INDIA in F1

Tag: MMRT

  • Hyderabad racer Karthik Mateti stamps his authority winning two titles: Profile

    Hyderabad racer Karthik Mateti stamps his authority winning two titles: Profile

    Karthik Mateti freeze by Srinivasa Krishnan in Round 3 at MMRT, Chennai

    The Hyderabad teenager wins the TVS one-make championship with an all-win record early on until he was nudged out in the final race

    Chennai: Karthik Mateti of Hyderabad dominated the TVS One-make Championship in the year 2018 with utmost authority demolishing every opposition to win all the nine races before he was nudged out in the last race but the infringement went unnoticed by the stewards and the culprit went on to win the race. However, that did not in any way affect the prospects of Karthik, who became champion with many rounds to spare in the Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship.

    Karthik clinches Stock 165cc championship: Karthik Mateti of Sparks Racing, a 19-year old Commerce student from Hyderabad, also emerged champion in the Stock 165cc category by scoring his third win in five races to finish the season with 111 points, and 12 wins and is well clear of team-mate Aditya Rao Immaneni (70). Incidentally, the 13-year old schoolboy from Chennai Kavin Samar Quintal (Team RACR), became the youngest rider this season to win championship points as he finished ninth.

    Image by Praharsha Majeti

    Karthik won Novice Race 1 in 13:44.310 and went on to clinch the second race too clocking 11:24.619 in a tight finish with Anand Rajendran of Chennai on Sunday, Dec 16. Anand who was over 4 seconds behind on Saturday, made amends and gave a tough fight but Karthik withstood the challenge and won. Chennai riders Suhail Ahmed and Venkatesan took the third place on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

    “I thank my Team Sparks Racing for providing me the best bike and supporting me throughout the season and to my Tuner Ravi who always strives to bring out champions from raw Talent,” said Karthik, who focuses on fitness in the offseason.

    In the last race of the season on Dec 16, Karthik took part just to complete the formalities as he was in deep pain with an injured finger on the right hand which he suffered in Delhi. In the TVS One-Make Championship Novice class, Karthik Mateti won Race 1, despite an injured right finger, beating Anand R to second place while AS Alexander completed the podium in third in the final round of the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship as the season concluded at Irungattukottai on Dec 16.

    Karthik Mateti with tuner Ravi. Photo by Praharsha Majeti

    Anand R won the Race 2 while AS Alexander came second. Anish Samson settled for tthe hird position. Karthik Mateti who sealed the Championship much earlier, with two rounds to spare, was nudged out early on, and the final race is the only race he failed to win this season.

    In Round 2, Group D Karthik started on pole but fell back to 13th position and then like man possessed he went on to pass one by one until he caught up with the leading bunch and switched up gears a notch further taking the lead and won by over 3 seconds and in the bargain clocked the fastest lap record of 2.07 sec.

    In Round 4, he crashed in the Qualifying race due to a rider in front of him and started 23rd on the grid and went on to finish 3rd in the race, just a sec behind the leader and won the next race the following day after starting from P3.

     

    Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan

    Honours in Asia Cup Road Race: Earlier in Delhi, he took part in the Asia Cup Road Race (ACRR): The international Asia Cup of Road Race that was run in tandem with the Suzuki Gixxer Cup saw India A’s Karthik Mateti making his mark, winning the race ahead of his Asian counterparts.

    Sri Lanka’s Hansika Abeysinghe claimed the second place while Australia’s Max Stauffer took the third. In the final race, Malsawmdawngliana also turned out victorious in the race two, ahead of top Asian bikers. Australia’s Max Stauffer and Sri Lanka’s Hansika Abeysinghe took the second and third positions.

    The weekend began on a dull note, as Karthik could not practice due to a bike issue and failed to perform up to his potential in the qualifying where he suffered a flat tyre but still gave his best and qualified 13th overall and 3rd in ACRR. However, this did not reduce his confidence one bit as he came up with a position in the race.

    Karthik Mateti with Indian flag after winning the ACRR in New Delhi.

    Karthik started Race 1 from 13th on the grid and was leading the ACRR and 2nd overall in the first lap itself. But a brake issue saw him crash out at C15 and he lost almost 25 positions but recovered and quickly started to gain positions and finished 1st overall in the 8-lap long race. “That was a tough race as I had to manage the rest of the race with only a quarter of my front brake and twisted handle-bar,” recalled Karthik and thanked everyone for the faith they had in him.

    In Race 2, he had the unfortunate incident of a rider in front of him suffer a crash in the Warm-up lap. He could not do anything and it was unavoidable for Karthik, as he hit the bike and crashed too. He hit his bike and had many injuries including a broken finger. He managed to pull himself up with painkillers and with just a minute before the pit lane starts, his bike was made ready. He started from Pole but was not able to ride well as he couldn’t brake with the injuries and was losing positions. He was still in the top 10 but was given a Black flag as the bike did not undergo the re-scrutiny after the crash in warm-up. It was a sad ending but the win in the weekend made him come out shining and with lessons learned.
    Karthik thanked BS Sjuth Kumar, the FIM Asia vice-president and FMSCI 2w Racing Commission chairman for the encouragement and the opportunity to race in the ACRR. He also thanked the efforts of his team @Sparks.racing. Karthik said: “I thank @jktyre_motorsport for the platform and I thank my team. I am very proud to represent India and I gave my best to put India on top,” was his parting shot.
    India got overall 3rd in Championship after the 1st and 2nd rounds in Taiwan.
  • Over 200 entries as MMRT set for grand finale of Indian National bike championship

    Over 200 entries as MMRT set for grand finale of Indian National bike championship

    Chennai, 12 Dec 2018: The 2018 MRF MMSC Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship is set for a thrilling finish with close battles for the titles in various categories as the fifth and final round, boasting of over 200 entries, starts at the Madras Motorsports Race Trust (MMRT) circuit, here on Friday with 21 races, besides qualifying sessions, to be run over three days.

    The final round is organised by Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).

    The card includes One-Make Championships by Honda (Talent Cup – CBR 250 Open and CBR 150 for Novice) and TVS (Apache 310 Open and Apache 200 for Novice), besides a support event, the Alisha Abdullah Inter-College Star Race (Formula LGB 1300) which will have a 11-car grid comprising college students, including 16-year old Deepika from Krishnagiri, and in a first, transgender Apsara Reddy, also a journalist, as a guest driver who will race on Sunday.

    It has been a season of surprises and close races. More notably, MRF Tyres provided a huge boost to the championship by offering slick tyres for the two top categories, the Super Sport 165cc and the Pro-Stock 301-400cc. The slick tyres met with unanimous approval of the riders who were able to put in faster lap times due to the higher grip levels, especially through the corners.

    Also, the initiative of Madras Motor Sports Club to unearth fresh talent has been an unqualified success with ever-increasing number of entries from first-timers competing in the Stock 165cc category. With about 50 Novice riders in the fray, MMSC introduced heats to arrive at the final grid for the point-scoring race. Hyderabad teenager Karthik Mateti of Sparks Racing and team-mate Aditya Rao from Bengaluru, exerted dominance to head the leaderboard with 86 and 70 points, respectively, winning three of the four races between them.

    Similarly, Honda and TVS attracted over 20 entries apiece for in both Open and Novice categories. The TVS race for girls also proved popular with about 15 riders on the grid. Also to be run is the final round of the TVS Media championship.

    While the titles in all the National Championship categories are still up for grabs, much of the attention will be on the premier Super Sport 165cc double-header. With a maximum of 50 points on offer, another bitter fight between TVS Racing and Honda Ten10 riders is on the cards. TVS Racing’s Jagan Kumar (148 points), eyeing his seventh title, enjoys a healthy lead over team-mate KY Ahamed (128). Honda Ten10 rider, Rajiv Sethu, has much work to do as he trails Ahamed by 23 points.

    The two races this weekend in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category will also be closely watched. As many as four are riders in contention for the title. Leading the pack is Hyderabad’s Satyanarayana Raju (119 points), just ahead of his Gusto Racing team-mate Amarnath Menon (118) from Kozhikode. Behind the duo are Chennai’s Prabhu Arunagiri of Team Alisha Abdullah (114) and Hyderabad’s Peddu Sriharsha (91) of Sparks Racing.

    Likewise, it is a four-pronged battle for the title in the Pro-Stock 165cc category where Bengaluru-based Anish Shetty (131 points) of Honda Ten10 Racing leads, ahead of Chennai’s Kevin Kannan (115, Rockers Racing). Not far behind the two leaders are Coimbatore’s Senthil Kumar (106, Honda Ten10 Racing) and Hyderabad’s Rahil Pilarishetty (94, Sparks Racing).

    The National Championship for girls has been dominated by Chennai riders Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing) who won three of the four races for a tally of 75 points, Shruthi Nagarajan (Apex Racing Academy) with 63, and Ryhana Bee (Sparks Racing) with 55.

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    The Madras Motor Sports Club has been the pioneer in developing and promoting motorsport in India since 1953, and we look to further improve in the years to come. It is the club’s endeavor to provide more opportunities for competitors, and to this end, it has chalked out various progressive programmes. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2014, making it the only club which owns such a facility that has been further upgraded with international-standard Paddock, complete with VIP hospitality suites, 20 spacious garages and a separate Paddock on the western side with its own circuit. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championships (2-wheelers) besides a host of other motorsport events over the years. The club also has active participation for its events from vehicle manufacturers who also use the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) extensively for testing their products.

     

  • Ghiretti on top at MMRT but Shepherd ready to challenge next week

    Ghiretti on top at MMRT but Shepherd ready to challenge next week

    Formula 4 cars in action for the first time in Inida at MMRT. An F4 image.

    Chennai, 2 Septr 2018: In the Formula 4 South East Asia (F4SEA) fueled by Petron it was an interesting weekend at the Madras Motor Race Track as a bizarre turn of events saw the same three winners as the previous event in Sepang but that led to a completely different event championship.

    • First Formula 4 Race in India
    • Double-header means the action isn’t over yet – Event 4 next week 7-9 September
    • International grid from France, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Belgium, Ireland and Australia
    • Three races covering 180 kms
    • All races live-streamed to Facebook

    Alessandro Ghiretti walked away with the Event 3 champion trophy. After having two very unlucky weekends in Sepang where he narrowly missed out on the weekend honours, Ghiretti pulled everything together at Madras and flew off the line, with 71 points for his efforts at the end of Event 3.

    Ever present in Ghiretti’s rear view mirror was the blue number three car of Kane Shepherd. Thailand’s Shepherd managed to secure three second places with his consistent driving style netting him 54 points just behind the Frenchman.

    Malaysia’s Muizz Musyaffa drew cheers from his nation’s mechanics when he won the final race of the weekend. Driving the yellow car number 23, he was always in the middle of the action, but some bad luck in the first two races landed him with 50 points, third overall, just four points behind Kane.

    Irishman Luke Thompson has been steadily improving and now in his second year he’s starting to challenge for podiums doing well enough to bag 30 points and finish fourth on the leaderboard.

    Alister Yoong returned to the championship for the Indian legs. Son of the famous Malaysian F1 driver Alex Yoong, Alister has clearly inherited his father’s flare for race craft, and put on an impressive show when he started from the front of the grid, doing well enough to earn 28 points and an overall P5.

    Belgium’s Antoine Potty had a fantastic drive in the first race, finishing third overall. But he had less-than-perfect starts in Races two and three, ending his weekend in sixth place, with 23 points. But we’ve seen great things from Potty and we expect him to be back on the podium for the next event.

    Hailing from Japan, Ryo Komikado returned to contest Event 3 where he put in several personal bests and showed how much he has improved. With great potential for the next event, Ryo ended this weekend in P7 with 22 points.

    The F4 team had a fantastic weekend at Madras and saw some great racing. But the action’s not over yet and the show will go on next week, back at the Madras Motor Race Track, for one more event before the contingent ships out to Thailand.
    Pos Driver # Nat Pts
    1) Alessandro Ghiretti (R) 28 France 71
    2) Kane Shepherd 3 Thailand 54
    3) Muizz Musyaffa (R) 23 Malaysia 50
    4) Luke Thompson 42 Ireland 30
    5) Alister Yoong (R) 22 Malaysia 28
    6) Antoine Potty (R) 66 Belgium 23
    7) Ryo Komikado (R) 46 Japan 22
    8) Aidan Wright 7 Australia 18

    Leading from the first

    Race 1 kick-started this Sunday morning bright and early at 9am. The drivers lined up in their positions from qualifying with Ghiretti on pole, followed by Shepherd and Muizz. As the lights went out, Ghiretti took us down the main straight into Turn 1, diving up the inside to block Shepherd, before returning to the racing line.

    But Thompson had a better start than the Malaysian Muizz Musyaffa whom he got past coming into T1 just behind the race leaders, putting France, Thailand, Ireland and Malaysia in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions for a short time.

    Muizz knocked on Luke’s door for several laps, but coming out of turn 3 the Malaysian lost his rear and spun round just missing the Australian behind him; fortunately he made a good recovery and returned in P6. From there Ghiretti looked set to take the win with Kane and Luke following suit, but when a safety car was called out, everyone got bunched back up.

    Ghiretti had a fantastic restart, pulling away from Shepherd, perhaps due to his qualifying strategy which ensured him fresher tyres than the Thai driver behind him – his main competition for the 2018 driver’s championship. But Luke

    Thompson in the pink car number 42 had a terrible turn of events when Ozzie Aidan Wright found a way past him on the first turn. Antoine Potty then piled past on his way up to turn 2, opening the door for Muizz to jump through the inside lane at turn 2. Luckily the Irishman managed to regain the position from Muizz, but dropping from third to fifth in the space of two corners was disheartening and his day wasn’t over yet.

    Muizz continued to chip away at Luke’s heels and eventually found a way past. As the chequered flag waved an end to the first F4 race on Indian soil, Alessandro Ghiretti, having led from lap 1, stood at the top of the podium with Kane Shepherd in second and Antoine Potty – who had found his pace during the race – finishing a well-deserved third.

    Ghirtetti also bagged the rookie title followed by Potty and Muizz.

    Race 1 Results

    Pos Driver # Nat Time Fast Stat
    1) Alessandro Ghiretti (R) 28 France 00:25:42.565 1:37.901
    2) Kane Shepherd 3 Thailand 00:25:44.594 1:37.969
    3) Antoine Potty (R) 66 Belgium 00:25:52.451 1:38.657
    4) Aidan Wright 7 Australia 00:25:53.105 1:38.520
    5) Muizz Musyaffa (R) 23 Malaysia 00:25:53.404 1:38.748
    6) Luke Thompson 42 Ireland 00:25:57.030 1:38.758
    7) Alister Yoong (R) 22 Malaysia 00:26:26;144 1:40.49
    8) Ryo Komikado (R) 46 Japan 00:26:28.960 1:40.685

    Ghiretti & Shepherd Two for Two

    Race 2 saw Alister Yoong in P2 of the reverse grid, just behind Japan’s Ryo Komikado. The Malaysian made a good start jumping up to first, while Irishman Luke Thompson displayed his skill with an amazing start! Moving from third to challenge Yoong for the lead through the first few corners, Luke had to deal with Muizz following right on his tail. Unfortunately for the Malaysian there just wasn’t enough space as Aidan Wright made a move around the outside, and Muizz ended up going through the grass as Alessandro Ghiretti went around Shepherd.

    Thompson challenged Yoong for the lead over the next few laps, as the Race 1 winners carved their way through the pack to catch up with the Malaysian and Irishman. Luke tried several moves but couldn’t make anything stick on the rookie driver in front of him and the battle had allowed the blue cars behind them to catch up. So now Thompson had Ghiretti breathing down his neck.

    It wasn’t long before the Frenchman made a spectacular move on Luke up the inside of turn 6 and they fought side-by-side through the sweeping right-hand U-turn of curve seven, where Ghiretti pushed Luke off the racing line into the grass and halting his challenge. Car number 42 was airborne for a brief moment, but Luke recovered and rejoined the race behind Shepherd.

    Six down, one to go, Ghiretti set his sights on Alister Yoong. The Race 1 winner is ridiculously fast around Madras, and as our driver coach Sandy Stuviq says:

    “Alessandro is really really strong under braking. Kane has the better exit in some corners, but Alessandro is really pushing the limit with his braking and that’s where he’s finding the time.”

    So it wasn’t long before Ghiretti found a way past the yellow car in front of him. The Frenchman carried a lot more speed through the first corner and got down the inside through turn two, where we’ve seen a lot of overtaking, went through Turn 3 side-by-side with Kane, and Aidan Wright tried a move at the kink.

    Alister managed to defend himself and resisted the challenge from Australia’s Aidan Wright that time around. After a stellar drive defending from more experienced drivers, the Malaysian ultimately had to settle for P5 as the chequered flag waved Ghiretti the winner once again ahead of Shepherd and Musyaffa.

    Race 2 Results

    Pos Driver # Nat Time Fast Stat
    1) Alessandro Ghiretti (R) 28 France 00:25:07.949 1:38.713
    2) Kane Shepherd 3 Thailand 00:25:10,144 1:38.722
    3) Muizz Musyaffa (R) 23 Malaysia 00:25:22.789 1:39.411
    4) Luke Thompson 42 Ireland 00:25:27.006 1 :39.163
    5) Alister Yoong (R) 22 Malaysia 00:25:38.169 1:40.417
    6) Ryo Komikado (R) 46 Japan 00:26:18.261 1:40.852
    7) Aidan Wright 7 Australia 00:15:26.352 1:39.356 DNF
    8) Antoine Potty (R) 66 Belgium 00:06:37.730 1:41.268 DNF

    Muizz Victorious for Malaysia

    Muizz had a fantastical start at the beginning of Race three, somehow jumping from fourth to second. The Malaysian rookie started on the right side of the grid, which put him on the inside line, setting him up perfectly as the pack went three maybe four wide through Turn 1, pushing Thompson out.

    Ryo Komikado did well to hold his position from the fastest drivers on the track, but the tag team of Ghiretti and Shepherd was too much for any man to handle. While Muizz was busy trying to find a way past Alister Yoong, who had come out of the sector on top, the duo sliced past Ryo up the inside through Turn 5 and then again side-by-side for the second time through Turn 7.

    Alister was doing well not giving Muizz an inch, but at the end of the lap he ran a little wide coming out of Turn 12. That was all Muizz needed and carrying more speed down the main straight he blitzed past his Malaysian compatriot with Ghiretti in tow. The French driver also tried to make it three for three up the inside of turn one, but didn’t have the space and was forced onto the grass, letting Alister scoop back up second place.

    Alessandro managed to recover his car without any fuss, but the time he lost was enough to give his ever-present rival Kane Shepherd the opening he had been looking for all weekend and he danced his way into third, immediately setting his sights on Alister Yoong.

    The excitement at the front of the pack produced some sensational racing, and the intense battle for sixth ended with a beached car and double yellows. The Safety Car was deployed just after Kane jumped past Alister, bunching the duo back up and effectively walling off Ghiretti.

    But the Frenchman wasn’t going to be stopped and as the chequered flag waved it was Malaysia, Thailand, France – Musyaffa, Shepherd, Ghiretti – First, Second and Third!

    Race 3 Results

    Pos Driver # Nat Time Fast Stat
    1) Muizz Musyaffa (R) 23 Malaysia 00:26:55.151 1:38.639
    2) Kane Shepherd 3 Thailand 00:26:55.612 1:38.698
    3) Alessandro Ghiretti (R) 28 France 00:26:56.800 1:38.199
    4) Alister Yoong (R) 22 Malaysia 00:27:16.582 1:39.686
    5) Luke Thompson 42 Ireland 00:27:17.008 1:39.481
    6) Antoine Potty (R) 66 Belgium 00:27:17.556 1:39.553
    7) Aidan Wright 7 Australia 00:22:42.309 1:38.696 DNF
    8) Ryo Komikado (R) 46 Japan 00:0l:52.058 1:48.299 DNF

  • Jagan Kumar leads 1-2 finish for TVS Racing: Super Sport 165cc race

    Jagan Kumar leads 1-2 finish for TVS Racing: Super Sport 165cc race

    Prabhu Arunagiri, Shruthi Nagarajan, Mithun Kumar excel on Saturday

    Jagan Kumar (No.3), winner of the Super Sport Indian (165cc) race at MMRT on Saturday. Photos by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 1 Sept 2018: Defending champion Jagan Kumar finally got his campaign on track as he notched his first win of the season in five starts while leading a 1-2 finish for TVS Racing along with KY Ahamed in the premier Super Sport Indian 165cc class of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the MMRT, here on Saturday.

    While TVS Racing team celebrated, arch-rivals Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing had to be content with a third-place finish through Mathana Kumar as pole-sitter Sarath Kumar retired barely 50 metres after the start with a broken gear lever and championship leader Rajiv Sethu crashed in the back sweep in the very first lap.

    However, there was some cheer for the Honda camp as Mithun Kumar scored a his first of the current season in the Pro-Stock 165cc class with RACR’s Naresh Babu and Sivanesan of TVS Racing following him over the finish line.

    Earlier, pole-sitter Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah) fought his way to a close win over Gusto Racing’s Amarnath Menon and Satyanarayana Raju in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc class with less than one second separating the trio while Chennai’s Shruthi Nagarajan (Apex Racing Academy) recorded her first-ever win in the Girls (Stock 165cc) category.

    Jagan had to work hard for today’s victory as he was stretched to the limit by his younger team-mate Ahamed who put in the fastest lap of the race, but eventually eschewed risk for championship points to settle for second place ahead of Mathana Kumar.

    The win took Jagan’s tally to 87 points, followed by Ahamed (76) and Rajiv Sethu (70) ahead of tomorrow’s second race.

    For 23-year old Shruthi Nagarajan, it was a memorable day while chalking up her maiden win in the National Championship. Starting third on the grid, Shruthi made it to the front on the last lap after easing past leader Alisha Abdullah (Team Abdullah) for a thrilling win. Alisha came in second ahead of Ryhana Bee (Sparks Racing). Pole-sitter and championship leader Ann Jennifer retired after a crash in the second lap, but retained her top position on the leaderboard with 50 points, albeit just two ahead of Shruthi.

    Shruthi Nagarajan

    “I am very happy to score my first-ever win in the National Championship after a few podium finishes in the past. I started third and gradually moved to the front after overtaking Alisha,” said a delighted Shruthi.

    It was a dramatic win for Prabhu Arunagiri in the six-lap race that he along with Menon and Raju dominated. After the trio pulled away from the rest of the field, Arunagiri and Menon, the championship leader in this class, swapped lead. In the last lap, Arunagiri made a decisive pass to claim victory ahead of Menon and Raju.

    Championship leader Anish Shetty (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing), despite failing to score any points after starting the race from the pit-lane due to an ECU problem, continued to lead with 90 points, 33 clear of Kevin Kannan (Rockers Racing) who too drew blank today.

    The results (Provisional, all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    Pro-Stock (301-400cc) – Race-1: Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah) (11mins, 37.278secs); 2. Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing India) (11:37.392); 3. Satyanarayana Raju (Gusto Racing India) (11:39.378).

    Super Sport Indian (165cc) – Race-1: 1. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (11:46.715); 2. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) (11:46.807); S Mathana Kumar (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (11:50.406).

    Pro-Stock (165cc) – Race-1: 1.Mithun Kumar (Idemitsu Honda Ten 10 Racing) (12:09.580); 2. Naresh Babu (RACR) (12:10.041); 3.Sivanesan S (TVS Racing) (12:19.089).

    Girls (Stock 165cc) (5 laps): 1. Shruthi Nagarajan (Apex Racing Academy) (11:28.978); 2. Alisha Abdullah (Team Alisha Abdullah) (11:29.648); 3. Ryhana Bee (Sparks Racing) (11:29.901).

    MMSC One-Make Championship (Novice) – TVS (Apache RTR 200) Race-1: 1. Karthik Mateti (Hyderabad) (13:44.310); 2. Anand R (Chennai) (13:49.157); 3. Suhail Ahmed (Chennai) (13:49.298).

    Girls (5 laps): 1. Ann Jennifer (Chennai) (11:52.938); 2. Ryhana Bee (Chennai) (11:53.005); 3. Lani Zena Fernandez (Puducherry) (12:43.126).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (CBR 150) – Race-1: 1.Mohamed Mikail (Chennai) (12:54.158); 2. Kartik Vasant Habib (Gadag) (13:04.798); 3.Anandhu KK (Chennai) (13.23.689).

    Race-2: 1. Mohamed Mikail (Chennai) (13:03.204); 2. Anandhu KK (Chennai) (13:21.196); 3. Kartik Vasant Habib (Gadag) (13:28.357).

     

  • MMSC to host first-ever FIA-homologated Cars event in Chennai over two weekends

    MMSC to host first-ever FIA-homologated Cars event in Chennai over two weekends

    • Formula 4 South-East Asia Championship to debut at MMRT
    • Caterham cars add colour and class to the proceedings
    File photo courtesy F4 SEA championship

    Chennai, 30 August 2018: More exciting times ahead at the iconic MMRT with the Madras Motor Sports Club hosting two rounds of the FIA Formula 4 South East Asia Championship and the Caterham Motorsport Championship (Asia) over back-to-back weekends of August 31-September 2 and September 7-9. You can get your basic cars customized to your favourite F1 cars at Jeep Dealership

    The Formula 4 SEA Championship, now in the third season, is part of the global series. The overall champion at the end of the 24 races spread over eight rounds in Malaysia, Thailand and India, earns 12 FIA Super License points.

    The Caterham Championship (Asia) is a by-product of the UK series and aims to provide access to drivers in the region. It is open to anyone with a National C or higher licence and offers arrive-and-drive package for those looking for an introduction to motorsport. The Caterham lightweight (530 kg) race-proven Series V factory-built race car is the most raced car in the world and gives drivers of any age and skill the most exciting and affordable racing in Asia.

    The F4 SEA championship, which will see a total of six races over two weekends, boasts of drivers from Asia, Europe and Canada with a grid of 12 to 14 cars while four races have been scheduled for the Caterham event, comprising of two classes – 420R and Supersport – with nine drivers in the fray.

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “We welcome the F4 SEA and Caterham Motorsport fraternity to India and it is a special occasion for MMSC. These races are further evidence of MMSC’s vision of taking motorsport to the next level and parallelly help promote it at the grass-root level. I am sure that the two race weekends will witness some absolutely heart-stopping action.”

    Chairman of the Meet Vicky Chandhok said: “Meritus, the promoter of the F4 SEA Championship, and MMSC go back a long way, and we have been in talks over the past few months about bringing the championship to India. The event is also in sync with our efforts to widen our racing horizons by presenting different international racing events in our country without compromising on our primary objective of promoting the sport at all levels.

    “The MMSC is very keen to associate itself with all the racing series in the region. We have invited the Malaysians for ongoing talks and inspection of the MMRT to explore the possibility of adding to the menu card of international events organised by the MMSC. Next on the cards would be teams from Korea and other countries as well.”

    Peter Thompson, F4 SEA Promoter, said: “We are looking forward to our first F4 SEA race in India with a double-header at the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai. MERITUS.GP (the exclusive F4 SEA race engineering supplier) started their Asian adventure in 1996 with Narain Karthikeyan at this very track. Narain is the first of eight F1 graduates from the Meritus GP team.”

    F4 SEA organiser, the Automobile Association of Malaysia, is highly vested in making the 2018 Season an outstanding success.

    “It is our great honour and privilege to usher in the third season of the Formula 4 SEA Championship. F4 is the FIA’s gold standard of junior driver development. The Formula 4 SEA Championship is truly dedicated to the success and future of Asian autosport and I am proud of the fact that we have helped introduce and train 47 new FIA licence-holders, some of whom have already gone on to win races in higher categories. With the past success of our promoter, it is our goal to have one of our graduates join F1 in the next 5-10 years,” said Yang Mulia Tunku Datuk Mudzaffar Tunku Mustapha, the Chairman of the FIA Affiliate in Malaysia (AAM).

    The Specifications

    Formula 4 SEA car – Engine: Renault F4R 2-litre FIA-homologated naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder engine with 160bhp.

    Chassis: FIA-homologated Mygale carbon-fibre monocoque chassis.

    Tyres: Hankook.

    Caterham Motorsport – Engine: 2.0 litre, dry-sumped engine with 210bhp (420R class) and 1.6 litre Caterham Motorsport engine @ 140bhp (Supersport class)

    Tyres: Hankook.

    For More details visit: – https://formula4.asia/  and http://www.caterhammalaysia.com/

  • Raghul Rangasamy, Arjun Balu battle to victories; Sohil takes LGB1300 championship lead

    Raghul Rangasamy, Arjun Balu battle to victories; Sohil takes LGB1300 championship lead


    Raghul Rangasamy, on way to MRF F1600 race victory in Round 4 of the National Racing Championship on Saturday. Photos by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 18 Aug 2018: Raghul Rangasamy converted his pole position into a commanding victory to head the MRF F1600 class leaderboard in the fourth round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship at the MMRT, here on Saturday.

    As well as 25-year old Rangasamy drove, the spotlight also fell on Coimbatore’s Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) who won a tight and thrilling race in the high-end Indian Touring Cars class while his team-mate Varun Anekar from Bengaluru who started ninth and from the pit-lane, finished first in the Super Stock category.


    Sohil Shah of Bangalore takes championship lead in the FLGB1300 class winning a race and a second place on Saturday. An INDIAinF1 photo.

    The Formula LGB 1300 double-header produced two different winners in Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsports) from Chennai and Sohil Shah (M Sport) from Bengaluru. The results put Shah at the top of the championship standings in this class with a tally of 126 points to Datta’s 123 with the third title contender Nabil Hussain (M Sport), also from Chennai, on 117, going into the final round next month.

    Rangasamy of Mamallapuram moved past championship leader Ashwin Datta who finished a distant eighth. Ahead of the two races to be run tomorrow, Rangasamy has 109 points to Datta’s 100. The championship winner at the end of the season, earns a ticket to the Mazda Road To Indy shootout in the United States this winter.

    Summing up his win, Rangasamy said:“I started thinking what I would say at the post-race interview and stuff like that. As my thoughts wandered, so did the pace. Suddenly, I saw Sandeep Kumar (who finished second) catching up and it woke me up! I am absolutely exhausted! I am not a gym person like others drivers. I reacted a bit late to the lights at the start, but otherwise, it was a good launch and I quickly built up a big lead.”

    The day also belonged to Arjun Balu who scored his third lights-to-flag victory of the season in the ITC category, holding off last year’s champion Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsport), also from Coimbatore, in a heart-stopping eight-lap race. The duo dueled hard and in the sixth lap, Narendran made a move on the outside at Turn-4. The pair made contact and Narendran ran wide which gave Balu the respite to take a firm lead to the finish.

    Arjun Balu (No.39) on way to winning the Indian Touring Cars class race on Aug 18.

    Balu said: “It was a tough race right through. Arjun was on my tail for much of the race, but I managed to soak up the pressure. In the latter half of the race, he caught up and tried to pass me on the outside at Turn-4, but we made contact. He went a bit wide and I managed to keep my lead to the finish line.”

    The win took Balu to second on the leaderboard with 93 points while Narendran, who missed two rounds, is on 68 while Bengaluru’s Ashish Ramaswamy (Arka Motorsport) who finished third today, continues to lead with 116 points, going into tomorrow’s Race-2.

    Dhruv Mohite from Kolhapur notched his fourth win in six starts in the Volkswagen Ameo Cup race ahead of Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Mumbai) and Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad).

    The results (Provisional, all 8 laps unless mentioned):

    MRF F1600 (Race-1): 1. Raghul Rangasamy (Mamallapuram) (13mins, 36.906secs); 2. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (13:39.058); 3. Nirmal Uma Shanker (13:43.654).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1): S Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsport) (15:20.086); 2. Sohil Shah (M Sport) (15:21.981); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (DTS Racing) (15:29.673). Race-2: 1. Sohil Shah (M Sport) (17:33.648); 2.A Balaprasath (DTS Racing) (17:34.089); 3. S Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsports) (17:34.455).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1): Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (15:13.033); 2. Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsport) (15:13.987); 3. Ashish Ramaswamy (Arka Motorsport) (15:27.015). Turbo (Race-1): 1. Karthik Tharani (Chennai) (15:23.854); 2. Rayomand Banajee (Mumbai) (15:38.143); 3. Ishan Dodhiwala (Hyderabad) (15:39.252).

    Super Stock (Race-1): 1. Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) (16:14.596); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Infinite Piston) (16:27.106); 3. Srinivas Teja (Performance Racing) (16:44.359).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Prabhu AS (Arka Motorspor) (17:06.590); 2. Nikunj Vagh (Team N1) (17:18.579); 3. Chris Desouza (Unimek Racing) (17:29.153).

    Esteem Cup (Race-1): 1. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance  Racing) (16:51.582); 2. Vinod Subramaniam (Team N1) (17:01.644); 3. Biren PIthawalla (Team N1) (17:01.645);

    Volkswagen Ameo Cup (Race-1): 1. Dhruv Mohite (Kolhapur) (15:38.719); 2. Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Mumbai) (15:43.499); 3. Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad) (15:43.879).

  • Formula 4, an FIA event comes to Madras Motor Sports Race Track  

    Formula 4, an FIA event comes to Madras Motor Sports Race Track  

    F4 Chairman and CEO Peter Thomson. INDIAinF1 Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan

    By Vivek Phadnis

    Bengaluru, 1 Aug 2018: Indian motorsport is definitely on the upward path. Come September, the Madras Motor Race Track will host two weekends of the FIA Formula 4 South East Asian Championship.

    Coming close on the heels of the Asian Road Racing Championship this weekend, what makes the event special is that it is an event that is sanctioned by the International Automobile Federation (FIA). After Formula 1, this is the biggest FIA track racing event that India will be hosting.

    The event is being conducted by the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) and is a stepping stone for teenage drivers who aim to move to the top echelons of track racing like GT or even the pinnacle that is Formula 1. This championship provides the perfect platform for karters to move to single-seater racing.

    The championship began with two consecutive weekends at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, while MMRT will host the second round. The dates for the Chennai round are September 1 and 2 and the following weekend on 8 and 9. With the MMRT, an FIA Grade 2 track, having upgraded the pit and garage facilities, it promises to be an event to remember.

    India’s first Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan had won the F4 championship way back in 1996. Haas Formula One Team development driver and one of India’s best talents, Arjun Maini, has raced in this championship.

    The remaining races will be held in Thailand at the Buriram International circuit and will return to Sepang for the final two weekends. Each weekend will see three action-packed races as the drivers battle it out for the championship.

    The service and engineering for the cars are being provided by Meritus GP. “The cars are powered by FIA-homologated two-litre Renault engines that produce about 160 bhp, while the monocoque chassis is also FIA-homologated. FIA safety standards apply to this championship,” said Peter Thompson, CEO of F4, talking to INDIAinF1.

    In the first weekend in Sepang on July 7 and 8, Thai driver Kane Shepherd came out on top and ended the weekend with 55 points, Presley Martono (Indonesia) finished just two points behind. Frenchman Alessandro Ghiretti finished third with 51 points. Ghiretti was the topper in the Rookie class.

    In the following weekend, again in Sepang on July 13 and 14, Shepherd comfortably took the top spot with 67 points, while Belgian Antoine Potty was second with 45 points. Ghiretti and Malaysian Muizz Musyaffa were on 43 points each. Potty topped the Rookie class.

    ends/db

  • World-class action in store as Asia Road Racing Championship returns to MMRT

    World-class action in store as Asia Road Racing Championship returns to MMRT

    File photo of super sport 600cc race of 2017 at MMRT. Photo by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 1 August 2018: A refurbished Madras Motor Race Track is all set for some top-drawer action as it hosts the fourth round of FIM Asia Road Racing Championship commencing Friday, showcasing the cream of two-wheeler racing talent in the region and who are expected to set the circuit alight as in the past with riding skills and dare-devilry worth going miles to watch.

    A bunch of seasoned campaigners who are no strangers to the MMRT besides a clutch of teenagers will be parading their talent over the weekend in SuperSport 600cc, Asia Production 250cc and the Underbone 150cc categories, alongside two support events, the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (CBR 250, Open) organised by MMSC and the TVS One-Make Championship (Open, Apache R310).

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “It has been barely 11 months since we last hosted an ARRC round, but during this period, the MMRT has undergone a sea change. A new paddock, with 20 spacious garages, a viewing terrace, VIP hospitality suites to accommodate nearly 400 people, a second paddock on the western side with its own circuit and a drag strip have all sprung up at a cost of about Rs 20 Crore. It is an edifice we all are proud of. Yet, these are just baby steps in our long-term plans to transform MMRT into a truly World-class facility. I am sure, the ARRC family will have a far more comfortable stay at the MMRT this weekend than at any time in the past!”

    Ron Hogg, Director, Two Wheels Motor Racing, the promoters of ARRC, said he was amazed at the new infrastructure made available for this weekend’s races and the progress made by the MMSC. He said he would be happy to see two rounds in India in the future since he felt most comfortable with the professional approach of the MMSC.

    On the track, the spotlight will be on the premier SuperSport 600cc category that has the familiar faces of veterans Anthony West (Australia), Decha Kraisart (Thailand), Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (Malaysia) and Tomoyoshi Koyama (Japan) apart from a clutch of young, hungry bucks who have been keeping the established stars on their toes.

    Current Championship leader West, who competed in the World Championship for over a decade, and last year’s champion Karmaruzaman, a former Moto2 rider, who trails the Aussie star by 12 points, will no doubt start firm favourites, but as the previous three rounds in Thailand, Australia and Japan suggested, nothing is quite as straightforward. Also in the mix are two Japanese riders, 35-year old Koyama and Keisuke Kurihara, 20, and Yuki Ito, 27, who won Race 2 in Australia.

    From India’s perspective, Chennai’s Rajiv Sethu, 20, and Bengaluru-based Anish Damodara Shetty, 24, will be keenly followed in the Asia Production 250cc category that Indonesian Rheza Danica Ahrens has dominated with four consecutive wins in six races.

    The two Indians are part of the Idemitsu Honda India Racing team along with Japan’s Taiga Hada, 19, who is competing in the 600cc class. Shetty, in his debut ARRC season, managed to pick up two points by finishing 15th in both the races in Australia while Sethu is still in quest for his first points in his second season. Hada is 13th in the 600cc class with 24 points.

    Shetty will also be figuring in the two races of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (CBR 250, Open) organised by MMSC which he leads with 86 points from Coimbatore’s Senthil Kumar (63), both having won two races apiece in the previous two rounds.

    The TVS One-Make Championship (Open) has also been very competitive with four races thus far over two rounds throwing up different winners. The top three riders – Chennai duo Deepak Ravikumar (70) and Vivek Pillai (61), and Bengaluru’s Yashas RL (58) – are involved in a three-way battle with Hyderabad’s Peddu Sriharsha (46) and Amarnath K Menon (45) from Kozhikode not far behind.

    Malaysian brave-hearts Md Helmi Azman (94) and Md Izzat Zaidi (93) are locked in a fierce battle in the Underbone 150cc category which attracts the most number of entries and dishes out nail-biting finishes.

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    The Madras Motor Sports Club has been the pioneer in developing and promoting motorsport in India since 1953, and we look to further improve in the years to come. It is the club’s endeavour to provide more opportunities for competitors and to this end, it has chalked out a progressive program for 2017. From the days of Sholavaram, MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2015, making it the only club which owns such a facility. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the Asian 2-wheeler racing championships besides a host of other motorsport events over the years. The club also has active participation for its events from vehicle manufacturers who also use the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) extensively for testing their products.

  • MRF slick tyres for bike races; stage set for Round 2 of National Championship at MMRT

    MRF slick tyres for bike races; stage set for Round 2 of National Championship at MMRT

    File photo. Action in the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship. Photo: Anand Philar

    Chennai, 4 July 2018: The MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship will be shifting gears here this weekend when the second round is held at the MMRT track which will witness a total of 16 races across various categories. The programme also includes the first round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Drag Racing Championship 2018 on Sunday.

    Races will be held in the premier Super Sport Indian 165cc class besides the Pro-Stock (301-400cc and 165cc), Novice (Stock, 165cc) and Girls (Stock, 165cc) categories. Further, two of country’s leading bike manufacturers, Honda and TVS, will be running their own One-Make Championships in association with the MMSC, in the Open and Novice categories.

    The most significant development is that for the first time ever in the National championship slick tyres will be used in races. MRF will be supplying slick tyres for the Super Sport Indian 165cc and Pro-Stock 301-400cc categories. This is a path-breaking move as the MRF slick tyres are expected to see improved lap timings in view of the better traction, especially through the corners, they afford than the conventional tyres.

    File Photo by Anand Philar

    While the focus will yet again be on the “big boys” in the Super Sport Indian 165cc class, there is much to rejoice in the fact that the Novice category, a move initiated by MMSC last season to promote racing at the grass-root level, has yet again attracted over 40 entries, requiring two heats and qualifying sessions followed by a point-scoring race to identify the winner.

    Similarly, the “Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup 2018 organised by MMSC” one-make championship comprising two categories – Open (CBR 250) and Novice (CBR 150). Honda, in its efforts to spot and nurture aspiring youngsters, have focussed the talent hunt among riders in the 13-17 years age group for the CBR 150 grid. The Open class has some of the top riders in the country who have raced in various international series.

    The scenario is much the same in the TVS One-Make Championship 2018 organised by MMSC which will have three categories – Open (Apache RR 310), Novice and Girls (Apache RTR 200) – with strong presence of experienced riders in the Open class.

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    The Madras Motor Sports Club has been the pioneer in developing and promoting motorsport in India since 1953, and we look to further improve in the years to come. It is the club’s endeavor to provide more opportunities for competitors and to this end, it has chalked out a progressive program for 2017. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2015, making it the only club which owns such a facility. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the Asian 2-wheeler racing championships besides a host of other motorsport events over the years. The club also has active participation for its events from vehicle manufacturers who also use the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) extensively for testing their products.

  • Gaurav Gill, Musa Sherif clinch MRF South India crown for their 30th INRC title

    Gaurav Gill, Musa Sherif clinch MRF South India crown for their 30th INRC title

    Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif en route to winning their 30th INRC title since 2007. Photos by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 29 April 2018: One of the most enduring combinations, Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif picked up their 30th title in the Indian National Rally Championship since coming together in 2007 as the Mahindra Adventure pair won the MRF South India Rally, here on Sunday, sparing over two minutes to their team-mates Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik.

    It was an untroubled ride to victory for 36-year old three-time Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner Gill as he built on his overnight lead to emerge a worthy winner. “I didn’t really push today, but was still fast enough. I had no issues with my vehicle (XUV 500) today and of course, it is always a nice feeling when you win,” said Gill who now looks forward to doing a few rounds in the World Rally Championship-2 category later this year, backed by MRF Tyres.

    With Gill enjoying a sizeable overnight lead, Sunday was more about others down the field jockeying for positions. Ghosh, also in a XUV 500, drove fast and clean to take second position in the Overall standings, ahead of Karna Kadur (co-driver Nikhil Pai) of ARKA Motorsports in the Volkswagen Polo.

    Gill and Ghosh also topped the INRC-1 category while veteran Vicky Chandhok (co-driver Chandramouli), driving a factory-supported Volkswagen Polo R2, and returning to rallying after a gap of 18 years, completed the podium. Chandhok belied his 61 years by not only being competitive, but also withstanding the extreme heat and humidity that had competitors half his age gasping for breath.

    The INRC-2 category saw ARKA Motorsports completing a 1-2 finish with favourite Karna Kadur taking the top berth ahead of the veteran pair and of Rahul Kanthraj and Vivek Bhatt while Sumit Panjabi (Shahid Salman) in a Mitsubishi Cedia finished third.

    A fierce battle raged for the INRC-3 category honours through the day. Overnight leader Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival) met with misfortune in the day’s last Stage as his VW Polo stalled no fewer than five times and he slipped to second behind Vikram Rao (Somayya AG). Young and rookie Fabid Ahmer (Fayaz Arakkal) from Kerala displayed impressive pace and car control to come in third in the category.

    The top prize in the FMSCI 2-Wheel Drive Cup went to Adith KC (co-driver Suraj K).

    Unaudited Provisional classification:

    Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Mahindra Adventure, XUV 500) (1hr, 28mins, 43.1 secs); 2. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure, XUV 500) (01:30:39.6); 3. Karna Kadur / Nikhil Pai (ARKA Motorsports, VW Polo) (01:30:59.4).

    INRC-1: 1. Gill / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Vicky Chandhok / Chandramouli (VW Motorsports, VW Polo R2) (01:34:21.7)

    INRC-2: 1. Kadur / Pai; 2. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Bhatt (ARKA Motorsports, VW Polo) (01:32:45.6); 3. Sumit Punjabi / Shahid Salman (Pvt, Mitsubishi Cedia) (01:35:53.4).

    INRC-3: 1. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya AG (Falkon Motorsports, VW Polo) (01:31:55.5); 2. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Pvt, VW Polo) (01:32:37.3); 3. Fabid Ahmer / Fayaz Arakkal (Pvt, VW Polo) (01:33:00.5).

    Support class: FMSCI 2WD Cup: 1. Adith KC / Suraj K (Pvt, Honda City V-tec) (01:33:28.7); 2. Suraj Thomas / Sob George (Pvt, Honda City V-tec) (01:36:29.5); 3. Ravi MS / Priyamvada Saradhi (Pvt, Maruti Baleno) (01:41.17.5).