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Tag: JK Tyre
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Arjuna Award for Gaurav Gill – a recognition long time coming, but fully deserving! #GillRacing
Former Sports Editor and respected senior journalist, Anand Philar, who specialises in motorsports, has tracked Arjuna Award winner Gaurav Singh Gill from his nascent days, and chronicled and photographed his exploits throughout his career, both at home and abroad.
In a special article to IndiaInF1, he shares his thoughts on Gaurav Gill.
Gaurav Gill receiving the Arjuna Award from the President of India on August 29, the National Sports Day. Photo courtesy @GauravGill FB page
By Anand Philar
Bengaluru, 30 August 2019: Back in 2005, a new sensation called Gaurav Gill burst on to the National Rally scene as a “replacement driver” for Vikram Mathias who was injured in a major crash the previous round in Delhi. Vikram’s navigator, Sujith Kumar, was asked to partner the tearaway Gill at a time when few were willing to sit in the co-driver’s seat. Gill finished Overall second to JK Tyre’s lead driver, VR Naren Kumar, after dominating most of the event by clocking seriously fast Stage times. Gaurav Singh Gill has arrived.
The following year, in Pune, it was the turn of veteran Farooq Ahmed, to partner Gill who again finished behind Naren Kumar, who went on to win the championship. Both Sujith and Farooq sang praises of not just Gill’s extreme pace, but his “phenomenal memory”.
Sujith recalled: “I have never sat with any driver with such memory. I realised then that he was a special talent and a superstar in the making.” Farooq said much the same. “Just phenomenal talent Anand. He will go places. I have never co-driven for a guy with such raw pace and memory. I mean, he remembered every corner and dip. I wondered whether he needed a navigator at all!”
File photo of Gaurav Gill negotiating a corner in the Coffee Day Rally 2017. Photos by Anand Philar For sure, Gill had cast a magical and mesmeric spell on the Indian motorsport fraternity which continues to this day. MRF Tyres, taking note of his immense talent, was quick to sign up Gill and thus began the Delhi lad’s long journey to international stardom. APRC titles in 2013, 2016 and 2017, cemented Gill’s status as a World-class driver. At home, his dominance was even more absolute as National titles came his way.
From the raw pace of the youth to mature driving of the experienced, Gill has come a long way. “Over the years and with experience, I learned to pace myself in a rally. It meant, knowing when to push and when to nurse your position without taking undue risks. It has made me a better driver and in rallying, much like a good wine that tastes better with age,” he had told me in a rare moment of introspection as we drove to Chikmagaluru for the Coffee Day India Rally a couple of years ago.
Gaurav Gill signals six, after his sixth win in a row. He won the APRC for the third time, winning all the rounds. Photo by Anand Philar Through his decade-long campaign in the APRC with MRF team, Gill was pitted against more experienced team-mates, not necessarily in terms of age, but seat time and the number of competitions.
“These guys do about 20 to 25 rallies in a year as against five or six in my case, and another few in INRC. A couple of my team-mates have been factory drivers, constantly testing the cars that were being prepared for APRC. They literally lived in them! So, straight away, I am at a disadvantage going into an APRC round. Yet, I am able to match and beat them on the Stages. This is what people back home should know, understand and appreciate,” has been Gill’s constant refrain each time we met at an APRC event abroad.
For me, there is more to Gill than the titles (including one track racing championship). Statistics do no justice to his talent that is so apparent even to a novice watcher. For Indian motorsport, he is once-in-a-lifetime beacon leading the way and setting benchmarks.
The Arjuna Award came his way exactly 20 years after he made his rally debut on a bike before switching to cars. Through those two decades of living on the edge, as it were, Gill has maintained his focus and motivation, while blossoming into a man who is officially certified fit enough to pilot a monstrous Formula 1 speedboat!
Gaurav Gill takes a huge jump during the APRC Malaysian round in 2017. Photo by Anand Philar For Gill, speed is the elixir of life, beautifully complemented by his unshakable belief and confidence in his ability to drive quick but safe, take calculated risks that would deter a lesser mortal, the special bonding with the car that becomes an extension of self, quickly learning its limits to push it to the very edge and, sometimes, beyond – all traits of a man who belongs to the elite class of motorsport drivers.
Gill is a natural. “Give him a bullock cart, and he will still be the quickest!” This is not said in jest, but with awe and admiration. I have had the privilege of sitting with him in the Skoda ahead of Rally of Hokkaido. I barely noticed the stunning acceleration, the cornering, and braking. The silken touch and precision driving had me mesmerised, just like it has always been when I focussed my camera on his car power-sliding through the corner or attacking a crest!
Family Time: Gaurav Gill with family at the Coffee Day round in 2017. Photo by Anand Philar Hailing from a family of rally drivers, his uncle Dicky Gill (Team MRF) being the best known among them, Gaurav took to driving like a duck to water. “I learned to drive very early in life, taking our family car out without informing anyone. Then came the Play Station games and the bikes, which are still my first love, before I moved to cars. So, I grew up in such an environment and here I am, driving Rally cars!”.
Hopefully, the Arjuna Award would not only motivate Gaurav further, but also spawn a generation of young guns who will not just emulate him, but go a step further. He has waited long for this overdue National recognition, dealing with frustrations and triumphs with supreme equanimity, never once taking his eyes off the goals he had set. Now, looking to his 38th birthday on December 2, Gill has his sights set on the big stage, the WRC. “My ultimate wish is to compete with the best in the World and prove to myself first that I belong to.” His words, spoken over a year ago. It’s time we all got behind this maverick of a driver.
Pursue your dreams champ and conquer new horizons.
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Shahan Ali Mohsin, youngest to win Sr National Karting title
Shahan will represent India in the Grand Final at Sarno in Italy between October 19 to 26 where drivers from nearly 60 countries will participate
Shahan Ali Mohsin displays caution with an eye on the title as the karters were forced to race on slicks as rain hits the last race of the National Championship. An INDIAinF1 image Bengaluru, 25 August 2019: Talented Agra racer, Shahan Ali Mohsin won the JK Tyre fmsci Senior National Karting Championship and became the youngest to bag the senior crown as the Nationals concluded at Meco Kartopia on Satuday.
In the fifth and final round, Shahan came third in the Pre-final race and went on to claim the second place in the Final in a wet race after the slight rain but the two podium places were enough as he went into the last round with a 12-point advantage.
“First of all, it was a big relief to get over the line,” Shahan said sporting a smile, as ever. “Even though you have a handy lead, it is still that you need to finish the weekend. A small technical error and it can snatch away all your points. There is no doubt that I am extremely happy to become the youngest driver to win in the Senior category of the Indian National Karting championship.”
Shahan, who also started to take part in the Formula racing this season, took part in the Round 2 of the MRF F1600 Championship at Chennai this month but had a mixed bad as he encountered rain for the first time in his single-seater career. But this week-end, he was back to his karting roots for the final round of 2019 JK Tyre FMSCI National Rotax Championship.
Shahan with with the Championship Trophy in Senior Category. Shahan was the youngest to compete in the Senior category when he made his debut in the top category last year. The year helped him to learn the nitty-gritty at the senior level and now he is crowned as the youngest Indian National Karting champion in the Senior category. Juniors are allowed to compete in the senior category as per the guidelines set by the FIA and CIK, especially with regards to the age limit.
It was a straightforward start to his weekend as he qualified on pole and won Heat 1 and Heat 2 but after the rains, he was cautious and the two podiums were enough for his to seal the championship.
It was Shahan’s sixth championship win in four years. The Senior title of 2019 adds to his 2015 Indian National Cadets, 2016 Asian Cadets, 2016 Indian National Cadets, 2018 Indian National Junior, and 2018 Indian Junior X30 series.
“It was a day of mixed weather as it started out to dry but the two races towards the end were under tricky conditions, with the finals being a crazy race where we were running on the slick tyres in wet conditions. It was all about bringing the kart home with enough points to seal the championship. A big thanks to my team MSport and JK Tyre without whom, this wasn’t possible.”
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Ishaan Madesh remains unbeaten; Shahan Ali, Rishon shine: JK Tyre Karting Nationals
Ishaan Madesh of Peregrine Racing keeps his unbeaten record in the Micro Max Championship and leads the table. Photo FB @SharithaDivakar Bengaluru, 10 August 2019: Ten-year-old local schoolboy Ishaan Madesh of Peregrine Racing kept his slate clean winning all the four races to retain his place at the top of the leaderboard in the Micro Max category after final and pre-final races of Round 3 & 4 in the JK Tyre fmsci Indian National Rotax Karting Championship 2019 at Meco Kartopia here on Saturday.
Agra’s Shahan Ali Mohsin of MSport and Bengaluru’s Rishon of Birel Art won three races each in the Senior Max and Junior Max categories, respectively but both lost the top spot in the pre-final on Friday. While Shahan leads the Senior Max table with 351 points, Mohamed Ryan is still ahead with 322 points in the Junior Max category, thanks to his three 5th place finishes along with a sixth.
On Podium from left: Ruhaan (2nd), Rishon (1st) and Mihir Avalakki (3rd). Birel Art won 12 of the 13 podium places in two rounds in the Junior Max category. Ishaan, a student of Vidya Shilp Academy in Bengaluru, and the youngest of the two Madesh brothers, won both the Final and Pre-Final races of Round 3 on Friday and went on to win both the races on Saturday to complete a clean sweep and retained his position at the top with 356 points with an unbeaten record. His teammate Jagrat Detroja could only take third places in all the four races but is second in the championship standings with 330 points ahead of Anshul Sai Kumar (317) who failed to get a podium in the two rounds this weekend.
Rishon lost some points coming second to Mihir Avalakki in the Pre=Final race in Round 3 on Friday. Mihir came second in two other races while Ruhaan Alva took a second and two third places on the podium in the Junior Max category.
In the Senior Max class, Vishnu Prasad who won the Pre-Final in Round 3 on Friday, took the second place in the final but could not make it to the podium in Round 4 on Saturday. Yash Aradhya and Manav Sharma shared the minor spoils.
Ishaan Madesh (centre) keeps his unbeaten record intact. An INDIAinF1 photo Provisional Unaudited Results: Round 4:
Senior Max Final (18 laps): 1. Shahan Ali Mohsin (MSport, Agra) (16:42.810); 2. Yash Aradhya (MSport, Bengaluru) (16:43.229); 3. Manav Sharma (Peregrine Racing, Faridabad) (16:46.895). Best lap: Shahan 55.349. Pre-Final (15 laps): 1. 1. Shahan Ali Mohsin (MSport, Agra) (13:58.934); 2. Manav Sharma (Peregrine Racing, Faridabad) (14:03.310); 3. Yash Aradhya (MSport, Bengaluru) (14:06.307). Best lap: Shahan 55.555.
Junior Max Final (15 laps): 1. Rishon (Birel Art, Bengaluru) (13: 56.109); 2. Ruhaan Alva (Birel Art, Bengaluru) (13:58.513); 3. Mihir Avalakki (Birel Art, Bengaluru) (13:58.650). Best lap: Mihir 55.214. Pre-Final (15 laps): 1. Rishon (Birel Art, Bengaluru) (13: 54.462); 2. Mihir Avalakki (Birel Art, Bengaluru) (13:55.251); 3. Ruhaan Alva (Birel Art, Bengaluru) (13:56.592). Best lap: Mihir 55.278.
Micro Max Final (12 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (12:16.823); 2. Ranvir Singh (Birel Art, Pune) (12:19.106); 3. Jagrat Detroja (Peregrine Racing, Morbi) (12:28.624). Best lap: Ranvir 1:00.619. Pre-Final (10 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (10:13.062); 2. Ranvir Singh (Birel Art, Pune) (10:13.188); 3. Jagrat Detroja (Peregrine Racing, Morbi) (10:22.374).Best lap: Ishaan 1:00.539.
Shahan Ali Mohsin (centre) wins three races in Round 3 & 4 at Meco Kartopia. An INDIAinF1 image Round 3:
Senior Max Final (18 laps): 1. Shahan Ali Mohsin (MSport, Agra) (17:10.686); 2. Vishnu Prasad (MSport, Chennai) (17:10.940); 3. Manav Sharma (Peregrine Racing, Faridabad) (17:11.267). Best lap: Vishnu 55.686. Pre-Final (15 laps): 1. Vishnu Prasad (MSport, Chennai) (14:24.349); 2. Manav Sharma (Peregrine Racing, Faridabad) (14:26.656); 3. Shahan Ali Mohsin (MSport, Agra) (14:27.219). Best lap: Manav 55.993.
Junior Max Final (15 laps): 1. Rishon (Birel Art, Bengaluru) (14: 06.573); 2. Mihir Avalakki (Birel Art, Bengaluru) (14:07.052); 3. Ruhaan Alva (Birel Art, Bengaluru) (14:07.308). Best lap: Mihir 55.644. Pre-Final (15 laps): 1. Mihir Avalakki (Birel Art, Bengaluru) (14: 58.517); 2. Rishon (Birel Art, Bengaluru) (14:59.020); 3. Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (15:01.429). Best lap: Rishon 55.765.
Micro Max Final (12 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (12:25.032); 2. Ranvir Singh (Birel Art, Pune) (12:25.417); 3. Jagrat Detroja (Peregrine Racing, Morbi) (12:36.178). Best lap: Ranvir 1:01.372. Pre-Final (10 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (10:16.907); 2. Ranvir Singh (Birel Art, Pune) (10:17.502); 3. Jagrat Detroja (Peregrine Racing, Morbi) (10:33.340). Best lap: Ranvir 1:00.949.
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Gaurav Gill starts favourite even as table topper Dean is raring to go: INRC Round 2
File photo of Gaurav Gill. Photo: Anand Philar Coimbatore, 9 August 2019: Multiple National champion and APRC winner Gaurav Gill and his trusted co-driver Musa Sherif, will start a firm favourites despite Dean Mascarenhas stealing a victory at the South India Rally with navigator Shrupta Padival in the season opener of Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) at Irungattukottai, as the second round starts at the rain-beaten windmill sections of Coimbatore from Saturday.
Round 1 winner Dean of Mangaluru will aim to consolidate his lead at the top of the leader-board, as the Rally of Coimbatore, the Round 2 of the Champions Yacht Club promoted National event begins under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) here over the weekend.
Dean, who beat a last-minute rush to get his car ready due to some unavoidable situation, heads his INRC 2 table (with co-driver Shruptha Padival) will, however, need to be at his best as he tackles a 65-strong field and slushy conditions out here. He will keep his eye firmly on INRC 3’s Fabid Ahmer (co-driver Sanath.G) of Team Champions, who showed great skill and composure to take the second overall place in the Chennai round.
Sporting the yellow colours, Dean will, however, be wary of his JK Tyre teammate Gaurav Gill, a three-time APRC champion. Gill and Musa Sherif spearhead Mahindra Adventure’s campaign and will be looking to make amends for missing out on the top podium place in the opening round.
Gill had shown remarkable recovery, after struggling with his car in the initial stages, to finish third. He comes into this round on the back of a thrilling win in the Dakshin Dare and will come out all guns blazing for his seventh INRC title.
Arka Motorsport’s Rahul Kanthraj (along with Vivek Bhatt) is just a second off Gill in the overall standings and will also be a driver to look out for. He is currently second in the INRC 2 category.
Team Champions’ Arjun Rao (along with navigator Shanmuga Sundaram) will be another top driver who will look to maintain his good run in the championship. He is second in the INRC 3 category and will be keen to topple his teammate Fabid from the top spot.
The Rally of Coimbatore has attracted a record number of 65 teams, with Team Champions fielding as many as 25 teams, a record of sorts in the INRC.
The rally will span over two days covering a total distance of 141.09 kms, with 119.70 kms earmarked for eight special stages.
The three-day rally was flagged off on Thursday evening at Kethanur on the outskirts, where it be run around 120 kms at special stages on gravel and dirt tracks, Club Head Gautham Shantappa said earlier.
Four women teams are participating in the event. A woman contestant, Shivani from Davangere in Karnataka, who was present said women were receiving good encouragement to participate in such rallies.
The third round will be held in Rajasthan in September, followed by events in Kochi in November, Bengaluru in November and the sixth and final round in Chikkamagaluru in December, Gautham concluded.
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Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif claim 3rd Dakshin Dare title
Hubli, 2 August 2019: Team Mahindra Adventure’s ace driver Gaurav Gill returned to reclaim the Dakshin Dare title along with co-driver Musa Sherif, winning the gruelling rally for the third time here late on Thursday.
Gill, conquered the special stages in the 4-day long route from Bangalore to Hubli in 04:51:49.001 hours. Overall, he covered a distance of close to 2,000 kms.
The JK Tyre-sponsored rallyist holds the unique distinction of winning the country’s most prestigious cross-country rallying every time that he has entered into it.
Gaurav, six-time INRC champion, proved his mettle once again as he came out on top in seven stages out of the nine special stages.
Accompanied by his trusted co-driver Musa Sherif, he won all the three stages on the opening day, clocking a time of 45:45.053 minutes. He fell back on the second day, losing both the stages to his teammate Philippos Mathai (with co-driver PVS Murthy).
Going into the third day, he was trailing by 00:47.261 seconds but that didn’t deter him. He roared back into the front by claiming the two stages of Day 3 to take a handy lead of 6:42.383 minutes.
With such a huge lead, it was near to impossible for anyone to catch Gaurav on the final day. The three-time APRC champion lived up to his reputation on the final day too, clocking around a minute less than his closest competitor to sign off in style.
“I am really excited to win the Dare once again. This is my third Dakshin Dare title and I am really very happy with this achievement. The stages were very challenging but I believe we had a very good car at our disposal and our tyres indeed helped us in maneuvering these treacherous stages. I would like to thank my tuners and mechanics for preparing such a fine car,” Gill said after his triumph.
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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.
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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)
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JK Tyre racing season kicks off at Kari Motor Speedway
Coimbatore, 26 July 2019: With a focus on nurturing young talent in the country, a new season begins as the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Racing Championship 2019 (JKNRC) kicks off the first round here on Saturday. However, the popular Euro JK Series will not be run this year, but JK promised a bigger `surprise’ before the end of the season.
The repackaged 22nd edition features the Indian Formula LGB-4 and the LGB Novice Cup as prime attractions. The Suzuki Gixxer Cup will support the novice riders to refine their skills in the 2-wheeler category.
“JKNRC has been a huge hit with a number of talented drivers emerging over the years. However, we noticed that we were graduating to the international level rather quickly, leaving a void at home,” Sanjay Sharma, Head of JK Tyre Motorsport, said.
“We decided to plug this gap by giving a wider platform for young drivers through our Formula LGB 4 category,” he added.
Popular racers like Kolhapur’s Chittesh Mandody (Avalanche Racing), Chennai’s Raghul Rangasamy (MSport) and Sandeep Kumar (Dark Don Racing) will battle it out for top honours in the LGB 4 category this season.
Another highlight of Round 1 is the pan-India representation across categories, especially among rookies. In addition to the all-girls team, talented newcomers include Mumbai’s Ojasvi Mehta.
The first three rounds will take place in Coimbatore and the fourth and final rounds will move to Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, near Delhi. And JK Tyre is expected to unveil the next level of the international Formula car which is expected to change the dynamic of this sport and set the stage for the next generation of Indian champions.
In the 2-wheeler category too, 600 & 1000cc SuperBikes will get a huge boost with a couple of leading global bike manufacturers likely to join the grid.
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Shriya Lohia takes a sensational win in JK Tyre National Karting Championship
By David Bodapati
Bengaluru, 13 July 2019: Lanky Shriya Lohia is a joy to watch. When she is running on to the track, or just tickling the boys on the track, the 11-year-old from Pune, shocked the boys in the X-30 Cadet Class winning Race 3 in the JK Tyre National Karting Championship at the Meco Kartopia, near Bagaluru here on Saturday.
The Class VI student of Indira National School took to karting like a duck to water. Within a short period, she has made amazing strides and her win today, in only the third round of the season, is a vibrant boost to the `Women in Motorsport’ campaign being taken up by all motorsports bodies. The youngster who suffered an unfortunate incident in the morning, showed her grit and perseverance to bounce back with vigour and stopped the juggernaut of Ishaan Madesh to win the third race in a time of 11min 13.233secs and defended well to keep at bay a marauding Pune mate Sai Siva, who had to settle for a third place.
“I am very happy to win the race. It is really nice to beat the boys. I want to win more,” said the upcoming talent, who enjoys her racing to the core.
Shriya wins Race 4 leading a bunch of boys in Bengaluru on Saturday. Her father, who spotted her love for karting after she fell in love with the track at Vadodara run by another Women in Motorsport ambassador Mira Erda. And there was no turning back. Due to lack of proper tracks in her home town, her parents make visits to Bengaluru and Hyderabad to provide her some practice time. She trains at Meco Motorsports. Her father Ritesh Lohia, an adventure sport lover himself, has provided all the support and if groomed properly, the youngster has the potential to shine in the man’s world.
Young Shreya Lohia, originally hailing from Himachal, announced her arrival winning the FMSCI award in the Outstanding Women in Motorsports category last year.
“At such a young age Shriya believes in her infinite potential. Going forward her only limitations may be, if any, which she may set upon herself. We are already in overdrive with our `Women in Motorsport’ programme, its such talent which keeps us motivated with their outstanding performances. We wish her good luck in all her forthcoming endeavors,” said Sanjay Sharma, Head of Motorsports, JK Tyre.
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Big day for Shriya Lohia, Double for Ruhaan; Nirmal bounces back: Karting Nationals
Ruhaan Alva on way to his Race 4 win on Saturday. Bengaluru, 13 July 2019: Chennai’s Nirmal Umashanker made a comeback with a win in Race 4 while young Ruhaan Alva notched up a double in the Junior Class and Ishaan Madesh took a victory in the Cadet Class on the Day 2 of the Round 3 JK Tyre National Karting Championship at the Meco Kartopia circuit, near here on Saturday.
Nirmal recovered from a forgettable Race 2 and returned to his winning ways taking a narrow win against Bala Prasath in Race 3 of the X-30 Senior Class and went on to beat him again in Race 4.
Shriya Lohia in a pensive mood. However, the highlight of the day is the sensational win by young Shriya Lohia, who stunned the boys to notch her maiden win in the Cadet Class of the National Championship. She won the race 4 beating Sai Siva Makesh Sankaran while championship leader Ishaan Madesh, who suffered a rare loss, finished third. Shriya is second on the championship table behind Ishaan.
Nirmal was shunted out of the race in the fifth corner of the very first lap by Bengaluru karter Paul Francis and he suffered his first loss of the season with no points to show. However, he bounced back in his typical style and recorded a win in the next race.
Ruhaan Alva of Birel Art team takes the flag to win Race 3 on Saturday. INDIAinF1 images by special arrangement Bala Prasath of Coimbatore who made the best use of the situation and defeated Bengaluru’s Aditya Swaminathan by a huge margin to take the victory in Race 2. Debarun Banerjee of Delhi came third in Race 2 and could only manage only fourth despite the fastest lap in Race 3 but that helped him garner some important points. Abhirath Shetty, also from the Garden City, finished second in the third race.
In the X-30 Junior Category, Bengaluru karter Ruhaan Alva won a grand double winning both the races on the day to make up for his loss on Friday. He beat compatriot MR Rishon with a comfortable margin in both the Races. Yesterday’s winner Arjun Nair had to be content with a third place in both Race 3 and Race 4. Ruhaan also clocked the fastest laps in both the races.
In the X-30 Cadet Class, younger of the Madesh brothers, Ishaan clocked 10min 32.461sec for the 10 laps of the 1.2km Meco Kartopia track to win Race 3. Raiden Samervel of Mumbai kept Pune’s racing girl Shriya Lohia in third place. Ishaan also clocked the fastest lap.
Races in Round 4 started on Saturday afternoon beginning with a major upset as Nirmal Umashanker suffered a loss once again. It is Bengaluru boy Abhirath Shetty who won the race followed by Debarun Banerjee in second and Bala Prasath in third.
In Race 1 of the Cadet Class, Ishaan Madesh, restored a bit of pride for himself as he outclassed Shriya Lohia to win the first race of Round 4 which is being simultaneously held along with Round 3 during the same weekend. Raiden Samervel of Mumbai, who came third, also clocked the best lap.
Provisiona Unaudited Results: X30 Round 3; Day 2
Senior Class: Race 2 (15 laps): 1. A Bala Prasath (Coimbatore) (14:13.603); 2. Aditya Swaminathan (Bengaluru) (14:20.355); 3. Debarun Banerjee (Delhi) (14:20.548); Best Lap: Debarun 56.223.
Race 3 (4 laps): 1. Nirmal Umashanker (Chennai) (3:48.310); 2. Abhirath Shetty (Bengaluru) (3:48.568); 3. A Bala Prasath (Coimbatore) (3: 48.923). Best Lap: Debarun Banerjee (Delhi – 4th) 56.086.
Race 4 (15 laps): 1. Nirmal Umashanker (Chennai) (14:04.772); 2. A Bala Prasath (Coimbatore) (14:05.208); 3. Abhirath Shetty (Bengaluru) (14:08.291). Best Lap: Bala 55.962.
Junior Class: Race 3 (15 laps): 1. Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (14:24.139); 2. MR Rishon (Bengaluru) (14:30.313); 3. Arjun S Nair (Bengaluru) (14:32.497); Best lap: Ruhaan 55.683.
Race 4 (15 laps): 1. Ruhaan Alva (14:01.202); 2. MR Rishon (14:03.976); 3. Arjun S Nair (14:12.511). Best lap: Ruhaan 55:755.
Cadet Class: Race 2 (10 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:49.952); 2. Raiden Samervel (Mumbai) (11:59.316); 3. Shriya Lohia (Pune) (12:10.123). Best Lap: Ishaan 1:03.707.
Race 3 (10 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (10:32.461); 2. Raiden Samervel (Mumbai) (10:38.363); 3. Shriya Lohia (Pune) (10:44.135). Best lap: Ishaan 1:02.719.
Race 4: (10 laps): 1. Shriya Lohia (Pune) (11:13.233); 2. Sai Siva Makesh Sankaran (Pune) (11:13.448); 3. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:13.597). Best Lap: Ishaan 1:02.876.
Provisional Unaudited Results: X30 Round 4:
Senior Class: Race 1 (15 laps): 1. Abhirath Shetty (Bengaluru) (13:57.000); 2. Debarun Banerjee (Delhi) (14:00.208); 3. A Bala Prasath (Coimbatore) (14:05.199); Best Lap: 55.601.
Cadet Class: Race 1 (10 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (10:30.192); 2. Shriya Lohia (Pune) (10:31.121); 3. Raiden Samervel (Mumbai) (10:33.515). Best Lap: Raiden 1:02.390.
