INDIA in F1

Tag: MMRT

  • Chirag Ghorpade, Arjun Balu set hot pace: Indian car racing Nationals

    Chirag Ghorpade, Arjun Balu set hot pace: Indian car racing Nationals

    Chennai, 20 Jan 2022: Chirag Ghorpade, the schoolboy from Bengaluru, and Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu lit up the free practice sessions with some serious pace to kick-start the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2021 at the MMRT, here on Thursday.

    Chirag, who heads the championship table, topped the two practice sessions in the premier MRF F1600 category with a best lap of one minute, 39.950 while his closest rival, teenager Shahan Ali Mohsin from Agra, posted the second best of 01:40.018 as the talented duo seemed to be heading for a close battle for honours in the triple-header to be run over the next two days.

    On the other hand, veteran Arjun Balu, piloting the Race Concepts-prepared Honda VTec, was in a league of his own in the Indian Touring Cars category. He was about a couple of seconds quicker than his nearest rivals, the Rayo Racing pair from Hyderabad, Jeet Jhabakh and Ishaan Dodhiwala, both driving the Volkswagen Polo. Balu’s best laps in the two practice sessions were 01:51.211 in the morning and 01:50.768 in FP2.

    Bengaluru’s Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) and Performance Racing’s Deepak Ravikumar from Chennai, set the fastest laps in the Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock categories, respectively.

    Earlier, two teenagers from Bengaluru, Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsport) and Ruhaan Alva (MSport) topped the two practice sessions in the Formula LGB 1300 category. Tijil was the fastest on the day, clocking a best lap of 01:51.242 in FP1, but was only third quickest in 01:51.886 in the next session. Ruhaan topped FP2 with a lap of 01:51.511, an improvement of over two seconds on his FP1 best of 01:53.700.

    In the 22-car Volkswagen Polo category, local challenger Sandeep Kumar set the fastest time of 01:55.657 over two sessions as he seeks to consolidate his position at the top of the leaderboard in this class.

    Haryana’s Justin Singh put in the quickest lap of the day in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) with a 02:03.391.

    The qualifying sessions for all categories followed by five races will be run on Saturday.

    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 MMRT circuit 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 purchased 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.

  • Jagan Kumar of TVS Racing begins title defence with a pole

    Jagan Kumar of TVS Racing begins title defence with a pole

    Irungattukottai (Near Chennai), 20 August 2021: Multiple National champion Jagan Kumar of TVS Racing began the defence of his title in the premium Pro-Stock 165cc Open category by clinching the pole position as the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 commenced at the MMRT, here on Friday.

    Sparks Racing’s Allwin Xavier, a 22-year old Chemical Engineering student from Thrissur, put in some consistent laps in the qualifying session, to grab pole position, clocking 02:09.552 in the Stock 165cc Novice category which overflows with a strong grid of 39 riders taking the start in Saturday’s Race.

    Udayi Prakash of Rockers Racing, Coimbatore, clocked 02:09.556 and Sarvesh Hanumannavar of Sparks Racing, Hubballi posted a time of 02:09.580 to complete the front row. Incidentally, less than one second separated the top-eight qualifiers.

    Jagan, the 32-year 8-time National champion, clocked a best lap of one minute 57.043 seconds to top the qualifying session, followed by teammate Deepak Ravikumar (01:58.043) with Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Senthil Kumar (01:59.309) completing the front row of the grid.

    Reigning champioin Jagan Kumar puts his #3 TVS on pole in Pro-Stock 165cc Open on 20 Aug 2021. Photo by Anand Philar

    The other leading Honda rider, Rajiv Sethu qualified fourth in 01:59.423 while last year’s runner-up KY Ahamed of TVS Racing, who was second quickest behind Jagan in the free practice session earlier in the day, had a disastrous qualifying as he failed to post a time after his bike stopped due to “technical issues”.

    Also qualifying for pole positions in their respective categories were Navaneeth Kumar from Puducherry (TVS One-Make Championship, Open), Baddam Deepika Reddy from Hyderabad (Girls, TVS One-Make Championship) and Prakash Kamat from Bokaro Steel City (Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, CBR 150).

    Earlier, Chennai’s 16-year old Kavin Quintal put the hammer down with a blistering lap of one minute, 49.351 seconds to top the free practice session in the NSF 250R class of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, ahead of last year’s Sartak Chavan, the 14-year old talent from Pune (01:50.888) and Geoffrey Reviven Emmanuel (16), also from Chennai (01:50.672).

    The results (Qualifying):

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 165cc Open: 1. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (01min, 57.043secs); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing) (01:58.043); 3. Senthil Kumar (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (01:59.309).

    Novice (Stock 165cc): 1. Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing, Thrissur) (02:09.552); 2. Udayi Prakash (Rockers Racing, Coimbatore) (02:09.556); 3. Sarvesh Hanumannavar (Sparks Racing, Hubballi) (02:09.580).

    TVS One-Make Championship – Open (Apache RR 310): 1. Navaneeth Kumar (Puducherry) (01:56.916); 2. Yashas RL (Bengaluru) (01:57.130); 3. Jagadeesh N (Bengaluru) (01:57.741). Girls (Apache RTR 200): 1. Baddam Deepika Reddy (Hyderabad) (02:14.675); 2. Rakshita Srihari Dave (Chennai) (02:15.381); 3. Adlin Seles (Chennai) (02:18.090).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – CBR 150 (Novice): 1. Prakash Kamat (Bokaro Steel City) (02:11.914); 2. Rakshit S Dave (Chennai) (02:12.157); 3. Vivek Gaurav (Patna) (02:12.469).

    You can watch the races live on YouTube

    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 MMRT circuit 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 purchased 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.

  • Moto Racing National season begins at new-look MMSC

    Moto Racing National season begins at new-look MMSC

    Chennai, 19 August 2021: A fully sanitised MMRT will witness another grand congregation of country’s top talent and two-wheeler manufacturers when the first round of the 2021 MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship commences on Friday, August 20, with over 100 entries in fray in a card of 19 races that will be held behind closed doors, while strictly complying with the Covid-19 safety protocols.

    TVS, Honda, KTM and Yamaha will be competing in four categories of the National championships – the Pro-Stock 301-400cc, Pro-Stock 165cc, Novice (Stock 165cc) and Girls (Stock 165cc) – which also boasts of record 17 private teams. Also in the mix are the two One-Make Championships organised by MMSC for Honda and TVS.

    Honda, as part of their highly-acclaimed Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, will again parade their Moto3-spec NSF 250R ridden by a clutch of talented teenagers, all under 19 years of age, besides races in the CBR 150 while Hornet 2.0 will be seen in action for the first time as a support event.

    TVS will be showcasing their popular Apache RR 310 in the highly competitive Open class besides the RTR 200 in the Rookie (restricted to those below 19 years of age) which was earlier known as Novice, Girls and Media categories.

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “We again welcome the two-wheeler racing fraternity to the MMRT with all the Covid-19 safety protocols in place. In these troubling and uncertain times, it is extremely heartening that we have India’s top riders and the leading bike manufacturers competing after overcoming all the challenges. We are also very grateful to MRF Tyres who continue to support our championships which, as in the past, is expected to be a humdinger.”

    The Pro-Stock 301-400cc class will headline the weekend programme. In the fray are several international riders led by National champion KY Ahamed, Jagan Kumar and Deepak Ravikumar (all TVS Racing), Anish Shetty (Race Concepts, KTM) and veteran Rajini Krishnan (RACR, Yamaha R3).

    The popular Pro-Stock 165cc which is set to witness the return of Pacer Yamaha team after a long gap, boasts of a very competitive field. TVS Racing’s Ahamed, Jagan and Ravikumar will be up against Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu and Senthil Kumar, and Pacer Yamaha riders.

    The Novice category (under-23) has yet again proved to be extremely popular with the organisers forced to close the entries ahead of schedule, while the Girls grid will be headed by defending champion Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing).

    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 MMRT circuit 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 purchased 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.

  • South India Rally postponed to June 23-25: INRC Round 1

    South India Rally postponed to June 23-25: INRC Round 1

    Chennai, 19 April 2021: The South India Rally, a round of the 2021 Indian National Rally Championship, scheduled for April 23-25, has been postponed in the wake of fresh government restrictions due to rising number of Covid-19 virus cases, organisers Madras Motor Sports Club announced here today.

    The tentative fresh dates for the event, promoted by Champions Yacht Club, and which doubled up as a round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, are June 25 to 27. The South India Rally had attracted a record 70 entries of which 21 were women crews.

    Chairman of the event and MMSC Vice-President Vicky Chandhok said: “Much as the sport is always our priority, we are very concerned about the huge spike in Covid-19 cases in the recent days. With an all-time record of 70 entries of which 21 are women competitors the enthusiasm for the sport has also spiked and is at its peak! But after discussions with promoter Vamcy Merla who had put in massive efforts, we decided to postpone the South India Rally keeping in mind the safety and health of those involved in the event.”

    Promoter Vamcy Merla said: “Unfortunately, in the last couple of days, a lot of restrictions have been imposed in many States due to the spike in Covid-19 cases in the country. I am in total agreement with the decision to postpone, giving due consideration to the safety and health of participants and organizers.

    “We have had extensive discussions with everyone concerned or associated with the event, and then decided to postpone the event to June 25-27 in the hope that the situation would have improved by then.”

  • Hemanth Muddappa bags two golds for 7th National drag title; 4th year in a row

    Hemanth Muddappa bags two golds for 7th National drag title; 4th year in a row

    Chennai, 24 January 2021: Multiple National champion Hemanth Muddappa of Mantra Racing was in his elements once again winning both the gold in the top-two categories as he emerged as a deserving National Champion for the 4th successive year, in the second and final round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Championship at the MMRT in Chennai on Sunday. Promoters Madras Motor Sports Club successfully concluded the Drag Nationals 2020 under strict bio-bubble.

    Touching speeds of 205.65kmph, the 31-year old Bengaluru-based rider, who is passionate about fitness, won the above 1051cc class with ease clocking 7.879seconds for a course of 302-metres astride a BMW, beating Baba Satagopan (8.263) to second and convincingly defeated darkhorse Hafizullah Khan who ended up third with a time of 8.362 as the fight fizzled out to a one-man show. Tuned by Sharan Pratap, who continued the legacy of popular Pratap Jayaram, Hemanth was astride a Black BMW and soon celebrated with a custom-made helmet and champion T-shirt, as he bagged his 7th National Drag title in four years.

    In the 850 to 1050cc class, the hardworking Coorgi, Hemanth Muddappa was on a green Hayabusa clocking 8.071 for his second gold of the day. Zubair Ali Jung came second in 8.202sec while Baba Satagopan was third in 8.306sec.

    All five champions of the National Drag Championship which concluded on at MMSC Sunday.

    Hemanth won the National Drag Championship in the Feature race of Unrestricted Foreign Open class in the years 2017, 2018 and 2019 besides winning the top-two classes above 1051cc and 850to1050cc in 2018 and two more gold in the same classes today to make it his 7th National title. The Feature event, Unrestricted Foreign Open was not run this year. “Winning can be an excellent form of motivation for a time, but the drive to be just a little bit better every single day can make you unstoppable,’’ said Hemanth Muddappa, who is celebrating with his team and tuner Sharan Pratap, who says, “It is hardwork throughout the year. For this one day and two races, we prepare the whole year.’’

    In other classes, J Bharat Raj clocked 14.420 to win the gold in the 4stroke 165cc category beating PM Soorya to second and R Aravind Ganesh took third place. In the 361 to 55cc, former Racing champion Karthik Mateti of Hyderabad won the National title edging out Aiyaz while Thulsi Ram took third. In the 226 to 360cc class, PM Soorya too had a close finish over J Bharat Raj to win the National title. Shankar Guru took third place.

    National champions 2020:

    Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Above 1051cc and 851-1050cc);

    Aiyaz (Pvt, 361-550cc and 131-165cc);

    J Bharath Raj (Rulexx Rockers Racing, Up to 165cc, 226-360cc);

    Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing, Girls).

    2-Stroke: Aiyaz (131-165cc); Mohammed Rafiq (2S, Up to 130cc).

    Provisional Unudited Results (Final run):

    4stroke: Above 1051cc: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing- 7.879seconds); 2. Baba Satagopan (8.263); 3. Hafizullah Khan (8.362);

    4Stroke: 851 to 1050cc: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (8.071); 2. Zubair Ali Jung (8.202); 3. Baba Satagopan (8.306);

    4stroke: 165cc: 1. J Bharat Raj (14.420); 2. PM Soorya (14.462); 3. R Aravind Ganesh (14.526);

    4stroke: 361 to 550cc: 1. Karthik Mateti (12.325); 2. Aiyaz (12.360); 3. Thulsi Ram (12.447);

    4stroke: 226 to 360cc: 1. PM Soorya (12,532); 2. J Bharat Raj (12.536); 3. Shankar Guru A (13.166).

  • X1 league round 2 at MMRT on Dec 8

    Chennai, 12 Nov 2019: About 30 top drivers, representing a city each, will take part in the inaugural edition of the motorsports league to be held at Delhi and Chennai this year.

    The X1 Racing League will have about 30 drivers from across the world available for bidding by six franchises, before the league starts on November 30 and ends on December 1. The six franchises are from Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Delhi.

    The X1 Racing League, a franchise-based motorsports competition will have six teams representing a city each. Son of legendary F1 driver Niki Lauda, Mathias was picked by the Delhi franchise (AD Racing) while India’s Arjun Maini and Gaurav Gill will race for Bengaluru (Bangalore Racing Stars) and Delhi teams respectively. The league is powered by JK Tyre Motorsports.

    The league will be held between November 30-December 1 in New Delhi at the Buddh International Circuit and December 7-8 in Chennai at the Madras Motor Race Track. There will be four drivers and two cars in each team. Of the four drivers in each team there will be one international male, one international female, one India international and domestic racer. Of the two domestic racers picked in each team one will get to represent the franchise. Each race will last for 30 minutes and will have three unique team-based race formats per day.

    Team Hyderabad (Blackbirds Hyderabad) was the first to pick in the draft which started off with India’s International racers in the first round, they chose Akhil Rabindra. The next to pick was Team Bengaluru who chose Arjun Maini after which Team Mumbai (Mumbai Falcons) went on to choose Arjun’s brother Khush Maini. The others picked in the round were Krishna Mahadik by Team Ahmedabad (DG Racing), Gill by Team Delhi and Chennai team (NK Racing) auto-picked their team owner Narain Karthikeyan.

    In the male international racers draft, Bengaluru was the first pick and chose English racer Oliver James Webb. The other male international racers who were picked in the draft include Malaysian F1 driver Alex Yoong by Ahmedabad, Mathias joined Delhi franchise, China’s Frankie Cheng went to the Chennai team, former F1 racer Tonio Luizzi by Hyderabad and Danish racer Mikkel Jensen by Mumbai.

    As both male and female drivers would be racing against each other, it was important for each franchise to make sure they had a strong female driver as well. The first female international racer to be picked was Denmark’s Michelle Gatting by Bengaluru. While, English racers Pippa Mann and Alice Powell joined Mumbai and Chennai respectively, Switzerland’s Rahel Frey went to Ahemedabad, Denmark’s Christina Neilsen to Delhi and Polish racer Gosia Rdest to Hyderabad.

    The domestic racers who will be part of the action include Arjun Balu and Yash Aradhya for Chennai, Raghul Rangaswamy and Ashwin Datta for Delhi, Chittesh Mandody and Ameya Walavalkar for Ahmedabad, Sohil Shah and Karthik Tharanisingh for Mumbai, Nayan Chatterjee and Vishnu Prasad for Bengaluru and Arjun Narendran and Anindth Reddy for Hyderabad.

    “All teams are equally balanced and look strong. As all the cars are of the same make, it will be up to the drivers to show their skills and win the race for their team. We hope that the best team wins the league. We are happy with how the draft concluded and the owners are also happy with their teams. We can’t wait for racing to begin,” said co-founder of X1 Racing, Armaan Ebrahim.

    “Some of our domestic Indian drivers will get a chance to rub shoulders with the best of the best. This a chance for the domestic racers who were picked in the draft to make it to the next level and prove themselves against other established International driver. I hope they come out on top,” said co-founder of X1 Racing, Aditya Patel.

    The X1 Racing League follows the X1 Racing eSports Racing season 1, a digital-simulator based racing competition that is currently being held in cities across India. The eSports competition was created by X1 Racing in a bid to tap out talent from different strata of the society and also increase the fan following for motorsport in the country.

    Team Hyderabad: Akhil Rabindra, Tonio Luizzi, Gosia Rdest, Arjun Narendran, Anindth Reddy

    Team Bengaluru: Arjun Maini, Oliver James Webb, Michelle Gatting, Nayan Chatterjee, Vishnu Prasad

    Team Mumbai: Khush Maini, Mikkel Jensen, Pippa Mann, Sohil Shah, Karthik Tharanisingh

    Team Ahmedabad: Krishna Mahadik, Alex Yoong, Rahel Frey, Chittesh Mandody, Ameya Walavalkar

    Team Delhi: Gaurav Gill, Mathias Luada, Christina Neilsen, Raghul Rangaswamy, Ashwin Datta

    Team Chennai:  Narain Karthikeyan, Frankie Cheng, Alice Powell, Arjun Balu, Yash Aradhya

  • Talented Dean Mascarenhas stops a marauding Gaurav Gill to win INRC opener

    Talented Dean Mascarenhas stops a marauding Gaurav Gill to win INRC opener

    Team Champions’ Dean Mascarenhas(L) & Shrupta Padival(R) after winning the South India Rally at MMRT on Sunday. A Team Champions image

    Irungattukottai (Sriperumbudur), 30 June 2019: Team Champions’ Dean Mascarenhas survived a late but spirited onslaught from three-time APRC winner and WRC2 driver Gaurav Gill to win the opening round of the Champions Yacht Club – FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship here on a nail-biting Sunday.

    Going into the third and final leg with a 10-second overall lead and a handy 1.41 minutes over Gill, Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival) would have hoped for a pressure-free day in the office. But an errant car and a possessed Gill saw his lead being steadily wiped out from both ends, raising the specter of a sensational last-minute upset.

    However, Team Mahindra’s Gill (Musa Sherif) who finished second in the day’s first stage and won all remaining four, suffered a massive blow in the penultimate stage. Just as he was racing like the wind, a herd of cows came in his path, costing him anything between 7 to 10 seconds.

    Dean gets an affectionate hug from his mother after winning the INRC opening round at MMRT on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar

    He was awarded 10 seconds by the Stewards for the unfortunate delay, catapulting him to the third position in the overall category. It was sufficient to win him the INRC category too but not good enough to dislodge Mascarenhas or Fabid Ahmer.

    Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Bhatt), however, was edged out of the podium in the overall category by a mere one second.

     

    “We worked very hard to make up for the lackluster first two days,” Gill said. “We changed the tyres and the setup at every opportunity and it paid dividends until bad luck hit us,” he added.

    Gill’s JK Tyre partner Mascarenhas was, however, delighted with his breakthrough victory. “My car had lost one of the four cylinders on Saturday itself and it kept stalling, adding to the pressure. I, however, held my nerves and came through, making this one of my sweetest wins,” he said.

    The South India Rally, Round One of the INRC powered by MRF, turned out to be a thrill-a-minute blockbuster, with the 19-strong Team Champions stunning all and winning almost all the categories.

    Dean and Fabid Ahmer (Sanath G) made it a sensational 1-2 for the Shubhakar Rao-owned team, with Dean also taking the INRC 2 and Fabid the INRC 3. Vaibhav Marate (Arjun SSB) annexed the INRC 4.

    RESULTS

    INRC Overall

    1) Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival – 1:45.10.800 hr; 2) Fabid Ahmer & Sanath G – 1:45:24.400 hr; 3) Gaurav Gill & Musa Sherif – 1:45:27.800 hr

    INRC
    1) Gaurav Gill & Musa Sherif – 1:45:27.800 hr; 2) Phalguna URS & Srikanth Gowda – 1:48:04.500 hr

    INRC 2
    1) Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival – 1:45.10.800 hr; 2) Rahul Kanthraj & Vivek Bhatt – 1:45:28.600 hr; 3) Ritesh Guttedar.M & Lokaranjan H.J – 1:53:13.300 hr

     INRC 3
    1) Fabid Ahmer & Sanath G – 1:45:24.400 hr;  2) Arjun Rao & Shanmuga Sundaram – 1:46:40.200 hr; 3)  Daraius Shroff & Sheeraz Ahmed – 1:47:40.700 hr

    INRC 4
    1) Vaibhav Marate & Arjun SSB – 1:53:02.100 hr; 2) Rakshith Iyer & Chandrashekar – 1:54:30.700 hr; 3) Shirole Prakhyat. H & Bharath S.M – 1:59:19.700 hr

  • Jamie Chadwick becomes first female driver to win MRF Challenge

    Jamie Chadwick becomes first female driver to win MRF Challenge

    Jamie Chadwick celebrates after winning the MRF Challenge championship in Chennai on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 10 Feb 2019: Jamie Chadwick from Bath, England, scripted history in the MRF Challenge by becoming the first female driver to annex the championship in seven seasons as she finished the third and final round of the international series with a triple crown, including two back-to-back wins, at the MMRT, here on Sunday.

    Chadwick, 20, who had won three of the five races in the previous round in Bahrain, survived a long day and 58 laps, by winning two while Finland’s Patrick Pasma took the honours in the other as the MRF Challenge 2018-19 drew to a close.

    While Chadwick ended the championship with 280 points, including two bonus points for the fastest lap in the last race, Belgium’s Max Defourny who came into the final round here with an 18-point advantage, failed to consolidate and ended up with 243 points. Pasma took the third spot in the championship with 186 points, ahead of German Andreas Estner (181).

    An elated Chadwick said: “It (winning the championship) hasn’t sunk in yet. I would like to thank my team too and am happy that everything came together this weekend. In the last race, I made some mistakes which cost me a bit of the lead, but I quickly composed myself and made sure I won.

    “I came into MRF Challenge for some experience and exposure, and not to win the championship. But after winning three races in Bahrain, I realised I was in with a chance and so went for it this weekend.”

    Earlier, Pasma (Finland) had to work hard for his second win of the weekend in Race-3 which was briefly interrupted by a Safety Car period after Joshua Mason spun and blocked the track in the seventh lap. Pasma, starting from pole position, built up a comfortable, if not commanding lead, over Belgian Michelangelo Amendola before the pack bunched up behind the Safety Car. On re-strart, Pasma was harried all the way by Amendola, but managed to hang on and post his second win of the weekend. Finishing third behind Amendola was Swede Linus Lindqvist, the 2018 British F3 champion.

    However, from the championship title perspective, the focus was on the battle between Chadwick and Defourny with the British youngster managing to finish ahead of the Belgian in fifth position. Defourny came in seventh which helped Chadwick to extend her lead by five points with two races remaining.

    Chadwick expanded her championship lead over Defourny to 18 by winning Race-4 that was stopped and restarted following two incidents in the very first lap leading to retirement of three cars and the race distance reduced to 18 laps from scheduled 20. Chadwick had a fine start from P2 on the grid, moving past pole-sitter Jack Doohan (Australia) and then defended her position to chalk up her second win of the weekend. Defourny registered his best finish of the weekend by coming home fourth behind Chadwick, Amendola and Doohan.

    In the final race of the championship, Chadwick was again off to a superb start, squeezing into the lead from third position, past pole-sitter Pasma and Defourny, even as the pack dived into Turn-1. With each lap, Chadwick increased her lead even as Defourny dropped down the order and eventually finished sixth. In the latter part of the race, Chadwick was closely pursued by Pasma and Amendola, but the British girl hung on to her advantage to chalk up her sixth win in 15 starts.

    In the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship that was run concurrently, Chirag Ghorpade (Momentum Motor Sports) topped the Formula LGB 1300 class race while P Raja Rajan (Performance Racing) won in the Saloon car  (Super Stock) category.

    The results:

    MRF Challenge (F2000): Race-3 (20 laps): 1. Patrick Pasma (Finland) (35mins, 35.212secs); 2. Michelangelo Amendola (Belguim) (35:35.569); 3. Linus Lindqvist (Sweden) (35:36.281). Race-4 (18 laps): 1. Jamie Chadwick (UK) (27:39.087); 2. Michaelangelo Amendola (Belgium) (27:40.106); 3. Jack Doohan (Australia) (27:46.896). Race-5 (20 laps): 1. Jamie Chadwick (UK) (30:46.505); 2. Patrick Pasma (Finland) (30:47.574); 3. Michelangelo Amendola (Belgium) (30:48.164).

    MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship – Formula LGB 1300 (Race-3, 10 laps): 1. Chirag Ghorpade (Momentum Motor Sports) (15:35.070); 2. Tijil Rao (Momentum Motor Sports) (15:35.528); 3. K Suriya Varathan (M Sport) (15:36.030).

    Saloon Cars (Super Stock – Race 2, 10 laps): 1. P Raja Rajan (Performance Racing) (20:26.602); 2. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) (20:34.767); 3. Joel Joseph (Race Concepts) (20:41.701).

    Support Race – MRF F1600 (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Lee Deegan (UK) (16:54.757); 2. A Bala Prasath (Coimbatore) (16:55.452); 3. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (16:55.654). Race-3 (10 laps): 1. Nayan Chatterjee (Mumbai) (16:40.939); 2. A Bala Prasath (Coimbatore) (16:49.098); 3. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (17:00.516).

  • MotoGP legend Mick Doohan terms Madras circuit as great `with a little bit of character’

    MotoGP legend Mick Doohan terms Madras circuit as great `with a little bit of character’

    Chennai, 9 Feb 2019: The ongoing MRF Challenge provides an ideal platform for young racing aspirants to showcase their talent and also secure exposure ahead of the new international season, and hence, former five-times World 500cc champion Mick Doohan from Australia said he decided to enter his 16-year old son, Jack, in one of Asia’s premier winter series.

    Speaking to the Media on the sidelines of the third and final round of the MRF Challenge at the MMRT here today and soon after his son finished third in Race-1, 53-year Doohan, said: “The primary reason (for Jack Doohan to enter MRF Challenge) is that my son (Jack) turned 16 only this January and so this is his first real series. I was in Dubai a few years ago and a number of the Australians I knew were driving in MRF Challenge. I was also in Bahrain. So, I had a feel for the series. We had heard a lot of good things about it (MRF Challenge). It was pretty easy for us to get here, and get some experience.

    “For a winter series, this (MRF Challenge) is a great platform. This offers us some real race miles before the start of the European season. The cars are competitive, the platform is basically identical. This is what attracts a lot of the drivers. There is a wide variety of drivers here. It is like a starting school. It is great to be here in Chennai and experience the racing. This (MMRT) is a great circuit. I actually like circuits with a little bit of character. It adds attraction to the series.”

    Mr Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Ltd, who presided over the Media interaction, said: “MRF has been associated with motorsports for the last 30 years. Every year, it has been a wonderful journey. Here at the MRF Challenge, all the cars are the same, identical cars, same tyres, specs etc. So what differentiates these cars is the caliber of the drivers and the skill tests. And it is a dream learning platform for them to master their skills and gain exposure. That is what we are trying to do with MRF Challenge.

    “Apart from motorsports, we are also active in various championships, including gravel and rally championships in UK, Europe and Australia. So, the MRF Challenge is an extension of our endeavor to produce quality racing and rally tyres.”

    Doohan, when asked about his son’s choice of four-wheeler racing instead of bikes, said; “He has been riding dirt bikes and we have a go-kart track on our property. Because his friends were driving cars and he hurt himself on a bike when very young, he never really showed interest (in bike racing). On a motorcycle, if you make a mistake you crash. Also, thankfully, in a car, he is not judged against what his father did.”

    Doohan also fielded questions on the current state of MotoGP, the evolution of the machinery and the on-track rivalries. “The talent today is there for all of us to see. The top guys are the same as in any period in the sport. There are some young guys coming through. The bikes are a little bit easier to ride with all the electronics and other bits and pieces on the bike which are still prototypes, like the Formula 1 cars. The rivalry (among the riders) is good because it keeps some talk going about the sport.

    About the chances of current World champion Marc Marquez, becoming an all-time great rider, Doohan said: “He certainly has the desire. As long as he doesn’t burn out, he has plenty of time left in him (to add to his five titles).”

  • MRF Challenge poised for an exciting finish; 2019 Indian racing season set to begin

    MRF Challenge poised for an exciting finish; 2019 Indian racing season set to begin

    Raghul Rangasamy (No.99), 2018 champion in MRF F1600 category. File photo by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 7 Feb 2019: One of Asia’s top single-seater racing championships, the MRF Challenge that, over the past seven seasons has evolved into an incubator of talent, is coming home to the MMRT here this weekend when the third and concluding round of the winter series will be held from Friday.

    The two flyaway rounds in Dubai (November) and Bahrain (December) showcased the skills of emerging talent such as Belgium’s Max Defourny and British girl Jamie Chadwick. The two 20-year olds between them have won six of the 10 races in the two rounds. Defourny leads the championship with 201 points ahead of Chadwick (183) and German teenager Andreas Estner (124). As such, there is plenty at stake in the final round with five races to be run.

    Joining the championship for the final round are Saudi Arabia’s rising female talent Reema Al Juffali who recently won the TRD 86 Cup race in Abu Dhabi, and 17-year old Glenn van Berlo, from the Netherlands, who is moving to single-seater racing from karting.

    The busy weekend will also witness the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship 2019 with the MRF Formula 1600, saloon cars in three categories, including the top-end Indian Touring Cars, and the Formula LGB 1300 which has attracted 20 entries.

    Mr Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Ltd, said: “The MRF Challenge once again comes ‘home’ to the MMRT this weekend for the grand finale which will witness another round of close and exciting races as was the case in the two previous outings in Dubai and Bahrain. For the current season, we have provided a slightly upgraded car and tyres that won the approval of the contestants. For the drivers, it will be a first time on the highly technical MMRT circuit and their major challenge will be to learn the track quickly. MRF is also proud to present three FMX riders from abroad who will entertain and thrill the spectators with their aerial acrobatics. All these factors, I am sure, will contribute to a weekend of high-octane action that is not to be missed.”

    The MRF Challenge, organized by the Madras Motor Sports Club, has entrenched itself as one of the leading winter series in the region as it offers a car powered by a 2-Litre Mountune Duratec engine producing 230 BHP with advanced aerodynamics. The car boasts of a Hewland six-speed paddle-shift gearbox equipped with Integrated dash and paddle-shift system. Fitted with the MRF Z.L.O. slick tyres, the F2000 is among the fastest racing cars in the region, and has, in the past, attracted many talented young drivers, notably Mick Schumacher, who is poised to break into Formula One.

    The races in Dubai and Bahrain dished out extremely close contests up and down the grid, though Defourny and Chadwick have dominated the front-runners. The Belgian has been the most consistent driver with three wins and six podium finishes in 10 outings while Chadwick also has never held back on the track, winning three races, all of them in the Bahrain round, besides as many podium spots.

    One of the highlights of the weekend card is the trio of topnotch FMX riders, Hannes Akermann (Germany), and Australians Shaun Webb and David Ford who will be performing heart-stopping aerial stunts.

    ABOUT MRF TYRES

    Motorsports in India is synonymous with MRF. In fact, the development and popularity of various forms of the sport could be directly attributed to the pioneering efforts of the company, be it racing, rallying, motocross or karting. To encourage motorsport enthusiasts MRF has spared no money in offering World-class facilities. The development of MRF Power House – a modern motorsports facility has been a boon to the Indian drivers, who wished to compete and test themselves against international standards. The centre is a testament to the commitment of MRF to raising the bar of Indian motorsports.

    Being the largest promoters of motorsports in India, MRF has the added advantage of being able to use the racetrack to test the tyres. MRF is the only tyre company in India to have developed formula car tyres, world- class rally tyres for tarmac and dirt, motocross tyres and also FIA-CIK karting tyres. Today, the company caters to almost all segments of the tire industry and is proud to be the manufacturer of the largest range of tyres. Heavy-duty truck and bus tyres, passenger car tyres, two-wheeler tyres and farm tyres are just some of the tyres that MRF manufactures.

    The one thing that puts MRF head and shoulders above its competition is the fact that MRF is the only tyre company in India without any foreign technical collaboration. The company is where it is today, thanks mainly to its knowhow and its ability to develop indigenous technology. With this technology, MRF now supplies original equipment tyres to multinational manufacturers such as Volvo, Honda, General Motors, Suzuki and Ford. In total, MRF exports to more than 65 countries. MRF has been the undisputed leader in the tyre industry for almost a decade now, notwithstanding the competition from various multinational tyre brands.