The event saw enthusiastic participation from drivers and two-wheeler rallyists. This year saw a significant increase in participation in the four-wheeler and two-wheeler categories including an all-women’s team that also took part in the challenging event. The participants came from Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Delhi and Chandigarh reflecting the pan-Indian appeal of the JK Tyre Hornbill Motor Rally.
The rally covered a total distance of 130kms after being flagged off by Mr. Sanjay Sharma, Head- Motorsports, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd from the IG Stadium. The rally cars and bikes traversed the hilly terrain passing through the beautiful landscapes of Kezoma, Kedima, Kisama and Naga Heritage village before finishing at the IG Stadium. The rally was a whole new adventure for drivers and navigators and helped them explore the unchartered territories of the state.
The day culminated in a glittering prize giving ceremony presided over by Chief Guest, Dr. Ashwani Kumar, Honorable Governor of Nagaland & Manipur and Dr. Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director of JK Tyre & Industries Ltd. The guests were treated to some mesmerizing performances by the famous Tetseo Sisters from Nagaland.
The four wheeler category was divided in four classes– professional, amateur ladies and couple classes, while two-wheeler category had one combined class. In the professional class, SK Ajgar Ali and co-driver Mohammad Mustafa clinched the top honours with a cumulative time penalty of 10 seconds. Former Raid-de-Himalaya winner, Along Aier and co-driver Chandan Sen finished with the second best time penalty of 17 seconds, while Chidanand Murthy Sathish Gopalakrishnan finished third with a time of 22 seconds.
In the Amateur Class, Nitoka Chopi and co-driver Philip Lam finished on the top of the time sheets with a cumulative penalty of 5min 06 sec, while Kezhaletuo and co-driver Bodevi Shuya finished second with a total time of 9min 53 sec. Mikrio Kayina and co-driver Arun Kayina clinched the last spot on the podium with time penalty of 14 min 14 sec.
In the All-Ladies class, Darshana Sen Gupta and Ranjana Bhajanka walked away with top honours with a total time of 25 min 47 sec, while in the Couple Class, Atsase Sangtam and co-driver Asenla KR finished on top of the time sheets after clocking 1hr 37min 12 sec.
In the two-wheeler category, Saptrishi Basu and navigator Diptojyoti Ghosh finished on the top stwp of the podium with a total time of 20sec. Udya Ganguly and Rajkumar Mundra finished second with a total time of 31 seconds, while Mukesh Thakkar and navigator Subhranshu Hazra finished third with a time penalty of 1min 43 sec.
TSD rallying (Time Speed Distance) is a form of motor sport usually conducted on public roads (following Traffic Rules) but sometimes including off-road and track sections. The objective of these rallies is to maintain precise times and precise average speeds on various segments of a predefined route. Each team consists of a rider/driver and navigator. In a Time-Speed-Distance Format, the route instructions, in addition to instructions to keep a team on course also gives assigned speeds. This is where a common man can get his personal road car with basic safety equipment’s as provided by manufacturer to participate and experience the thrill of motor rallying.
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Akhil wins place in FIA Institute Young Driver’s Excellence Academy
31 Oct 2013: After an intensive three days of tests and evaluations at the FIA Institute Asia-Pacific Selection Event hosted by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS), India’s Akhil Rabindra won himself a place in the FIA Institute Young Drivers Excellence Academy. Rabindra, 17, who races in the JK Racing India Series (Formula BMW) won his place on the fully-funded Academy program after demonstrating his ability not just on the track but also in terms of fitness and understanding of safety and vehicle dynamics.
There were three judges on the selection panel with the Gus Glover from the FIA Institute, Academy Instructor Dr. Tony Turner and Lead Driving Instructor Cameron McConville . In the end it was a tough decision, but all three felt Rabindra was a worthy winner, and he was naturally thrilled to have been chosen with the announcement made by FIA Institute Deputy President Garry Connelly.
“I am honoured to have been selected I would like to thank the FIA Institute, CAMS and my ASN The FMSCI for making this possible. I am looking forward to taking on the other drivers from across the world. The Academy should be great and I hope to lean a lot,” Rabindra said.
Rabindra now has the opportunity to follow i
Akhil Rabindran who won the Young Driver Excellence Award. An Adrenna Photo n the footsteps of previous participants in the Academy who have gone on to drive in Formula One and the World Rally Championship.
All the young drivers, who had been nominated by the national motor sport authorities in their own countries, gained invaluable knowledge and experience to help them in their careers.
Andrew Papadopoulos, President of CAMS, which hosted the event on behalf of the FIA Institute, congratulated the winner and all those involved.
“It has been fantastic to host this event we would like to thank the New South Wales Institute of Sport and Sydney Motorsport Park and Mazda for their support. Driver development is important in the Asia Pacific region and we are happy to have helped raise the standard in this part of the world.” said Papadopoulos.
FMSCI President Vicky Chandhok commented, “This is a great initiative by the FIA to develop young drivers across the world. On behalf of the FMSCI, I would like to congratulate Akhil on winning the APAC selection, and wish him all the best in the Academy. There are so many young drivers with so much potential that the future of Indian motorsport looks promising.”
On the final day of the selection event the 12 drivers were whittled down to three, Rabindra, Petr Borodin from Kazakhstan and Mark Gibson from New Zealand.
Ultimately, the choice of Rabindra as the regional winner was based not only on the shoot-out result but on all-round skills displayed over the three days.
He now joins Venezuelan Diego Ferreira who won the Americas region selection event, South Africa’s Kelvin Van der Linde as the winner of the African regional event, Lithuania’s Ignas Gelzinis, the winner of the European regional event, and Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Bamogaddam, winner of the Middle East and Mediterranean event, on the Academy programme. They in turn will join three additional wild card entries to form the eight of the Academy.
Beginning in December, the next Academy provides a fully-funded training programme which aims to help drivers develop their motor sport careers, whilst increasing safety skills and actively promoting the principles of safety, fairness and responsibility on and off the track.
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Arjun Maini wins Race 1: Round 3 of JK Racing India Series
Greater Noida, 28 Sept 2013: Thousands of motorsports fans got their fill as they witnessed top-quality racing as the Round 3 of 16th JK Tyre Racing Championship got underway in right earnest at the Buddh International Circuit under clear blue skies. For the first time this year, the country’s premier most racing championship brought together India’s best young racing talent to the 5.14km Formula One track much to the delight of fans and the public.
Those who braved the hot and humid conditions were rewarded with high-speed action, precision driving, breathtaking overtaking manoeuvres and edge of the seat fights for track positions. The 60 drivers from across the country are taking part in this speed fest, according to a JK Tyre press release.
The highlight of the day, of course, was the newly introduced JK Racing India Series, which uses international spec FB02 cars built around Mygale chassis and powered by 1.2-litre BMW engine. All eyes were on young Mahavir Rangunathan, who claimed pole in the qualifying races held earlier in the day by a mere 1/100thof a second ahead of Arjun Mani and championship leader Vishnu Prasad among other.
As the five red lights went out, Mahavir made a clean getaway with Arjun, Vishnu and the rest of the pack in hot pursuit. The Chennai driver managed to keep Maini behind him for a couple of opening laps, but “in an epic overtaking manoeuvre” Maini overtook the pole man. Once ahead, the 15-year-old racer of Bangalore controlled the pace brilliantly ahead even as Vishnu and Karminder, who started from third and sixth place on the start grid made their moves on Mahavir.
“It was quite frustrating to be stuck behind Mahavir for the first few laps, but then I would say it was an epic moment when I finally managed to overtake him. Once I got in front, I just kept my head down to string together as many consistent laps as possible. I am happy to win the first race of the weekend of the JK FB02 and my aim is to win the remaining two races on Sunday,” said Arjun looking back on his win in the gruelling 10 lap race, who also claimed the fastest lap of the race with the best time of 2:12:509.
Vishnu, who cleaned up the opposition by taking all three wins in the second round at Coimbatore, had to be satisfied with second place. “I did what I could, but Arjun had good pace and I couldn’t overtake him. Still I am satisfied with today’s result and it gives me motivation to better the result in the second and third races of JK FB02,” said Vishnu.
Despite finishing third, Karminder Singh, sported the biggest grin among the podium finishers. This was the maiden podium for Karminder in JK FB02 and to sweeten things, it came in front of home fans of the Delhi based racing driver. “I didn’t make the best of starts, but I realised that I needed to keep things clean and consistent. In the end, it paid off and I am thrilled that my first podium came on my home track,” said Karminder recalling his race.
In the JK Tyre Volkswagen Polo R Cup, South African driver, Jeffery Kruger, claimed the top step of the podium with a total time of 20:15.281. Mumbai-based Rahil Noorani finished in second place, while the last step of the podium was claimed by Angad Matharoo from Chandigarh.
In the FLGB Formula 4, it was a Saraosh Hataria show all the way. The Dark Don Racing driver from Coimbatore, who is leading the championship with 106 points, claimed the first golden three of the weekend. Sarosh first claimed pole and then went on to dominate the race and went further to post the fastest lap of the race. Sarosh took the eight lap race with a total time of 20:58:845. The remaining two places on the podium were also swept by Dark Don Racing drivers. Karthik Krishna claimed second place with a time of 21:00.035 and Advait Deodhar finished in third place. “It was a very satisfying victory for me. As a team we have been working very hard right from the start of the season, so when it pays off you feel very motivated and charged. This was a very good race for us as we claimed all the three places on the podium,” said Sarosh.
JK Racing India Series (JK FB02): Race-1: 1. Arjun Maini 22:15:289 2. Vishnu Prasad (22:18:835) 3. Karminder Singh (22:35:686).
FLGB Formula 4: Race 1: 1. Sarosh Hataria (20:58:845) 2. Kartik Krishna (21:00:035) 3. Advit Deodhar (21:00:827)
September 29, Greater Noida: Thousands of motorsports fans got their fill as they witnessed top-quality racing as the Round 3 of 16th JK Tyre Racing Championship got underway in right earnest at the Buddh International Circuit under clear blue skies. For the first time this year, the country’s premier most racing championship brought together India’s best young racing talent to the 5.14km Formula One track much to the delight of fans and the public.
Those who braved the hot and humid conditions were rewarded with high-speed action, precision driving, breathtaking overtaking manoeuvres and edge of the seat fights for track positions. The 60 drivers from across the country taking part in this speed fest put their best foot forward.
The highlight of the day, of course, was the newly introduced JK Racing India Series, which uses international spec FB02 cars built around Mygale chassis and powered by 1.2-litre BMW engine. All eyes were on young Mahavir Rangunathan, who claimed pole in the qualifying races held earlier in the day by a mere 1/100thof a second ahead of Arjun Mani and championship leader Vishnu Prasad among other.
As the five red lights went out, Mahavir made a clean getaway with Arjun, Vishnu and the rest of the pack in hot pursuit. The Chennai driver managed to keep Maini behind him for a couple of opening laps, but “in an epic overtaking manoeuvre” Maini overtook the pole man. Once ahead, the 15-year-old racer of Bangalore controlled the pace brilliantly ahead even as Vishnu and Karminder, who started from third and sixth place on the start grid made their moves on Mahavir.
“It was quite frustrating to be stuck behind Mahavir for the first few laps, but then I would say it was an epic moment when I finally managed to overtake him. Once I got in front, I just kept my head down to string together as many consistent laps as possible. I am happy to win the first race of the weekend of the JK FB02 and my aim is to win the remaining two races on Sunday,” said Arjun looking back on his win in the gruelling 10 lap race, who also claimed the fastest lap of the race with the best time of 2:12:509.
Vishnu, who cleaned up the opposition by taking all three wins in the second round at Coimbatore, had to be satisfied with second place. “I did what I could, but Arjun had good pace and I couldn’t overtake him. Still I am satisfied with today’s result and it gives me motivation to better the result in the second and third races of JK FB02,” said Vishnu.
Despite finishing third, Karminder Singh, sported the biggest grin among the podium finishers. This was the maiden podium for Karminder in JK FB02 and to sweeten things, it came in front of home fans of the Delhi based racing driver. “I didn’t make the best of starts, but I realised that I needed to keep things clean and consistent. In the end, it paid off and I am thrilled that my first podium came on my home track,” said Karminder recalling his race.
In the JK Tyre Volkswagen Polo R Cup, South African driver, Jeffery Kruger, claimed the top step of the podium with a total time of 20:15.281. Mumbai-based Rahil Noorani finished in second place, while the last step of the podium was claimed by Angad Matharoo from Chandigarh.
In the FLGB Formula 4, it was a Saraosh Hataria show all the way. The Dark Don Racing driver from Coimbatore, who is leading the championship with 106 points, claimed the first golden three of the weekend. Sarosh first claimed pole and then went on to dominate the race and went further to post the fastest lap of the race. Sarosh took the eight lap race with a total time of 20:58:845. The remaining two places on the podium were also swept by Dark Don Racing drivers. Karthik Krishna claimed second place with a time of 21:00.035 and Advait Deodhar finished in third place. “It was a very satisfying victory for me. As a team we have been working very hard right from the start of the season, so when it pays off you feel very motivated and charged. This was a very good race for us as we claimed all the three places on the podium,” said Sarosh.
JK Racing India Series (JK FB02): Race-1: 1. Arjun Maini 22:15:289 2. Vishnu Prasad (22:18:835) 3. Karminder Singh (22:35:686).
FLGB Formula 4: Race 1: 1. Sarosh Hataria (20:58:845) 2. Kartik Krishna (21:00:035) 3. Advit Deodhar (21:00:827)
JK Tyre Volkswagen Polo R Cup- Race1: 1. Jeffery Kruger (20:15:281) 2. Rahil Noorani (20:26:251) 3. Angad Matharoo (20:27:352)
1. Jeffery Kruger (20:15:281) 2. Rahil Noorani (20:26:251) 3. Angad Matharoo (20:27:352)
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5-round Indian National TSD Rally calendar released
Chennai, 11 Sept 2013: The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) on Wednesday announced the calendar for the 2nd year of the highly popular Indian National TSD Rally Championship 2013. This championship will be run under the TSD (Time, Speed, Distance) format of rallying, with the objective being to maintain precise times and average speeds on various segments of a predefined route. Leading Indian manufacturer Mahindra have already confirmed their support by supplying 6 cars for the season, a press release from Adrenna Communications said.
Last year, JK Tyre entered the rally scene after a long gap and sponsored the TSD championship which soon became a popular event.
File photo of 2012 winners of Indian National TSD Rally championship. Photo by JK Tyre TSD rallying in india is extremely popular as you don’t have to prepare a Special vehicle for this all it needs is a good navigator and coordination between driver and navigator. Any cars/SUV having a valid registration in India (RTO) may participate. The total distance of the rally is set at a distance of minimum 175 Km and maximum of 200 Km.
FMSCI President Vicky Chandhok said that the Federation is excited about the second year of the TSD Rallying championship after a successful first year. He said, “Our first year of the TSD Rallying Championship was received very well and that is why we are keen to promote it again this year. The interesting thing about TSD is that it is the only form of motorsport where speed is not a priority but rather precision and is a great stepping stone for rally enthusiasts. We had good manufacturers support last year and we hope to get more of them involved this year as well.
“The beauty of this championship is that any car can participate and no modification is necessary. It connects with the grassroots level of the sport and is hugely popular. We are keen to continue to promote awareness of the sport and confident that this will reach a completely new audience. We would like to thank the organizing clubs for stepping in and taking on the responsibility to ensure we have another successful year.” added Chandhok.
The 2013 Indian National (TSD) Rally Championship will consist of 5 rounds with the first round taking place in Nashik. There will be two main categories, namely, Pro Expert and Pro Stock. The cars need not be altered or modified as it is a TSD format. Each car will be fitted with Transponders, GPS, Trip Meter and digital cameras for backup times and verification etc.
Round 1 of the 2013 TSD championship will be held in Nashik on September 28-29. This will be followed by rallies in Chikmagalur, Coimbatore and Bangalore.
The calendar for the 2013 TSD Championship will be as follows:
Round 1 : September 28-29 : Nashik
Round 2 : October 19-20 : Chikmagalur
Round 2 : November 16-17 : Coimbatore
Round 3 : December 7-8 : Bangalore
Round 1 : December 20-21 : Coimbatore
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Azlan Shah snatches pole in ARRC
Irungattukottai, 13 July 2013: With track temperatures soaring at the Madras Motor Race Track, all signs are pointing to a scorcher of a race for the third leg of the PETRONAS Asia Road Racing Championship.
The 600cc riders power-slid their way around the 3.717km circuit with Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman quickly putting his marker on the coveted pole position with a new lap record of 01:42.909s, a Press Release from Adrenna Communications said.
And only a day after predicting a Yamaha-advantage, Azlan’s team mate Makoto Tamada powered his own Honda to second on the grid with 01:43.593s. This makes it Tamada’s best start in the race to date, after struggling with bike setting issues for the past two rounds. Mohd Zamri Baba, who has been consistently fast the entire weekend, will take up the third spot on the front row with 01:43.713s.
“Pole position is perhaps the most important winning-factor in this round. The circuit is tight and there are very few overtaking opportunities, especially in the 600cc class. After clocking in fastest during the morning session, I was even more determined to take the pole position. The new lap record was a bonus,” said Azlan.
Rafid Topan’s Underbone lap record that stayed intact in the first day was quickly erased as the second day of practices commenced. Harlan Fadhillah beat the record by 0.346 seconds in Free Practice 3 with a fastest lap of 01:59.474s.
Ahmad Afif Amran quickly bested that time during the opening minutes of the qualifying session with 01:58.672s. But the riders’ momentum was interrupted when the red flag came out on the 18th minute following a crash between Mohd Hafieenaz Mohd Ali and Mohd Adib Rosley. Both riders were reported to be OK. Hafieenaz rode back to the paddock on his own power but Adib fared a little worse, suffering from a sprained ankle.
However, momentum interrupted, there were no more record-breaking charges by the Underbone riders. Afif scored pole position with his new lap record and will be joined on the front row by defending champion Hadi Wijaya who was second fastest with 01:58.703s and Ferlando Herdian third fastest with 01:59.248s.
“For the most part, I did my quick lap with a clear track around me. But I did caught up to other riders at the last few corners and slipstreamed my way into pole position,” said Afif. “With the top five riders all clocking below the 2-minute mark, the pole position advantage is really very minimal.”
Indian riders Sumit Lucas Prabhu will start 11th on the grid with Arunagiri Prabhu starting in 14th place.
Results: SuperSports 600cc Practice 3
1. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS), 1:43.417s; 2. Md Zamri Baba (MAS), 1:43.500s; 3. Katsuaki Fujiwara (JPN), 1:43.964s; 4. Yuki Ito (JPN), 1:44.304s; 5. Makoto Tamada (JPN), 1:44.347SuperSports 600cc Qualifying
1. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS), 01:42.785s (new lap record); 2. Makoto Tamada (JPN), 01:43.593s; 3. Md Zamri Baba (MAS), 01:43.713s; 4. Katsuaki Fujiwara (JPN), 01:43.954s; 5. Peerawat Wongthananon (THA), 01:44.031sAsia Dream Cup Practice 2 :
1. Dwi Satria (INA), 01:57.075; 2. Nakarin Atiratphuvapat (THA), 01:57.240; 3. Hiroki Ono (JPN), 01:57.306; 4. Md Fitri Ashraf Razali (MAS), 01:57.694; 5. Jakkrit Swangswat (THA), 01:57.924Asia Dream Cup Qualifying :
1. Hiroki Ono (JPN), 01:56.230s; 2. Md Dwi Satria (INA), 01:56.600s; 3. Nakarin Atiratphuvapat (THA), 01:57.068s; 4. Md Fitri Ashraf Razali (MAS), 01:57.643s; 5. Khairul Idham Pawi (INA), 01:57.882sUnderbone 115cc Practice 3:
1. Harlan Fadhillah (INA), 1:59.474s; 2. Ahmad Afif Amran (MAS), 1:59.794s; 3. Gupita Kresna Wardhana (INA), 2:00.725s; 4. Ferlando Herdian (INA), 2:00.953s; 5. Md Amirul Ariff Musa (MAS), 2:01.097sUnderbone 115cc Qualifying
1. Ahmad Afif Amran (MAS), 01:58.672s (new lap record); 2. Hadi Wijaya (INA), 01:58.703s; 3. Ferlando Herdian (INA), 01:59.248s; 4. Gupita Kresna Wardhana (INA), 01:59.728s; 5. Harlan Fadhillah (INA), 01:59.744sends
Note: Race begins on Sunday, 14th July at 10am with the action packed races expectedat the MMRT.
Azlan Shah in action in the 600cc Superbikes qualies. Photo by Adrenna -
Armaan rounds off FIA GT week-end with 2nd podium
Zandvoort (Netherlands), 7 July 2013: Indian racing driver Armaan Ebrahim and BMW Sports Trophy Team India rounded off their strongest weekend of the 2013 FIA GT World Series at the Zandvoort Circuit with a third place finish in the Pro-Am category and tenth overall.
Having scored their maiden podium by finishing second on Saturday, the team was on their way to go one better today but a delay during the driver change threw a spanner in the works, according to a Meco Motorsports Press Release.
“We were really on it today, the car was really strong and we could have won the class and finished top five overall”, said Armaan, hinting disappointment at the final outcome.
Armaan started the race from ninth position but like on Saturday, a huge incident on the opening lap led the race being red-flagged. The restart saw him holding his position and challenging the train of cars ahead.
But his attention was focused as much on the car behind as it was ahead, with nine-time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb in his McLaren MP4-12C breathing down Armaan’s rear bumper.
“I could see him coming in the mirrors but I had enough pace in the bag to keep him behind and was focusing on passing the cars right ahead of me”, he revealed.
But the BMW Z4 GT’s inherent lack of straight line speed prevented him from passing the Nissan GT-R and Mercedes SLS lying close ahead of him, despite the BMW holding an advantage around the rest of the 4.3-kilometer layout.
“Coming off the final corner, I just couldn’t stay with them, slipstream or no. It has been a weak area and even though there aren’t many long straights here, it still managed to hamper us”, revealed Armaan.
Having held Loeb off for the length of his stint, Armaan pitted for the mandatory driver change on lap 14, but disaster was in store.
“As soon as I tried to unbuckle [the seatbelt] myself, it refused to release despite repeated efforts. Then we had the crew on it and it took forever for me to come out and buckle Melroy [teammate] back in”, he said.
While this drama was unfolding in the pitlane, the team was steadily dropping down the order and lost nearly five positions by the time Heemskerk got back on the track.
There onwards, the team’s race was just an exercise in damage limitation and the Danish driver did his best to claw back lost time, but simply ran out of laps to get back up the order significantly, ultimately finishing tenth overall and third in the Pro-Am class.
“It is quite disappointing to be honest, given what we were capable of this weekend. But I’m happy that after a difficult start to the season, we’ve managed to turn a corner”, commented Armaan.
“We need to improve a bit on the pitstop front as well as sort out the straightline speed deficit. Next two tracks on the calendar – Slovakia Ring and Navarra are more straightline-dependent and we’ll be at more of a disadvantage than we were here at Zandvoort”, he cited.
The next round of the FIA GT Series is scheduled at Slovakia Ring on 17-18 August.
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Armaan Ebrahim, along with teammate, on podium after finishing third. A Meco Motorsports photo. -
Raj Bharath finishes third in Race 1: Formula Masters
Ordos (China), 7 July 2013: After qualifying third at Ordos International Circuit, Indian racing driver Raj Bharath rounded off his race weekend with a podium finish in Race 1 while engine issues in Race 2 didn’t allow him to finish better than sixth at round three of Formula Masters China. He came third.
Driving for Meco Motorsport, the Bangalore lad had posted his maiden win of the season on the last outing at Shanghai International circuit. At Ordos though, mechanical issues which first surfaced in qualifying, prevented him from showing his pace. But the 19-year old manage to hold on through the opening race of the weekend to finish third, a Meco Motorsports release said.
“The car seemed to lack acceleration out of corner exits, so I was losing speed on the straights and couldn’t catch up to my rivals ahead”, conceded Raj.
Things took a turn for worse in race two and Raj found it difficult to maintain his position, having started third. So despite a bout of defensive driving, he could only cross the line in sixth.
“It was much harder in the second race as drivers behind me were quicker, as our issues had become more pronounced”, he said.
“I did the best I could but there was no way of holding them back when you’re lacking a lot of speed on the straights”, he added disappointingly.
Race three of the weekend was cancelled due to some safety issues on the circuit, which turned out be a blessing in disguise as it limited the amount of points that could have been further lost in the championship standings.
The cancelled race will be held at the championship’s next outing scheduled at Inje Circuit in Korea.
“Honestly it was a relief that one race got postponed, so hopefully we’ll get to the bottom of the issues and we’ll be back to our usual competitiveness in Korea”, concluded Raj.
Round four of the Formula Masters Championship is scheduled at Inje Circuit from 2-4 August.
ABOUT RAJ BHARATH:
Born November 20, 1994 in Bangalore, Raj took his first steps in motorsport with karting in 2008 – like all aspiring F1 drivers. Then aged 14, he immediately showed glimpses of his potential in his debut year, winning the trophy for the ‘Most promising rookie of the year’ in the National Karting championship.
He eventually won the title in 2010 and progressed to Formula BMW Asia in 2011 followed by the Ferrari Academy supported Formula Pilota in 2012.
For 2013, Raj aims to participate in the Formula Masters China and win the championship before moving to Europe in 2014, and getting closer to his aim of making it to Formula 1. He posted his first victory of the season at the Shanghai International Circuit in May.
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Armaan 2nd in Round 3 at GT World Series Pro-Am
Zandvoort (Netherlands), 6 July 2013: Indian racing driver Armaan Ebrahim and BMW Sports Trophy Team India clinched their maiden podium of the 2013 FIA GT World Series at the Zandvoort Circuit, finishing second in the Pro-Am category and a brilliant ninth overall.
It was a welcome result for the team after a disappointing last outing at Zolder in Belgium, where Armaan’s teammate crashed the car during practice and put the team out of contention for the weekend, a Meco Motorsports release said.
“This is effectively our second race of the season and my first at this circuit, so it feels incredible to finish on the podium”, said an elated Armaan.
Prior to the weekend, the team had done a brief shakedown at Spa, along with Armaan’s new teammate Melroy Heemskerk, who had replaced Jouse who couldn’t continue due to some contractual issues with the team.
A Zandvoort native, Heemskerk had no problem getting comfortable in the car and both drivers ended up having similar pace at the Danish venue, despite Armaan’s comparative lack of experience at the circuit.
“The shakedown did us good as it enabled me to get into the groove straightway on the race weekend, as I hadn’t been in the car for over two months before that”, clarified Armaan.
After showing encouraging pace in practice sessions on Friday, the team was hoping for a good result in qualifying but was slightly left lagging on the setup front.
“We had a few things to work on but just ran out of time during qualifying, so we were hoping to make a step forward in the afternoon”, he said.
Heemskerk went on to start the race but things didn’t go to plan as a chaotic start saw the safety car being deployed on the opening lap and the Team India BMW Z4 dropped down the order at a rapid pace.
The Dane was however able to recover as the team elected to pit as late as possible in the pitstop window, allowing for laps in clear air which allowed him to claw back the time lost in initial stages.
Armaan took over around the mid-point of the one hour race and there was no looking back as he managed to carve his way up the field, setting the fastest lap for the team in the process and eventually finishing second in the Pro-Am category and a credible ninth overall.
“It was a good run even though we had some braking issues with the ABS malfunctioning towards the end, so I had to brake earlier than normal”, Armaan clarified.
“It wasn’t the best situation as we had some pressure from behind [the third-placed Lamborghini finished just over a second behind] but I was able to hold him off”, he elaborated.
Armaan will start ninth for the main race tomorrow and hopes that more progress will be on the books.
“Starting ninth tomorrow we can only go forward, so hopefully we’ll have another strong result to round off the weekend considering the amount of work everyone has put in since Zolder.” he concluded.
Following the race weekend, Armaan will head to Munich – the headquarters of BMW AG, to mark the culmination of the Dynamic 1 contest run by BMW India. Armaan will join cricket legend and BMW brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar, both racing the new BMW 1-series car and hosting the winners of the Dynamic 1 contest.
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Armaan Ebrahim finishes 2nd in Pro-Am class and overall 9th at the FIA GT World Series. A Meco Motorsports photo -
Armaan set for Round 3 of FIA GT World Series
Zandvoort (Netherlands), 4 July 2013: Indian racing driver Armaan Ebrahim and BMW Team India are looking forward to a strong outing at round three of the FIA GT World Series at the Zandvoort Circuit this weekend.
The team’s last outing at Spa had proved to be a disappointment as after showing top five pace early on, Armaan’s teammate Julien Jouse crashed the car heavily, putting the team out of contention for the weekend, a Meco Motorsport release said.
However, with the car rebuilt, BMW Team India did a shakedown at the Spa on Wednesday and things seem to be looking up.
“I think it went well at Spa even though it was very, very wet. The car seems to be as good as new and we turned in a few decent laps even though the conditions were torrid”, said Armaan.
The run up to the shakedown was far from smooth though as a couple of days back Armaan found himself without a teammate as Jouse could not continue with the team due to some contractual issues. Thankfully, Armaan’s Race Manager Gary Ayles was able to put together a contract with Danish driver Melroy Heemskerk – a Zandvoort native with plenty of experience at the venue.
“It is great to have Melroy onboard as he has immense knowledge of the track which will certainly help us as it is my first time at the circuit. Our pace at Spa turned out to be similar so we’re surely in a competitive position from that perspective”, added Armaan.
Following the race weekend, Armaan will head to Munich – the headquarters of BMW AG, to mark the culmination of the Dynamic 1 contest run by BMW India. Armaan will join cricket legend and BMW brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar, both racing the new BMW 1-series car and hosting the winners of the Dynamic 1 contest.
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File photo of Armaan Ebrahim. Photo by Meco Motorsport -
Toppo, Prabhu to take part in Asia Dream Cup
Chennai, 5 July 2013: India’s Sumit Lucas Toppo and Arunagiri Prahbu could not feel more excited about racing at their home turf, Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) in Chennai, India for the first time in the Asia Dream Cup that runs concurrently with the PETRONAS Asia Road Racing Championship next weekend.
It’s second season running, this new class famous for its incredibly close racing and unpredictable results is conducted with the full support of Honda Motor Co Ltd Japan is a ‘scholarship programme aimed at producing world-class levels from within the Asian ranks.
Riders will be racing astride the Honda CBR 250R, a production model that mirrors the Moto3 class in the world championship and in doing so, the Asia Dream Cup becomes the platform for hopeful riders to bridge the gap between Underbone racing to full-frame bikes either in the 600cc class, Moto3 or Moto2.
Sumit and Arunagiri are the second batch of Indian riders to participate in the one-make series after Gautam Mayilvaganan and Deepak Papineni made their debut last year. Sumit was runner-up in the Group C category in the Indian National Motorcycle Championship last year.
“Taking part in the Asia Dream Cup has been a an eye-opening experience. Not only do I get to compete along some of the most talented young riders in Asia and improve my riding skills but we are also constantly exposed to the technical side of racing from people who have deep knowledge of the sport,” said Sumit.
He went on to talk about his expectations for the upcoming race and commented, “We feel highly motivated for our home-race because if there is any chance we can stamp our mark, the Madras Motor Race Track would be it. None of the other riders have been there before so our experience racing there will certainly be an advantage.”
For more info please log on to the PETRONAS Asia Road Racing Championship official website, www.asiaroadracing.com
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Arunagiri Prahbu in action at Indonesia
