INDIA in F1

Tag: MMSC

  • Pole for Raghul Rangasamy in MRF F1600: MRF MMSC Racing Nationals

    Pole for Raghul Rangasamy in MRF F1600: MRF MMSC Racing Nationals

    Raghul Rangasamy, who took pole position in the MRF F1600 class at MMRT on Friday. Photos by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 17 Aug 2018: Raghul Rangasamy from the nearby temple town of Mamallapuram, took a big step towards realising his dream of earning a ticket to the Mazda Road To Indy shootout in the United States later this year, by grabbing his first pole of the current season in the MRF F1600 class as the fourth round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship got underway at the MMRT, here on Friday.

    “As I am already 25, this is my last chance to make it to the Mazda Road To Indy shootout and I am giving it everything I have,” said Rangasamy, referring to the upper age limit for participation in shootout whose winner is eligible for a scholarship of USD 200,000.

    Rangasamy, who is currently second in the championship, just 12 points adrift of leader Ashwin Datta, clocked one minute, 39.828 seconds, ahead of Sandeep Kumar (01:40.028) and Kolkata’s Arya Singh (01:40.268). Datta, who had started the season with a triple in the first round, had a poor qualifying session and will start the first race tomorrow from eighth position on the grid after clocking 01:41.010.

    Reflecting on his qualifying run, Rangasamy said: “I used the tyre strategy to my advantage by doing a couple of hot laps and then cooling off in the pits before going out again. Today, it worked well for me.”

    Nabil Hussain, who took pole position in the Formula LGB 1300 on Friday. Photo by Anand Philar

    Earlier, Chennai’s Nabil Hussain (MSport), who heads the Formula LGB 1300 leaderboard, also qualified for pole position in his category with a hot lap of 01:53.679 followed by Ashwin Datta, also from Chennai, of Momentum Motorsports (01:53.705) and Bengaluru’s Sohil Shah of MSport (01:54.279).

    Also grabbing pole position in their respective categories were: Varun Anekar of Race Concepts (Super Stock), Nikhunj Vagh of Team N1 (Indian Junior Touring Cars) and Raghul Rangasamy  of Performance Racing (Esteem Cup).

    Meanwhile, last year’s champion Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports) from Coimbatore, was the quickest in the Free Practice session for high-end Indian Touring Cars as he clocked a best of 01:52.812 ahead of Saturday’s qualifying run.

    Kolhapur’s Dhruv Mohite (01:54.959), who tops the Volkswagen Ameo Cup leaderboard, took pole position ahead of his nearest rival Saurav Bandyopadhyay of Mumbai (01:55.719).

    The results (Qualifying):

    MRF F1600: 1. Raghul Rangaswamy (Chennai) 1 min, 39.828 sec; 2. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (01:40.028); 3. Arya Singh (Kolkata) (01:40.268)..

    Formula LGB 1300: 1. Nabil Hussain (M Sport) (01:53.679); 2. S Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsports) (01:53.705); 3. Sohil Shah (M Sport) (01:54.279)

    Super Stock: 1. Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) (01:56.579); 2.Srinivas Teja (Performance Racing) (02:01.802); 3. RP Rajarajan (Performance Racing) (02:01.818).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars: 1. Nikunj Vagh (Team N1) (02:04.564); 2. Prabu AS (Arka Motorsport) (02:04.641); 3. Chris DeSouza (Unimek Racing) (02:05.718).

    Esteem Cup: 1. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (02:02.399); 2. Vinod Subramaniam (Team 1) (02:03.119); 3.Biren Pithawala (Team N1) (02:03.718).

    Volkswagen Ameo Cup: 1. Dhruv Mohite (Kolhapur) (01:54.959); 2. Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Mumbai) (01:55.719); 3.Pratik Sonawane (Pune) (01:55.774).

  • MRF MMSC Indian Racing Nationals enter crucial phase: 4th Round at MMRT from Friday

    MRF MMSC Indian Racing Nationals enter crucial phase: 4th Round at MMRT from Friday

    File photo of Formula LGB races at MMRT this season. Photo by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 16 Aug 2018: Teenage sensation Ashwin Datta who began the season with a bank winning all the races in the first round, will look to guard his narrow lead at the top in the MRF 1600 class as the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship resumes amidst mounting excitement and expectations as crucial fourth round starts at the MMRT here on Friday.

    The chase for titles in various categories gets more frenetic than ever while the front-runners keep an eye on the leaderboard. Every point won will be worth its weight in gold.

    The weekend card has races in the MRF F1600, saloon cars (Indian Touring Cars, Super Stock, Indian Junior Touring Cars and Esteem Cup), and the Formula LGB 1300 besides the Volkswagen Ameo Cup, a one-make championship. Also being run is the Indian National Drag Racing Championship, post-lunch on Saturday and Sunday, for both two-wheelers and cars.

    The season, so far, has been so topsy-turvy that Chennai teenager Ashwin Datta (96 points), despite three wins on the trot in the MRF F1600 class, is only 12 ahead of Mamallapuram’s Raghul Rangasamy.

    The previous round witnessed three different winners – Rangasamy, Gowtham Parekh (68) and Sandeep Kumar (67) – in the triple-header. With the championship winner in this category eligible for a ticket to the Mazda Road To Indy shootout in the United States, an MMSC initiative, the title contenders have everything to play for. The winner of the shootout is eligible for a scholarship of USD 200,000.

    The situation in other categories is no different. Bengaluru’s Ashish Ramaswamy (101) leads his Arka Motorsports team-mate from Coimbatore Nikanth Ram (84) in the premier Indian Touring Cars class that has seen some high-quality driving. If Ramaswamy started the season with a double in the first round, veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) marked his return to racing by winning both the races in the next round while defending champion Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports) emulated the feat in the third round. Balu (68) and Narendran (50) are placed fourth and fifth, respectively, behind another veteran from Coimbatore B Vijayakumar of Prime Racing (78).

    A mere half-a-point separate leader Srinivasa Teja (Performance Racing) and Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) in the Super Stock category while Vinod Subramaniam (73.5) of Team N1 leads Rangasamy (68) of Performance Racing in the Esteem Cup and Prabhu AS (62) of Arka Motorsports is ahead of Chrys D’Souza (59) of Unimek Racing in the Indian Junior Touring Cars.

    Equally competitive has been the Formula LGB 1300 class which is developing into a three-cornered battle involving Nabil Hussain (MSport) who heads the leaderboard with 95 points followed by Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsports) and Sohil Shah (MSport) who are tied second with 83 apiece.

    Kolhapur’s Dhruv Mohite, with three wins in five starts, leads the Volkswagen Ameo Cup with 220 points but needs all the points he can to stay ahead of Saurav Bandyopadhyay (214) from Mumbai and Hyderabad’s Jeet Jhabakh (204) who have won one race apiece.

  • Third round motorcycle Nationals postponed

    Chennai, 7 Aug 2018: As a mark of respect for former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi who passed away here today, the Madras Motor Sports Club has postponed the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship scheduled for August 10-12.

    Fresh dates will be announced shortly.

    The Madras Motor Sports Club has condoled the passing away of the stalwart Dravidian leader Karunanidhi.

  • Rajiv Sethu finishes 13th; Anish Shetty crashes out in AP 250cc outing

      • Aussie ace Anthony West triumphs in SuperSport 600cc race

    Chennai, August 08: Veteran Australian Anthony West plotted his way to a brilliant victory, his third in the premier SuperSport 600cc this season to consolidate his top position on FIM Asia Road Racing Championship leaderboard at the MMRT, here on Saturday.

    The 37-year old with a decade’s experience in the World Championship behind him, rode a waiting race over 16 laps on his Yamaha, content to lie in third position after dropping two spots from his pole position start. West, who earlier in the day set a record for fastest qualifying lap of 01:40.585 for pole position, made his move with about two laps from the finish to take the flag ahead of Malaysian Md Zaqhwan Zaidi and 19-year old rising Japanese star Taiga Hada who was representing the Idemitsu Honda Racing India team.

    The Idemitsu Honda Racing India team had another reason to cheer as their rider in the Asia Production 250cc class, Rajiv Sethu, 20, finished 13th in a grid of 24 for his first points this season. However, compatriot and team-mate Anish Shetty, 20, crashed in the eighth of the 12-lap race that Indonesia’s Rheza Danica Ahrens won for his fifth consecutive success in this category.

    In a thrilling finish in the Underbone 150cc race, Ahmed Fazli Sham led a 1-2 for Malaysia as he snatched a dramatic, last-gasp win over Md Helmi Azman with Thailand’s Peerapong Luiboonpeng completing the podium.

    The spotlight no doubt was on the SuperSport 600cc race that boasted of a quality grid with a mix of World championship riders and young guns, but ultimately, it was West’s craftiness and cool that won the day in tricky conditions due to light showers in some sections of the track

    “It was a very difficult race. It took me a few laps to get used to the conditions due to the drizzle before we started. But as the race progressed, I was able to generate more power and then took my opportunities to pass the riders in front,” said West after the victory on his first visit to MMRT.

    Earlier, in the Asia Production 250cc race, Shetty crashed in the eighth lap when he high-sided. “There was an issue regarding the suspension and also my being too aggressive on the throttle which led to the crash. I damaged the left toe which is swollen, but I should be fine for tomorrow’s second race,” said Shetty who is in his maiden ARRC season.

    Sethu said: “I had a bad start, but I gave my best, but other riders too were aggressive and better. However, today, I clocked my best ever time (01:50.555) on this track. Hopefully, I will perform better tomorrow.”

    The other two races scheduled for the day – the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (CBR 250) organised by MMSC and TVS One-Make Championship (Apache RR310) – could not be run today following a heavy downpour soon after the 600cc race.

    The results (Provisional):

    SuperSport 600 (Race-1, 16 laps): 1. Anthony West (Australia, Webike Ikazuchi, Yamaha) (27mins, 35.304secs); 2. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (Malaysia, Musashi Boon Siew Honda) (27:35.629); 3. Taiga Hada (Japan, Idemitsu Honda Racing India) (27:36.885).

    Asia Production 250 (Race-1, 12 laps): 1. Rheza Danica Ahrens (Indonesia, Astra Honda) (21:53.4); 2. Mario Suryo Aji (Indonesia, Astra Honda) (21:53.5); 3. Reynaldo Chrisantho (Indonesia, ONEXOX TKK Yamaha) (22:01.9).

    Underbone 150 (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Ahmed Fazli Sham (Onexox TKKR Racing Team, Malaysia) (19:02.205); 2. Md. Helmi Azman (SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing team, Malaysia) (19:02.460); 3. Peerapong Luiboonpeng (Team One For All, Thailand) (19:02.502).

  • Zaqhwan Zaidi quickest rider on Friday: ARRC Practice

    Zaqhwan Zaidi quickest rider on Friday: ARRC Practice

    Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (Malaysia), quickest in the SuperSport 600cc class on Friday.

    Chennai, 3 Aug 2018: A long stint racing astride the 1000cc machine has obviously not affected Malaysian rider Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi’s ability to finesse the 600cc bike. Fresh from a stint in the prestigious Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance Race, the Musashi Boon Siew Honda Racing rider charged on to Chennai, India, where the Madras Motor Race Track played host to Round 4 of the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship here on Friday.

    After the first day of free practices, Zaqhwan led a mixed bag of competitors by posting the fastest time of 1’41.306s. Just off Zaqhwan’s pace, championship leader Anthony West clocked second fastest with 1’41.388s in his first official run on the 3.74km race track.

    The most impressive rider of the day was team Musashi Boon Siew Honda Racing rookie Azroy Hakeem Anuar. Azroy, who has been recording increasingly impressive performances in each successive round of the ARRC, stands third fastest with 1’41.677s. Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider Ratthapong Wilairot and Taiga Hada representing home team Idemitsu Honda Racing India by T.Pro Ten10, rounded up the top five. Defending champion Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman continues to struggle with balance issues and just managed to clock within the top 10.

    FREE PRACTICE: TOP 5 OVERALL

    1. Zaqhwan Zaidi MAS Honda 1’41.306s;
    2. Anthony West AUS Yamaha 1’41.388s;
    3. Azroy Hakeem Anuar MAS Honda 1’41.677s;
    4. Ratthapong Wilairot THA Yamaha 1’41.828s;
    5. Taiga Hada JPN Honda 1’41.838s;

    ASIA PRODUCTION 250cc: DOUBLE 4-HR CHAMP ANUPAB OUT TO END RHEZA’S DOMINATION

    Anupab Sarmoon’s recent success at the 41st Suzuka 4 Hour Endurance Road Race has given the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider the additional impetus he needed to try to bring an end to Rheza Danica Ahren’s domination in the Asia Production 250cc class.

    Just a week ago, Anupab successfully defended his Suzuka 4 Hour title with the help of his team mate, Peerapong Boonlert. As the AP250 riders went out on track for the first day of practice in Round 4, Anupab has been able to equal speedy Rheza’s pace at the top of the timesheets. Although the Astra Honda Racing Team rider emerged as the fastest rider of the day with 1’48.030s, Anupab was able to lap within the same parameters, coming home second fastest with 1’48.252s.

    With the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship now entering the second half of its 2018 season, Anupab, currently third overall in the AP250 standings, is under pressure to bring home more podium finishes and race wins. As Rheza took the win in round after round, Anupab’s last victory was taken in Round 1, and he has only managed two podium finishes so far.

    As always, Anupab will be facing a field of top Indonesian aces in the AP250 class. The Astra Honda Racing Team’s latest wonderkid, Mario Suryo Aji, posted third fastest with 1’48.775. Rey Ratukore, ONEXOX TKKR Racing Team’s latest recruit, was fourth fastest with 1’48.853s. Andy Muhammad Fadly from Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing, ended the free practices fifth fastest with 1’49.510s

    FREE PRACTICE: TOP 5 OVERALL

    1. Rheza Danica Ahrens INA Honda 1’48.030s
    2. Anupab Sarmoon THA Yamaha 1’48.252s
    3. Mario Suryo Aji INA Honda 1’48.775s
    4. Rey Ratukore INA Yamaha 1’48.853s
    5. Andy Md Fadly INA Kawasaki 1’49.510s

    UNDERBONE 150cc: RECORD BREAKING DAY IN THE UNDERBONE CLASS

    The Underbone 150cc riders kicked off a record-breaking day as Round 4 of the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship officially got underway at the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai, India. With most of the

    Underbone riders having had some experience at the challenging South Indian race track, the class is now competing on a whole different level.

    At the end of Free Practice 2, the top seven riders in the class have managed to break the 2017 1’53.944s lap record held by Mohd Akid Aziz. As of Practice 2, SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team duo Mohd Helmi Azman and Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam have emerged as the provisional leaders of the class, clocking 1’53.169s and 1’53.178s respectively.

    Defending champion Mohd Akid Aziz was third fastest with 1’53.225s followed by Mohd Adib Rosley from the YY Pang camp. Filipino wonderkid, McKinley Kyle Paz, again riding wildcard for the UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor Asia Team was impressive on his first run out on the Madras Motor Race Track. He posted fifth in the class with 1’54.252s.

    However, Akid came out with guns blazing in the 30-minute qualifying session. The UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor Asia Team rider beat his own fastest time by two whole seconds and clocked the fastest time in the class with 1’51.970s. Half a second off Akid’s pace, SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team duo Mohd Helmi Azman and Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam logged the second and third fastest times with 1’52.524 and 1’53.325s respectively.

    QUALIFYING: TOP 5 OVERALL

    1. Mohd Akid Aziz MAS Yamaha 1’51.970s
    2. Mohd Helmi Azman MAS Honda 1’52.524s
    3. Fakhrusy Syakirin MAS Honda 1’53.325s
    4. Mohd Affendi Rosli MAS Yamaha 1’53.387s
    5. Mohd Adib Rosley MAS Yamaha 1’53.795s

    eom/db

  • 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.

  • Bengaluru drivers excel at MMRT: National Drag Races

    Chennai, 22 July 2018: Bengaluru drivers enjoyed a successful outing in the first round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Drag Racing Championship for four-wheelers at the MMRT, here on Sunday with Vivek Ramachandran scoring a double while Chennai’s veteran racer Radha Selvarajan was the quickest in the competition besides topping the Indian Open (altered body) class.

    Vivek Ramachandran topped in the Unrestricted and Indian Open (stock body) classes with fellow-Bengalurean Mithun M in second place in both the categories.

    The results:

    Unrestricted: 1. Vivek Ramachandran (Bengaluru) (13.120secs); 2. Mithun M (Bengaluru) (13.357); 3. Radha Selvarajan (Chennai) (13.528).

    Indian Open (Altered body): 1. Radha Selvarajan (Chennai) (12.693); 2. Jayanth V (Bengaluru) (13.178).

    Indian Open (Stock body): 1. Vivek Ramachandran (Bengaluru) (13.247); 2. Mithun M (Bengaluru) (13.363); 3. Shubhodeep (Bengaluru) (14.621).

    Indian Touring Cars: 1. Kasha Sai (Salem) (16.699).

    Fastest car: Radha Selvarajan (Chennai) (12.693).

  • Sandeep, Arjun score fluent wins; Teenagers Nabil, Sohil top LGB1300

    Sandeep, Arjun score fluent wins; Teenagers Nabil, Sohil top LGB1300

    • Sandeep Kumar, Arjun Narendran score fluent wins
    • Teenagers Nabil Hussain, Sohil Shah top in Formula LGB 1300

    Chennai, July 21: Sandeep Kumar (MRF F1600) and Arjun Narendran (Indian Touring Cars) chalked up impressive victories to grab the spotlight in the third round of MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship at the MMRT, here on Saturday.

    Starting from pole position, Sandeep Kumar, 24, from Chennai, won virtually untroubled though he trailed Nirmal Umashankar briefly before moving into the lead midway through the first of the eight-lap race. Nirmal, a 16-year old also from Chennai started second on the grid but was subsequently penalised for a jump-start with a drive-through which he failed to obey leading to a 30-second penalty which placed him 12th and last after a spin at Turn-1. Sandeep barely turned a wheel wrong to emerge a comfortable winner.

    “It was tough at the start as Nirmal got past me when the lights went out. But I took him midway through the first lap itself and after he spun, I had a good lead. The win helped me to earn some big points (25) after my disappointing run in the first round last month when I finished fourth and had two DNFs in the next two races. Tomorrow, we have two more races and I hope to pick up more points,” said Sandeep, a practicing Corporate lawyer.

    Further down the grid, championship leader Ashwin Datta, 19, who had scored a triple in the previous round at Coimbatore, got stuck in the mid-grid bunch and finished a distant seventh in his maiden race at the MMRT while Raghul Rangasamy and Goutham Parekh came in second and third.

    An equally impressive winner was Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports), the defending champion in the Indian Touring Cars, as he vanquished seasoned Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) in a battle between two Coimbatore stars. Narendran, after sitting out the earlier two rounds, marked his return with a brilliant drive to beat Balu, who had a double in the previous outing at Coimbatore last month. Finishing behind Narendran and Balu was Bengaluru’s Ashish Ramaswamy (Arka Motorsports) who continues to lead the points table with a tally of 83.

    Bengaluru’s Varun Anekar led a 1-2 finish for Race Concepts team in the Super Stock class with Abhinay Bikkani in tow and K Srinivasa Teja (Performance Racing) completing the podium. Goa’s Chrys D’Souza (Unimek Racing), Vinod Subramaniam from Erode (Team N1) topped the Indian Junior Touring Cars and Esteem Cup category, respectively, and which were run concurrently with the Super Stock class.

    Meanwhile, the Formula LGB 1300 double-header today saw two young guns and MSport team-mates Sohil Shah, 17, a schoolboy from Bengaluru and Chennai collegian Nabil Hussain, 19, winning a race apiece after coming through tight contests. Hussain, thus, consolidated his top position on the leaderboard with 95 points, followed by Shah and Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsports), both tied on 83.

    Thane’s Saurav Bandyopadhyay, who started second on the grid, notched his third career win in the Volkswagen Ameo Cup with a measure of comfort after initial fight. Finishing behind him were Anmol Singh Sahil from Ghaziabad and pole-sitter Dhruv Mohite (Kolhapur).

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

    MRF F1600 (Race 1): 1. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai)(13 mins,37.418sec); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Kancheepuram) (13:40.097); 3. Goutham Parekh (Chennai) (13:40.739).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race 1): 1. Sohil Shah (MSport) (15:03.149); 2. Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsports) (15:06.013);  3. Deepak Ravikumar (DTS Racing) (15:06.469). Race 2 (7 laps): 1. Nabil Hussain (MSport) (13:20.115); 2. Sohil Shah (MSport) (13:20.567); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (DTS Racing) (13:22.308).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race 1): 1. Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports) (15:12.873); 2. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (15:13.669); 3. Ashish Ramasamy (Arka Motorsports) (15:21.950).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race 1): 1. Chrys D’Souza (Unimek Racing) (17:08.455); 2. Prabhu AS (Arka Motors) (17:42.363).

    Super Stock (Race 1): 1. Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) (15:59.936); 2. Abhinay Bikkani (Race Concepts)(16:06.246); 3. K Srinivas Teja (Performance Racing)(16:20.505).

    Esteem Cup (Race 1): 1. Vinod Subramaniam (Team N1) (16:43.970); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (17:03.467); 3. Alisha Abdullah (Infinite Piston) (17:34.220).

    Turbo (Support Race 1): 1. Karthik Tharani (Chennai) (15:26.086); 2. Rayomand Banajee (Mumbai) (15:41.006); 3. Ishaan Dodhiwala (Hyderabad) (15:42.859).

    Volkswagen Ameo Cup (Race 1): 1. Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Thane) (15:49.436); 2. Anmol Singh Sahil (Ghaziabad) (15:54.147): 3. Dhruv Mohite (Kohlapur) (15:54.203).

  • Sandeep Kumar grabs pole in MRF F1600; Arjun Narendran quickest in Indian Touring Cars

    Chennai, 20 July 2018: Local lad Sandeep Kumar, 24, put the hammer down by grabbing pole position in the MRF F1600 class as the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship commenced at the MMRT, here on Friday.

    Sandeep, a practicing corporate lawyer in Chennai, had finished first runner-up in the MRF F1600 last year, thus missing a ticket to the Mazda Road To Indy shootout, and is determined to go one better this time. “I pushed really hard today, almost to the very limit,” said Sandeep after posting a best lap of one minute, 39.999 seconds around the 3.716 Kms track to set himself up for this weekend’s triple-header.

    Sharing the front row with Sandeep is another Chennai driver, Nirmal Umashanker (01:40.310) ahead of Goa’s Keith D’Souza (01:40.069) while championship leader 19-year old Ashwin Datta who had won all the three races in the previous round in Coimbatore, will start eighth on the grid after posting a best of 01:40.685.

    Meanwhile, defending champion in the premier Indian Touring Cars class, Arjun Narendran (ARKA Motorsports) from Coimbatore, having missed the previous rounds, made an immediate impact on his return to racing by posting pole winning time of 01:52.053, edging veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts), also from Coimbatore, who had won both the races in the previous round. Balu, in his first season in five years, clocked 01:52.053 ahead of championship leader Bengaluru’s Ashish Ramaswamy (ARKA Motorsports) who did 01:53.177.

    Pole position winners in other categories were: Nikunj Vagh of Team N1 (Indian Junior Touring Cars) from Mumbai, Varun Anekar of Race Concepts (Super Stock) from Bengaluru and Vinod S of Team N1 (Esteem Cup) from Erode.

    Dhruv Mohite from Kolhapur, leader in the Volkswagen Ameo Cup following his double in Coimbatore round last month, took pole position ahead of Thane’s Saurav Bandyopadhyay and Anmol Singh Sahil from Ghaziabad.

    The results (qualifying):

    MRF F1600: 1. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (01min, 39.999secs); 2. Nirmal Umashanker (Chennai) (01:40.045); 3. Keith D’Souza (Goa) (01:40.069).

    Indian Touring Cars: 1. Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports) (01:52.053); 2. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (01:52.350); 3. Ashish Ramasamy (Arka Motorsports) (01:53.177).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars: 1. Nikunj Vagh (Team N1) (02: 04.493); 2. Chrys D’Souza (Unimek Racing) (02:06.663);3. Prabu AS (Arka Motors) (02:06.684).

    Super Stock: 1. Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) (01:58.143); 2. Abhinay Bikkani (Race Concepts)(01:59.945); 3. K. Srinivasa Teja (Performance Racing) (02:00.026).

    Esteem Cup: 1. S Vinod (Team N1) (02:01.642); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (02:02.600); 3. Alisha Abdullah (Infinite Piston) (02:06.878).

    Volkswagen Ameo Cup: 1. Dhruv Mohite (Kohlapur) (01:54.713); 2. Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Thane) (01:55.197); 3. Anmol Singh Sahil (Ghaziabad)(01:55.326).