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Tag: MIC
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Karna Kadur takes control of APRC with a comfortable lead: South India Rally
Chennai, 26 April 2025: Bengaluru ace Karna Kadur came up with a mature drive to open a sizable lead in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship promoted by Vamcy Merla which is part of the Indu Chandhok Memorial 48th South India Rally, here on Saturday. With only four Special Stages to be run on the morrow, Kadur and his co-driver Musa Sherif have victory in their sights.
Kadur leads his Arka Motorsports team-mate and the Delhi-Himachal Pradesh combination of Harkrishan Wadia and Kunal Kashyap by over a minute. In third place is their team-mate and former National champion Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) who nursed his patched-up Volkswagen Polo, a late replacement for his Mahindra XUV 300 which blew its engine during a test run a few days before the event.
In the INRC category of the Blueband Fmsci Indian National Rally Championship Round-1 powered by Vamcy Merla, Kadur leads Ghosh with Suhem Kabeer (Vinay Padmashali) in third spot.
About his performance today, Kadur said: “I was a bit conservative in the first loop, especially the first Special Stage (AAVISA) which had some small rocks on the road. In the second run, I did not hold back since I knew the terrain would have been swept clean by the cars. So, I was able to make over a minute on my own time. Tomorrow is another day, but I will try to hold position and push only if I must. The main goal is to bring the car home in one piece.”
Two of the front-runners in the APRC, Jason Saldanha and Chetan Shivram had issues with their respective cars and lost time that saw them drop down the order. The other big disappointment was the retirement of Hyundai i20 which is making its debut in the Indian motorsports scene with Hyderabad’s Jeet Jhabakh packing up with a driveshaft problem but he is likely to rejoin the rally on Sunday, if the car is fully repaired.
Meanwhile, the competition in the National championship was as razor sharp as ever with positions changing by the minute while Bengaluru-based Tarushi Vikram displayed impressive pace to lead the Women INRC class.
Provisional, unaudited classifications (After Leg-1):
FIA-APRC/Overall: 1. Karna Kadur / Musa Sherif (Arka Motorsports) (01 hr, 05 min, 25.4 secs); 2. Harkrishan Wadia / Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) (01:06:34.2); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Arka Motorsports) (01:06:39.8).
INRC: 1. Kadur / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Suhem Kabir / Vinay Padmashali (Pvt.) (01:09:03.9).
INRC2: 1. Wadia / Kashyap; 2. Philippos Matthai / Harish KN (Arka Motorsports) (01:06:51.3); 3. Fabid Ahmer / Milen George (Chettinad Sporting) (01:06:56.1).
INRC3: 1. Arnav Pratap Singh / Rohit N (SNAP Racing) (01:07:37.8); 2. Vishak B / Chiranth Jain (Chettinad Sporting) (01:07:52.8); 3. Abin Rai / Moideen Jasheer KM (Pvt.) (01:08:34.1).
INRC 3T (Turbo): 1. C Ramcharan / Vignesh Mahalingam (01:14:40.1).
Women INRC: 1. Tarushi Vikram / Vybhav Mukund Rao (01:11:51.0).
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India gets first Grade-1 Karting circuit as MIKA receives CIK-FIA certification
Chennai, 8 April 2025: The Madras International Karting Arena (MIKA) in Sriperumbudur, near here, received the highly coveted CIK-FIA Grade-1 certification, thus placing the facility among the elite karting circuits in the World.
The circuit, measuring 1.17km, is the longest karting track in India with a multiple-track configuration suitable for competitive racing and leisure activities. The track was inaugurated by former World champion Mika Hakkinen in September 2024 and later hosted the final round of the Indian National Rotax Max Karting Championship in December 2024.
Securing the licence is the culmination of months of designing, planning and efforts to develop a facility that conforms to global standards. The track layout has already received rave reviews about it being a driver’s delight, given the mix of sharp turns, high-speed straights, and elevation changes.
The track was highly appreciated by elite drivers like double Formula 1 World champion Mika Hakkinen and India’s two F1 drivers, Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok. Karun played a key role in designing the track.
The licence, dated April 8, is valid for three years and certified that the track fulfilled “the conditions and safety standards laid down by the CIK-FIA for the running of kart races held under CIK-FIA rules”. It was inspected by Willibald Zöttl, the CIK-FIA Technical Inspector for the Circuit and Safety Commissions.
The circuit is located within the premises of the Madras International Circuit which boasts of a FIA Grade 2 racing track and is the hub of motor racing in India.
The CIK-FIA licence considerably raises the profile of the MIKA circuit which will host a three-round Karting Karnival series in April-May.
Reacting to the development, MMSC Vice-President Vicky Chandhok said: “When we first conceptualised MIKA circuit, the target was to develop an international standard track that can host global competitions besides offering a great platform for racing aspirants as well as a destination for leisure activities for families and corporates.”
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MMSC presents awards to 2024 champions
Chennai, January 31: The racing scene in India is set for a major enhancement by way of bigger and more powerful vehicles in the near future, according to Vicky Chandhok, Vice-President, Madras Motor Sports Club.
Speaking during the MMSC Annual Awards ceremony to honour the 2024 National Racing Championship winners here on Friday, Chandhok said: “I cannot go into specifics, but the racing scene should witness infusion of bigger and more powerful machines sometime soon.
“Parallelly, MMSC is working towards making motorsports more affordable and to this end, our karting programme at the Mika International Karting Arena, is the first step in this direction.
“We also thank MRF Tyres, Honda and TVS for their active involvement in our National Championships.”
Chief guest Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Ltd., outlined his company’s involvement in motorsports over six decades and a strong presence in various championships globally. He reiterated that MRF would continue to support motorsports in India across various disciplines.
The ceremony marked the conclusion of the 2024 National racing season as awards were presented to the winners at a gala function.
MMSC president Ajit Thomas welcomed the gathering while MMSC treasurer Manoj Dalal proposed a vote of thanks.
The 2024 National Racing Championship winners:
MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship
Pro-Stock 301-400cc: Rider Champion – Sarthak Chavan (Pune, TVS Racing). Team – TVS Racing. Manufacturer champion – TVS.
Pro-Stock 165cc: Rider – Jagan Kumar (Chennai, TVS Racing). Team – TVS Racing. Manufacturer – TVS.
Stock 301-400cc (Novice): Rider – Kaushik Subbiah Ganesan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate). Team – RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate. Manufacturer – Yamaha.
Novice (Stock 165cc): Rider – Abdul Basim RS (Chennai, Rockers Racing). Team – Rockers Racing. Manufacturer – Yamaha.
Girls (Stock 165cc): Rider – Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai, One Racing. Team – One Racing. Manufacturer – Yamaha.
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (NSF 250 Open): Rider – Mohsin Paramban (Mallapuram).
TVS One-Make Championship Open (Apache RR 310): Rider – Senthil Kumar C (Coimbatore).
TVS OMC Women (Apache RTR 200): Rider – Saimah Ajaz Baig (Pune).
TVS OMC Rookie (Apache RTR 200): Rider – Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru).
TVS OMC Electric RTE: Rider – Sarthak Chavan (Pune).
MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship
MRF Formula 2000: Driver champion – Jaden Rahman Pariat (Shillong).
MRF Formula 1600: Driver – Abhay Mohan (Bengaluru).
Indian Touring Cars: Driver – Biren Pithawalla (Mumbai, Team N1 Racing). Team – Team N1 Racing.
Indian Junior Touring Cars: Driver – Srinivas Teja (Chennai, Team Performance Racing). Team – Team Performance Racing.
Super Stock: Driver – Justin Singh (Gurugram, Redline Racing India). Team – Redline Racing India.
Formula LGB 1300: Driver – Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing). Team – DTS Racing.
MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios): Driver – Diana Pundole (Pune).
Polo Cup: Driver – Dhruv Chavan (Lonavla).
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Ashad Pasha dominates INAC South Zone qualifier; Pallavi Yadav tops Ladies class
Chennai, 11 January 2025: Six time National Autocross champion, Ashad Pasha of Chikkamagaluru, a last-minute entrant, clocked the fastest time, besides winning a triple crown in the South Zone qualifier of the Fmsci Indian National Autocross Championship 2024, at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.+
The Muscat-based driver, won three titles in different classes in 2022 fmsci Nationals and added two more last year, for which the Awards are yet to be distributed by the federation.
The 31-year-old reigning National champion in three different INAC classes, Pasha flew in to support his brother, but with a car available, he took part, and he did it in style by clocking the fastest time of the day of two minutes, 28.615 seconds over the 2.4-Kms circuit which was a mix of dirt and tarmac. The event was conducted by the Madras Motor Sports Club.
Kolhapur’s Pallavi Yadav, topped the Ladies class as she clocked 03:30.081 as against second-placed Reshma Inchalkar (Goa) (03:44.312).
“I am from Chikkamagaluru but based in Muscat and flew in here to support my brother. But since a vehicle was available, I was persuaded to drive and so it was a last-minute decision to drive,” said Ashad who participated in three categories and topped them all.
The qualifiers from South Zone will participate in the final round of the Championship to be run at the same venue on Sunday. They will be joined by toppers from North and East Zone qualifiers.
Pallavi Yadav of Kolhapur in action. She drove all the way from Kolhapur to Chennai via Bengaluru for 16 hours and won the South Zone, in her class without any rest.
Provisional results:
INAC1 Class B: 1. Kiran Reddy (Bengaluru) (02:39.825).
INAC1 Class C: 1. Ashad Pasha (Chikkamagaluru) (02:28.615); 2. Amandeep Singh (Delhi) (02:57.160); 3. Ashish Gupta (03:08.219).
INAC2 Class B: 1. Ashad Pasha (02:35.871); 2. Kartik Konchady (Mumbai) (02:50.345).
INAC2 Class C: 1. Arshad Pasha (02:29.400); 2. Areeb Rahman (Kolkata) (02:41.547); 3. Saneesh Sharma (02:43.353).
INAC2 Class E: 1. Nameer Pasha (Chikkamagaluru) (02:36.185); 2. Areeb Rahman (02:37.118); 3. Saneesh Sharma (02:41.330).
INAC3 Stock Class A: 1. Amey Desai (Mapusa) (02:52.865); 2. Kartik Konchady (02:55.585); 3. Karan Panikar (Navi Mumbai) (02:56.968).
INAC3 Stock Class B: 1. Kushal Chaudhari (New Panvel) (02:51.735); 2. Althaf Hussain (Kolhapur) (03:14.388).
INAC3 Stock Class C: 1. Kartik Konchady (02:41.524); 2. Amey Desai (02:49.772); 3. Sravan Kumar Kuttoor (Hyderabad) (03:01.017).
INAC3 Stock Class E: 1. Karan Chaudhary (Kolkata) (02:39.694); 2. Amey Desai (02:46.588); 3. Kushal Chaudhari (02:55.132).
Ladies Open: 1. Pallavi Yadav (Kolhapur) (03:30.081); 2. Reshma Inchalkar (Goa) (03:44.312).
4WD Open: 1. Raunak Jana (Kolkata) (02:44.311); 2. Sravan Kumar Kuttoor (02:50.769).
Amateur: 1. Nameer Pasha (Chikkamagaluru) (02min, 35.441sec); 2. Ashish Gupta (Chennai) (03:45.346).
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Ruhaan Alva, Veer Sheth, Alibhai win a race each: Indian F4
Chennai, 15 Sept. 2024: Jaden Pariat ‘won’ on the track, but was stripped away and demoted to P8 in Race 3, as the final day of Round 3 of the Formula 4 Indian Championship, produced three different winners in three races held on Sunday.
The premier F4 championship was held along with the Indian Racing League and the JK Tyre National Racing Championship at the Madras International Circuit, Irungattukottai, near here.
Ruhaan Alva of Shrach Rarh Bengal Tigers, Veer Sheth of Ahmedabad Apex Racers, who moved up from P2 to P1 after Bangalore Speedsters’ racer winner Jaden Pariat was docked a 20-second penalty, and South African Aqil Alibhai (Black Birds Hyderabad), all won a race each in the three F4 races today. Jaden won the Indian F4 Race 1 on Saturday.
From left – Isaac Demellweek, Aqil Alibhai, Ruhaan’s team principal, Ruhaan Alva and Jaden Pariat at MIC on Sunday. Photo by IRL In the day’s first race, Alva was in a league of his once he moved to the front in the very first lap and was simply unstoppable. As the race progressed, Australian teenager Isaac Demellweek (Chennai Turbo Riders), Alibhai, Pariat and pole-sitter Aiva Anagnostiadis (Goa Aces JA Racing), the 2021 Australian female karting champion, settled into a formation behind Alva until the Safety Car came into play in the 15th minute which bunched up the grid. On resumption with close to two minutes and one lap left, Alibhai and Pariat jumped to P2 and P3 behind Alva who continued serenely to victory while also being credited with the fastest lap of the race.
IRL cars lined up at MIC on Sunday. Photos IRL In the next race, it was Pariat all the way after surviving a contact with Alibhai while trying to regain his track position. The incident pushed Alibhai to P16 but he finished P4 eventually. Pariat was docked a post-race 20-second penalty “for causing avoidable collision” and it dropped him to eighth in the final standings. Consequently, Veer Sheth, Ruhaan Alva and Abhay Mohan (Bangalore Speedsters) all moved up a spot to finish first, second and third, respectively.
In the final race, Alibhai built a winning lead after moving from P3 to P1 before Turn-1 in the very first lap and enjoyed a trouble-free run to spare nearly 19 seconds to second-placed Divy Nandan (Ahmedabad Apex Racers) and Ruhaan Alva who did well to hold off an aggressive Pariat in the latter half of the race.
IRL
Mohammed Ryan converted a pole position start to a maiden win while delivering a double for Chennai Turbo Riders the Indian Racing League races. The 22-year-old Ryan’s win came on the back of team-mate Jon Lancaster’s success in IRL Race-1 yesterday.
Mohd Rayan takes a win from pole in the IRL race on Sunday at MIC. Photos supplied by IRL The 2019 Rotax Karting champion Ryan, racing on home circuit, had a brilliant start and put in consistent fast laps for his first win in the IRL which triggered celebrations in the Chennai Turbo Riders.
While Ryan disappeared into the distance at the start, Sohil Shah (Goa Aces JA Racing) moved aggressively past Jaden Pariat (Bangalore Speedsters) going into Turn-1. Pariat then dropped one more spot when team-mate Rishon Rajeev got a jump on him later in the opening lap. The top three then maintained their track positions without much ado, while behind them others scrapped for points.
An elated Ryan said: “I had a good start and kept my focus to put some consistent laps. I am happy that my team, Chennai Turbo Riders won both the IRL races this weekend and picked up some big points.”
The Indian Racing League and Indian F4 Championship, to be held over five rounds, is sponsored by Kingfisher Soda, JK Tyres, Mobil 1 and Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Limited.
JK Tyre-fmsci Indian National Championship
Bengaluru’s Tijil Rao led a podium sweep for Dark Don Racing team as he came up with a brilliant drive starting from P5 for his third win in six starts this season.
Finishing behind him were team-mates Viswas Vijayaraj from Nellore and Coimbatore’s Bala Prasath. Despite losing the front nose cone of his car, Bala Prasath gave a fine exhibition of defensive driving to hold off rookie and Bengaluru teenager Dhruv Goswami (MSPORT) over the last three of the 10-lap race.
Goswami, in fact, started from P12 on the grid and aided by some daring overtakes, all but managed to secure a podium spot in the overall standings, though he topped the Rookie category, way ahead of Monith Kumaran (Ahura Racing) and Abhinav Reddy (Avalanche Racing).
The weekend results put Tijil Rao on top of the overall leaderboard while Goswami also moved up the championship standings in the Rookie category.
The Round 4 of the Indian Racing Festival will be held on October 19-20 at the Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore.
The results (Provisional):
Veer Seth, was promoted as the winner of Indian F4 Championship Race 3 at MIC on Sunday. Indian Racing League: Race-2 (B Driver) (25 minutes + 1 Lap):1. Mohammed Ryan (India, Chennai Turbo Riders) (26mins, 57.602secs);2. Sohil Shah (India, Goa Aces JA Racing) (26:59.183);3. Rishon Rajeev (India, Bangalore Speedsters) (27:14.841).
Formula 4 Indian (25mins + 1 Lap):
Race-2:1. Ruhaan Alva (India, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers) (28:16.720); 2. Aqil Alibhai (South Africa, Black Birds Hyderabad) (28:17.475); 3. Jaden Pariat (India, Bangalore Speedsters) (28:18.697).
Race-3: 1.Veer Sheth (India, Ahmedabad Apex Racers) (27:41.457); 2. Ruhaan Alva (India, ShrachiRarh Bengal Tigers) (27:41.622); 3. Abhay Mohan (India, Bangalore Speedsters) (27:43.916).
Race-4: 1. Aqil Alibhai (South Africa, Black Birds Hyderabad) (27:31.329); 2. Divy Nandan (India, Ahmedabad Apex Racers) (27:50.567); 3. Ruhaan Alva (India, ShrachiRarh Bengal Tigers) (27:51.089).
JK Tyre-FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship:
Formula LGB 4: Race-3 (10 Laps):1. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Dark Don Racing) (19:42.876); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, Dark Don Racing) (19:44.762); 3. Bala Prasath (Coimbatore, Dark Don Racing) (19:52.697).
Rookie: 1. Dhruvh Goswami (Bengaluru, MSport) (19:52.770); 2. Monith Kumaran (Chennai, Ahura Racing) (19:59.569); 3. K Abhinav Reddy (Hyderabad, Avalanche Racing) (20:05.030).
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Jagan Kumar, Sarthak Chavan in historic dead-tie at MIC on Sunday
Chennai, 7 July 2024: History was scripted at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday when a dead-heat finish, involving two TVS Racing team-mates Jagan Kumar and Sarthak Chavan, was decided in favour of the former on the basis of the fastest lap of the race as the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2024 – Powered by STORM came to a thrilling finish.
Old-timers believe that it is the first time in the Indian racing history that two competitors had the same timing at the finish, requiring the fastest lap provision to be implemented to decide the winner. The incident occurred in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open race when veteran Jagan Kumar, a 10-time National champion, and his TVS Racing team-mate 17-year-old Sarthak Chavan crossed the finish line together, clocking the same timing. Jagan was declared winner because he had posted the fastest lap of the six-lap race.
The result denied Sarthak an all-win record across both Pro-Stock categories, the 301-400cc Open and the 165cc Open. Earlier today, Sarthak had achieved a double in the higher class and looked set for a clean sweep before the photo-finish which went in Jagan’s favour.
Meanwhile, Chennai’s Jagathishree Kumaresan (One Racing) completed a double in the Girls (Stock 165cc) category as did another local rider, Abdul Basim (Rockers Racing) in the Novice (Stock 165cc) class while Pradeep C from Bengaluru notched his maiden win in the National Championship with a P1 finish in the Stock 301-400cc (Novice) race.
Bengaluru’s Chiranth Vishwanath (TVS Racing) won the Indian Oil award for the fastest lap on Sunday across all categories for clocking a blistering 01:48.648 in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category, but he lost the race to Sarthak when he missed a gear on the back sweep on the last lap to concede the slender lead.
In an innovative move, promoters Madras Motor Sports Club decided to present trophies to the top five finishers in a race instead of the top three.
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup: Mohsin Paramban from Malappuram completed a fine double in the NSF 250R category to open up a 37-point lead in the provisional standings. Two Bengaluru riders Savion Sabu and AS James finished second and third respectively in the eight-lap race.
TVS One-Make Championship:
Sarthak Chavan extended his domination with a second consecutive win in the TVS Electric RTE race that was reduced to three laps following an on-track incident. Chiranth Vishwanath came in second ahead of Alwin Sundar (Chennai).
Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned):
National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-2): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, TVS Racing) (11min, 06.298sec); 2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, TVS Racing) (11:06.388); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, TVS Racing) (11:10.557).
Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2): 1. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, TVS Racing) (11:37.786); 2. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, TVS Racing) (11:37.786); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, TVS Racing) (11:44.162).
Girls (Stock 165cc) Race-2 (5 laps): 1. Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai, One Racing) (11:04.106); 2. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Motul Sparks Racing) (11:04.182); 3. Ann Jennifer AS (Chennai, Alpha Racing India) (11:04.327).
Novice (Stock165cc) Race-2: 1. Abdul Basim (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (12:56.217); 2. Tasmai Cariappa (Mysuru, Motul Sparks Racing) (13:07.206); 3. Lal Nunsanga (Aizawl, Motul Sparks Racing) (13:07.502).
Stock 301-400cc (Novice) Race-2: 1. Pradeep C (Bengaluru, Pvt) (12:20.775); 2. Raj Kumar (Coimbatore, RDX Torque Racing) (12:27.930); 3. Varun Nanjundegowda (Chennai, Gusto Racing India) (02:03.803).
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – Open (NSF 250R) Race-2 (8 laps): 1. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (15:07.015); 2. Savion Sabu (Bengaluru) (15:10.965); 3. AS James (Bengaluru) (15:15.953).
TVS One-Make Championship: Open (Apache RR310) Race-2: 1. Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) (11:47.555); 2. Jayanth P (Chennai) (11:53.712); 3. Lokesh V (Bengaluru) (11:55.233).
Rookie (Apache RTR 200) Race-2: 1. Harshit V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:20.972); 2. CS Kedarnath (Tirupati) (13:26.089); 3. Rajivsham AS (Tirpur) (13:44.946).
TVS Electric RTE (3 laps): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune) (05:34.704); 2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (05:35.877); 3. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (05:42.046).
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Two-wheeler Racing Nationals to begin from Friday at MIC, sans Amit Arora
Chennai, 12 June 2024: There is plenty of hot action in store with 19 races scheduled for the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2024 at the Madras International Circuit, Irungattukottai, near here, from June 13 to 16. The event attracted over 100 entries from across India, representing 16 teams.
However, this the first event after General Manager (Operations) of Madras Motor Sports Club, the promoters, has left the club. Amit Arora, parted ways with MMSC as of May 30. He has been at the helm of affairs for over a decade and has been the trusted lieutenant of the club.
Coming back to the event, the two Pro-Stock classes – 301-400cc Open and 165cc Open – will yet again headline the card, while pitching the country’s top riders on TVS, Honda, Yamaha and KTM machines against one another.
Further down the grid are the Novice categories for Stock bikes –165cc (under-23), Girls (165cc) and 301-400cc which have attracted a sizable number of entries.
Also part of the programme are the two One-Make Championships (OMC) organized by the promoters Madras Motor Sports Club – TVS (Open, Rookie, Girls and Media), showcasing the RR 310 and Apache RTR 200 bikes, and the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup which will witness the super-quick NSF 250R machines. TVS also have one race for their Electric RTE bikes.
As in the previous years, both TVS and Honda conducted a series of trials across India to shortlist the riders for their respective categories with emphasis on youth and talent. Based on their performance, select riders have been sent to participate at the Asian level.
Meanwhile, the 301-400cc Novice category has been upgraded to National Championship status after hitherto being a support event.
In another initiative, the number of races in the National championship Girls category has been increased from the existing five to 10 with a double-header in each of the five rounds.
MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “We are extremely pleased to have received well over 100 entries for the two-wheeler National Racing Championship which will commence this weekend. We extend a warm welcome to the competitors, our long-time sponsors MRF Tyres, the manufacturers and the Media for the 2024 season which, we are certain, will dish out its share of wheel-to-wheel racing, given the very competitive grids. The Championship has been a stepping stone for aspiring young riders who have competed in international races and won accolades. We are hopeful that the new season will throw up fresh talent.”
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Diana Pundole creates history beating a strong field of male drivers: National Racing
Chennai, 15 October 2023: Lady driver Diana Pundole from Pune created history in the annals of motor racing at the Madras International Circuit to become the first lady driver to win back to back races in the National Chamionships. “I have never seen a lady winning two races in one round, at least at the track here in a National Championship,” said Vicky Chandhok, former fmsci president and chairman of the meet.
Competing on equal footing with male drivers, Diana Pundole won two races in the MRF Saloon Car category and became the first female driver to score a double in a single round in MMSC National four-wheeler racing championship.
Aditya, Chetan score a double each
Bengaluru’s Aditya Swaminathan and Chetan Surineni notched a double each in the MRF Formula 2000 and F1600 categories, respectively, as the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2023 concluded at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday.
Aditya Swaminathan take pole on Saturday. Photo by Anand Philar Meanwhile, Chandigarh’s Angad Matharoo provisionally clinched the championship in the MRF Saloon Car (Toyota Etios) category with five wins from nine starts, besides two podium finishes this weekend, while Coimbatore’s Jai Prashanth Venkat was placed second followed by Mumbai’s Zahan Commissariat.
Also scoring a double over the weekend were: Diana Pundole from Pune, Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) in Indian Junior Touring Cars and Diljith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) in Formula LGB 1300.
Aditya Swaminathan, starting from pole, took the honours in Race-1 in the MRF F2000 category without much ado but had to fight hard for the win in the next after starting from P5 on the reverse grid. Championship leader Sandeep Kumar from Chennai salvaged his weekend by winning Race-3, edging out Kolkata’s Arya Singh in a close finish.
Chetan Surineni won Race-1 and 3 in the MRF F1600 holding off Viswas Vijayaraj in both outings while Mumbai’s Veer Sheth topped Race-2.
One of the big stories of the day was scripted by Biren Pithawalla (Team N1 Racing), a 42-year-old businessman from Mumbai, piloting a Honda Jazz. He put in a solid performance to win the premier Indian Touring Cars race, his second of the season after a stirring duel.
Starting from P2 on the reverse grid, Biren overtook pole-sitter and his cousin Anant Pithawalla on Lap 2. With Anant holding off the pursuing cars, Biren made rapid ground to draw clear of the pack. Behind the pair, championship leader Gurunath Meiyappan (Race Concepts), after surviving a contact with defending champion and team-mate Arjun Balu who then retired, caught up with Biren who gave a fine exhibition of defensive driving to take the chequered flag. Meiyappan finished second to stay on top of the leaderboard while Ritesh Rai (Arka Motorsports) came in third.
“A very special win today, because I won on the track. I had “won” the first race in the previous round, but that was because of penalties to the guys who finished in front of me. So, this is very special and a culmination of nearly 12 years of hard work that my cousin Ananth Pithawalla and I had put in,” said Biren.
Likewise, 28-year-old Diana Pundole, a mother of two, won Race-1 from lights to flag after opening a sizable lead in the early part of the 10-lapper to notch her maiden win in this category. In the next outing, she started from P5 on the reverse grid, but battled her way to the front and went on to achieve a double. Zahan Commissariat topped Race-3 following a time penalty to P1 finisher Matharoo.
In the Formula LGB 1300 category, Diljith was virtually gifted the win in Race-1 as pole-sitter Viswas Vijayaraj, leading by the proverbial mile, went off the track at Turn-1, damaging the nose cone besides losing brakes. Yet, the Nellore youngster re-joined the race and managed to survive the final two laps to come in second behind Diljith who later easily won Race-2 for a double.
Provisional results (8 laps, unless mentioned):
MRF Formula 2000 (Race-1): 1. Aditya Swaminathan (Chennai) (16min, 02.814sec); 2. Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (16:03.313); 3. Chetan Korada (Chennai) (16:08.561). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Aditya Swaminathan (Chennai) (16:13.886); 2. Arya Singh (Kolkata) (16:14.640); 3. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (16:15.805). Race-3: 1. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (13:08.364); 2. Arya Singh (Kolkata) (13:08.781); 3. Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (13:09.123).
MRF F1600 (Race-1): 1. Chetan Surineni (Bengaluru) (16:38.263); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore) (16:39.456); 3. Aman Nagdev (Noida) (14:59.154 + 1 lap). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Veer Sheth (Mumbai) (17:23.085); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore) (17:28.014); 3. Aman Nagdev (Noida) (17:28.489). Race-3: 1. Chetan Surineni (14:03.496); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (14:04.198); 3. Veer Sheth (14:04.474).
Indian Touring Cars (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Biren Pithawalla (Mumbai, Team N1) (19:11.946); 2. Gurunath Meiyappan (Chennai, Race Concepts) (19:12.401); 3. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Arka Motorsports) (19:16.193).
Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:35.754); 2. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:36.864); 3. Srinivas Teja (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:44.038).
Super Stock (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Diljith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (20:56.057); 2. Manan Patel (Mumbai, Redline Racing) (19:11.463+1 lap); 3. Yokeshwaran K (Coimbatore, Momentum Motorsports) (19:38.091 + 1 lap).
Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1): 1. Dilijith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (14:57.612); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (15:03.336); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Ahura Racing) (15:05.403). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Diljith (18:50.965); 2. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (19:00.080); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (Mahabalipuram, MSPORT) (19:00.681).
MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) Race-1: 1. Diana Pundole (Pune, Redline Racing) (16:31.113); 2. Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh, Redline Racing) (16:34.881); 3. Jai Prashanth Venkat (Coimbatore, Redline Racing) (16:35.729). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Diana Pundole (20:49.229); 2. Angad Matharoo (20:50.273); 3. Jai Prashanth Venkat (20:54.606). Race-3: 1. Zahan Commissariat (16:49.499); 2. Jai Prashanth Venkat (16:51.898) 3. Kalim Iqbal (Colombo) (16:52.247).
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Sandeep Kumar begins F2000 with a victory; Arjun Balu campaign short-circuited
Chennai, 23 Sept 2023: Chennai’s Sandeep Kumar, an advocate by profession, snatched a close win in the premier MRF Formula 2000 race while another local ace Angad Matharoo scripted his fourth win in a row in the MRF Saloon Cars category in the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2023 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.
While Sandeep Kumar, starting from P3, had to work hard for his success, holding off Bengaluru’s Anand Swaminathan and pole-sitter Arya Singh (Kolkata), the experienced Matharoo scored a lights-to-flag win from pole position. Another Bengalurean, Chetan Surineni topped in the MRF Formula 1600 category almost unchallenged.
Among the other big winners of the day was Mumbai’s Biren Pithawalla (Team N1 Racing) who took the honours in the Race-1 of Indian Touring Cars category after pole-sitter and defending champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) retired when leading due to an electrical malfunction. Further, Pithawalla gained a spot after race winner Ritesh Rai slipped to second as he was docked 15-second penalty following an incident involving Gurunath Meiyappan (Race Concepts) who came in third. Balu decided to pack up for the weekend, skipping the remaining two races.
Later, Meiyappan scored a facile win, his second of the season, in Race-2 ahead of Ritesh Rai and Biren Pithawalla to move to the top of the points table in the ITC category.
Akkineni Anand Prasad (Team Performance Racing) from Chennai and Thrissur’s Diljith TS (DTS Racing) notched a double apiece in the Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock categories, respectively. While Prasad moved to the top of the championship table, Diljith remains unbeaten in all five starts over two rounds so far.
Meanwhile, Nellore’s Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing) and team-mate, veteran Diljith TS won a race each in the Formula LGB 1300 category. Viswas took Race-1 easily from pole position start while Diljith surged to victory in the next race from the reverse grid.
The results (Provisional – all 8 laps unless mentioned):
MRF Formula 2000 (Race-1): 1. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (13:05.709); 2. Aditya Swaminathan (Bengaluru) (13:06.099); 3. Arya Singh (Kolkata) (13:06.371).
MRF Formula 1600 (Race-1): 1. Chetan Surineni (Bengaluru) (14:06.215); 2. Veer Sheth (Mumbai) (14:27.811); 3. Suprej Venkat (Coimbatore) (14:18.045).
Indian Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Biren PIthawalla (Mumbai, Team N1) (15:37.456); 2. Ritesh Rai (Pvt., Chennai) (15:47.528); 3. Gurunath Meiyappan (Chennai, Race Concepts Motorsports) (16:06.453).
Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Meiyappan (19:08.657); 2. Ritesh Rai (19:11.533); 3. Biren Pithawalla (19:25.993).
Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Team Performance Racing) (15:37.920); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Team Performance Racing) (15:48.422); 3. Hatim Shabbir Jamnagarwala (Chennai, Team Performance Racing) (15:48.718).
Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Akkineni Anand Prasad (19:59.734); 2. Hatim Shabbir Jamnagarwala (20:03.432); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (20:03.802).
Super Stock (Race-1): 1. Dilijith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (17:03.487); 2. Manan Patel (Mumbai, Redline Racing India) (17:19.722); 3. Jarshan Anand (Pvt., Chennai) (17:30.614).
Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Diljith (21:01.697); 2. Jarshan Anand (+1 lap, 19:15.341); 3. Justin Singh (+1 lap, 19:18.644).
Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1): 1. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (15:06.923); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Mamallapuram, MSport) (15:13.271); 3. Diljith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (15:14.166).
Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Diljith TS (21:43.946); 2. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (21:52.616); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (21:55.412).
MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios, Race-1): 1. Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh, Redline Racing India) (16:41.199); 2. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai, Redline Racing India) (16:47.367); 3. Diana Pundole (Pune, Redline Racing India) (16:52.014).
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Aditya Swaminathan fastest in MRF F2000 category
Chennai, 22 Sept. 2023: Bengaluru’s Aditya Swaminathan set the tone and pace for the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2023 as he emerged fastest in the free practice session for the premier MRF Formula 2000 category at the Madras International Circuit, here on Friday.
The 20-year old Aditya returned a top time of one minute, 35.082 seconds, just about outpacing Chennai veteran Chetan Korada (01:35.717).
Meanwhile, Chetan Surineni, also from Bengaluru, was the fastest in the MRF Formula 1500 as he stopped the clock at 01:43.649, well clear of Mumbai’s Veer Sheth (01:46.058).
Earlier, multiple National champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) from Coimbatore was the quickest among the touring cars as he put in a hot lap of 01:51.867 after negotiating heavy traffic that had 19 cars on the track at various stages during the 30-minute free practice session.
In the Indian Junior Touring Cars (IJTC) category, Chennai’s Akkineni Anand Prasad (Team Performance Racing), who is lying second in the championship, topped the time sheets with a best lap of 01:56.079.
Thrissur’s Diljith TS (DTS Racing), who won all three races in the previous round in July, was the quickest in the Super Stock class, putting in a hot lap of 02:04.797.
Likewise, the experienced Angad Matharoo from Chandigarh, who also notched a triple crown in the first round, set the pace in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) class, clocking a best lap of 02:03.367.
The day’s programme began with defending champion Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing) from Nellore warming up for the Formula LGB 1300 triple-header with a top lap of 01:51.516 in the free practice session.
