INDIA in F1

Tag: Justin Singh

  • Salem’s Sai Sanjay clinches MRF F2000 crown; 11th National title for Arjun Balu

    Salem’s Sai Sanjay clinches MRF F2000 crown; 11th National title for Arjun Balu

    Chennai, 29 Jan 2023: On a day of twists and turns, Salem’s Sai Sanjay pocketed the title in the premier MRF Formula 2000 category as the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 concluded at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.

    While Sai Sanjay gathered enough points this weekend in the three races to seal the championship, Bengaluru’s Sohil Shah, winner of Race-1 yesterday, won both the races today to complete a triple crown. The 21-year old Sohil, who missed two of the four rounds, finished fourth in the championship behind Sai Sanjay, Ryan Mohamed (Chennai) and Divy Nandan (Gurugram).

    Also sealing the titles in their respective categories were: Viswas Vijayraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) in the Formula LGB 1300; Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) in Super Stock; Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) in Indian Junior Touring Cars; Justin Singh (Gurugram) in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) and Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) in the Volkswagen Polo Cup.

    Polo Cup winner Pratik Sonawane is flanked by National championship winners Vishwas Vijayraj, left, (Formula LGB1300) and Sai Sanjay (F2000) at MIC on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar.

    Meanwhile, the popular Indian Touring Cars category witnessed as many as three disqualifications for technical infringements. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) and Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports), both from Coimbatore, were disqualified from yesterday’s Race-1. Narendran suffered the same fate in Race-2 today, but later won Race-3. However, the revised results fetched Balu the National title ahead of Narendran in the provisional championship standings.

    Viswas Vijayraj sealed the title in the Formula LGB 1300 category though finishing second behind Bengaluru’s Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsports) in the final race today. The other championship leader Raghul Rangasamy (MSport) dropped out of contention after he was disqualified for ignoring a black flag.

    Defending champion Arjun Balu, retains his ITC National championship at MIC, to earn his 11th National title on Sunday. File photo by Anand Philar.

    “I don’t know what to say. It is such an emotional moment for me. After missing the championship a few times in the past, it is great to finally win it in my fifth season. I owe everything to my parents who I know are watching the live streaming, and MRF Tyres for their support,” said Viswas.

    Mumbai’s Zahan Commissariat, hailing from a family of racers, scored an impressive win starting from P10 in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) category, and the victory helped him to finish fifth in the championship. Gurugram’s Justin Singh failed to finish following an incident, but had sufficient cushion to annex the title ahead of Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh) by five points. Mathroo came in second behind Commissariat and ahead of Pune’s Diana Pundole, who ended up third in the championship.

    Ritesh Rai, who won the National title for 2022 in Super Stock class.

    The results (Provisional – all 10 laps unless mentioned):

    MRF F2000 (Race-2): 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (15min, 36.462sec); 2. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai) (15:40.983); 3. Dillon Thomas Zachariah (Chennai) (15:42.064). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (12:28.545); 2. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (12:33.894); 3. Chetan Korada (Chennai) (12:52.777).     

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-2, 12 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (25:00.290); 2. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai, Rayo Racing) (25:08.270); 3. Jeet Jabakh (Hyderabad, Rayo Racing) (25:11.802). Race-3: 1. Arjun Narendran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (18:58.937); 2. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (19:12.399); 3. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai, Rayo Racing) (19:14.297).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1, 12 laps): 1. Raja Rajan (Chennai, Performance Racing) ( 25:27.541); 2. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (25:27.700); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) (25:27.997). Race-3: 1. Raja Rajan (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:36.876); 2. Gurunath Meiyappan (Chennai, Race Concepts) (19.38.441); 3. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:40.541).

    Super Stock (Race-2, 12 laps): 1. Narendran S (Chennai, Redline Racing) (26:19.871); 2. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (26:23.033); 3. Jason Deepak Saldanha (Mangaluru, DB Motorsports) (26: 28.874). Race-3 (9 Laps): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:01.675); 2. Narendran S (Chennai, Redline Racing) (19:07.807); 3. Dilijith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (19:12.675).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (20:10.154); 2. Viswas Vijayraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (20:10.291); 3. Dhruvh A Goswami (Bengaluru, MSport) (20:10.865).

    Volkswagen Polo Cup (Race-3, 8 laps): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai) (15:50.470); 2. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (15:54.571); 3. Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (15:57.079). Race-4: 1. Ojas Surve (Mumbai) (19:42.853); 2. Avik Anwar (Dhaka) (19:49.034); 3. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (19:52.460).

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios – Race-2): 1. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai) 20:49.191; 2. Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh) 20:53.991; 3. Diana Pundole (Pune) 20:54.112.

  • Sai, Justin, Diljith claim victories; Diana beats the boys for a podium

    Sai, Justin, Diljith claim victories; Diana beats the boys for a podium

    Chennai, 8 Oct 2022: Sai Sanjay, a teenager from Salem, stormed to a brilliant victory in the MRF F2000 category while Thrissur’s Diljith Shaji took the honours in the Formula LGB 1300 class as the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 commenced at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.

    In the day’s last race, 20-year old Justin Singh from Gurugram, claimed the honours in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Eitos) category with a lights-to-flag win ahead of Pune’s Diana Pundole and Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh).

    Sai, 19, started from P2 on the grid and after a good start, moved into the lead. He then defended his position with aplomb despite coming under pressure from Agra’s Shahan Ali Mohsin for much of the 10-lap race for a deserving win.

    Competing on equal footing, Diana Pundole, Pune, keeps the Women in Motorsports flag flying beating many of the boys on way to a 2nd on the podium in the Saloon class. A Shameem Fahath image

    Shahan Ali, last year’s MRF F1600 champion, had to be content with second place after starting from P4, while Yash Aradhya came in third, holding off pole-sitter and fellow-Bengalurean Rishon Rajeev.

    Earlier, 29-year old Diljith led a 1-2 finish for DTS Racing with Viswas Vijayaraj from Nellore for company while Bengaluru’s Arjun Nair (Momentum Motorsports) was third. The eight-lapper, after much jostling in the early stages, settled down with Diljith forging his way to the front followed by Viswas.

    The pair pulled away from the pack to finish in that order, well ahead of Bengaluru’s Arjun Nair (Momentum Motorsports) who did well to make four spots after starting from P7.

    Coimbatore ace Arjun Balu, 47, the defending champion from Race Concepts (Bengaluru) stable, set the pace in the premier Indian Touring Cars category, by qualifying for pole position with a hot lap of 01min, 50.000secs. He was well ahead of 2017 winner, Arjun Narendran (01:52.560), also from Coimbatore, and who is returning to full-time racing after a five-year break.

    The two Volkswagen Virtus cars, making their debut in the championship, and driven by Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad) and Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) were fourth and fifth, respectively, some 2.9 seconds off Balu’s pace.

    From Left: Shahan Ali Mohsin (2nd), Sai Sanjay (winner) and Yash Aradhya on MRF F2000 Race 1 podium at Madras International circuit on Saturday. A Shameem Fahath image

    Chennai veteran Gurunath Meyyappan (Race Concepts), staging a return to racing after a prolonged break, took pole position in the Indian Junior Touring Cars category as did another local racer, Ritesh Rai (Performance Racing) in the Super Stock class.

    Provisional results:

    MRF F2000 (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (15min, 47.253secs); 2. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) (15:47.856); 3. Yash Aradhya S (Bengaluru) (15:51.725).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Diljith Shaji (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (14:59.136); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (15:03.587); 3. Arjun S Nair (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (15:12.926).

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios – Race 1, 8 laps): 1. Justin Singh (Gurugram) (16:32.066); 2. Diana Pundole (Pune) (16:34.812); 3. Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh) (16:41.338).

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved its racing activities from Sholavaram to its present location, the Madras International Circuit (earlier MMRT), in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. Parallelly, MMSC imported timing equipment specifically for Drag racing. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. MMSC also constructed a 500-capacity grand stand with provision for garages / storage below. In another upgrade, the MMSC installed Digi flags from TAG Heuer Chronolec that will be positioned strategically around the track. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.