INDIA in F1

Tag: MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship

  • Rajini Krishnan wins a record 11th Indian National title

    Rajini Krishnan wins a record 11th Indian National title

    Chennai, 2 Oct 2022: On a day of drama and suspense, veteran Rajini Krishnan, Mathana Kumar, Jagruti Penkar and Sarvesh Balappa clinched the titles in their respective categories as the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022 concluded at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.

    Rajini (RACR Castrol Power1), needing just one more point for the title, cruised to fourth place to seal the championship, his 11th National career crown, in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category, while Mathana Kumar (Pacer Yamaha) from Trichy topped the Pro-Stock 165cc Open class, by also finishing fourth for his third title in 11 years.

    Earlier, Jagruti (Axor Sparks Racing), the 21-year old Science graduate from Mumbai was kept guessing before confirmation came that she indeed was the winner of the Girls (Stock 165cc) championship, her maiden title, following disqualification of race winner, Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power1). Jagruti finished on 81 points to Ann Jennifer’s (Alpha Racing) 80.

    “Shaker’ Bojanna, 2nd from right, raises a toast for Mathana Kumar (astride an Yamaha). Shekar earned the epithet “Shaker” over a decade ago for shaking the big teams. Re-entering the racing scene after over a decade the team achieved the National Championship title with aplomb. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan

    Until the post-race scrutiny leading to the disqualification, Jagruti was second in the championship behind Alpha Racing’s Ann Jennifer on countback after the pair had tied on points, but the latter clinching the issue having won two races to the Mumbai girl’s none. However, the situation turned on its head after Lani was disqualified. All finishers moved up a spot, pushing Ryhana Bee (Pacer Yamaha) to first, Jagruti to second and Aditi Krishnan (Winverve Apex Racing) to third, while Ann Jennifer ended up sixth.

    Sarvesh Balappa (Axor Sparks Racing), who had taken unassailable lead coming into the final round, kept it clean and avoided close battles for a fourth place. His team-mates Kayan Zubin Patel and Rohan Ramesh came in first and second ahead of Chiranth Vishwanath (Rookies Racing).

    Meanwhile, Rajini did likewise in the concluding Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open race as he was content to follow the Petronas TVS Racing’s trio of KY Ahamed, Jagan Kumar and Deepak Ravikumar. Incidentally, Ahamed completed a double.

    “I took no chances today. After all, I needed just one more point to win the championship. So, I was happy to stay in fourth position throughout the race behind the TVS boys,” said 41-year old Rajini who, incidentally, had the best lap (01:53.099) of the race.

    Jagan also had a brilliant outing in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open race that he won in style ahead of Idemitsu Honda India SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu and Senthil Kumar, for a grand double.

    Two youngsters, Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru), competing in the Rookie category of the Petronas TVS One-Make Championship, and Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) in the Novice (CBR 150) class of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, created a buzz by winning all 10 races this season.

    Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15mins, 17.537secs); 2. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:17.757); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:18.787). National champion: Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1). Team championship: Petronas TVS Racing. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:45.594); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Chennai, Idemistu Honda SK69 Racing) (15:46.086); 3. Senthil Kumar (Coimbatore, Idemistu Honda SK69 Racing) (15:47.664). National champion: Mathana Kumar (Trichy, Pacer Yamaha). Team championship: Pacer Yamaha. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-2): 1. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:01.987); 2. Rohan Ramesh (Coimbatore, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:02.099); 3. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, Rookies Racing) (13:02.368). National champion: Sarvesh Balappa (Hubballi, Axor Sparks Racing). Team championship: Axor Sparks Racing. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (11:00.132); 2. Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (11:00.493); 3.  Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru, Winverve Apex Racing) (11:05.883). National champion: Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing). Team championship: Alpha Racing. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship: Open (Apache RR 310) Race-1: 1. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (11:46.885); 2. Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) (11:47.317); 3. Ananthraj (Chennai) (11:47.574). Race-2: 1. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (11:46.127); 2. Ananthraj P (Chennai) (11:46.274); 3. Manoj Yesuadian (Chennai) (11:46.437). Champion: Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad)

    Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-2): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (12:27.582); 2. Jinendra K Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:28.388); 3. Savion Sabu (Bengaluru) (12:43.778). Champion: Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru)

    Media (Apache RTR 200): 1. Ishan Lee (11:34.557); 2. Karan Singh (11:43.047); 3. Mandar Sheela Sawant (12:00.631). Champion: Ishan Lee.

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup: NSF 250 Open (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (18:40.383); 2. Shyam Sundar (Chennai) (18:41.542); 3. Rakshith Dave (Chennai) (19:04.772). Champion: Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune).

    Novice (CBR 150, Race-2): 1. Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) (12:50.201); 2. Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:09.078); 3. Siddesh Sawant (Kolhapur) (13:10.491). Champion: Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai).

    Support Race – Honda Hornet 2.0 (Race-2): 1. G Balaji (Chennai) (13:38.195); 2. Romario John (Chennai) (13:38.377); 3. Prabhu V (Chennai) (13:38.574).

  • Rajini Krishnan on verge of record 11th National title

    Rajini Krishnan on verge of record 11th National title

    Chennai, October 1: KY Ahamed of Petronas TVS Racing completed a hat-trick of wins in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category, but veteran Rajini Krishnan moved within one point of clinching the title after a third-place finish in the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championshp 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.

    Later, Petronas TVS Racing’s Jagan Kumar notched his second win of the season in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open category, but not before surviving a hectic scramble in the last lap. Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu edged out championship leader Mathana Kumar (Pacer Yamaha) for second place to narrow the points deficit to 14 with one more race to be run on the morrow.

    In the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open race, pole-sitter Ahamed led a 1-2 finish for his team with Deepak Ravikumar in tow, while Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power1), starting from P4, struggled with a clutch pedal issue, but used his vast experience to good effect and managed to scramble to third position. The result means that defending champion Rajini needs just one point from tomorrow’s concluding race to seal his 11th career National title. Ahamed trails the champion by 25 points with Ravikumar in third, a further eight behind.

    Earlier, Coimbatore’s Rohan Ramesh fashioned a 1-2 for Axor Sparks Racing in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category ahead of Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai) with Vignesh Goud, a privateer from Hyderabad in third. Hubballi’s Sarvesh Balappa, also of Axor Sparks Racing, came in fourth, but he has effectively clinched the title in this category as he leads by 54 points going into tomorrow’s Race-2.

    In the Rookie class of the Petronas Racing One-Make Championship organised by MMSC, Bengaluru’s Chiranth Vishwanath posted his ninth win in as many races as did Mumbai youngster Raheesh Mudassar Khatri in the Novice (CBR 150) category of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup.

     Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-1): 1. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11min, 20.954secs        ); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11:21.029); 3. Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (11:22.050).

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-1): 1. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11:50.902); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Chennai, Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (11:51.067); 3. Mathana Kumar (Tiruchirapalli, Pacer Yamaha) (11:51.308).

    Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-1): 1. Rohan Ramesh (Coimbatore, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:00.141); 2. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:02.912); 3. P Vignesh Goud (Hyderabad, Pvt.) (13:04.091).

    Support race (Stock 301-400cc, Novice): 1. Ashwin R (Race Abilities) (12:31.762); 2. Naresh Shobha Kaname (Pvt) (12:37.897); 3. Jayanth Prathipati (Pvt) (12:39.376).

    Qualifying (best lap, top 3): Girls (Stock 165cc): 1. Ann Jennifer (Chennai, Alpha Racing) (02:08.446); 2. Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (02:08.399); 3. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (02:09.858).

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship: Girls (Apache RTR 200) 5 laps: 1. Nithila Das (Bengaluru) (10:59.765); 2. Ananya Awasthi (Chennai) (11:22.981); 3. Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru) (11:33.456).

    Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-1): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (12:46.968); 2. Jinendra K Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:56.733); 3. Abdul Basim RS (Chennai) (13:15.111).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup: NSF 250 Open (Race-1): 1. Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune) (11:15.886); 2. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (11:16.828); 3. Shyam Sundar (Chennai) (11:17.075).

    Novice (CBR 150, Race-1): 1. Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) (12:58.554); 2. Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:06.690); 3. Siddesh Sawant (Kolhapur) (13:06.845).

    Support Race – Honda Hornet 2.0: 1. G Balaji (Chennai) 13:37.031); 2. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai) (13:46.308); 3. T Ramakrishnana (Valliyor) (13:46.649).

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

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

  • Rajini, Jagan bounce back; Jennifer, Samrul win

    Rajini, Jagan bounce back; Jennifer, Samrul win

    Chennai, 7 August 2022: Veterans Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power1) and Jagan Kumar (Petronas TVS Racing) bounced back in style with superb victories to provide a fitting climax to the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday.

    Also notching impressive wins on the day were Hyderabad’s Md Samrul Zubair (Race’ists Motorcycle Club) in the Novice (Stock 165) category after starting 21st on the grid and local rider, Ann Jennifer (Alpha Racing), the former champion, in the Girls (Stock 165cc) class.

    Rajini, chasing his 11th National title, shrugged off a third place finish yesterday to win handily in the next outing today in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category to stretch his championship lead to 51 points.

    Rajini’s two decades of racing experience was very much in evidence as he paced himself brilliantly and bided his time starting from P3 before making his move while keeping in mind the track condition which initially was damp following spots of light drizzle before the start. He also dealt with close attention from the Petronas TVS Racing pair of Deepak Ravikumar and Race-1 winner KY Ahamed with panache to notch his fifth win in sixth starts. “I did not really push because of the track conditions, and later eased off just a bit,” said Rajini who now leads Ravikumar by 51 points in the championship standings.

    In contrast, last year’s champion Jagan Kumar, who missed the previous round owing to a wrist injury he suffered in the Rolon Round at Coimbatore in June, and still nursing a painful right wrist, recorded his first win of the season in the other premier category, the Pro-Stock 165cc Open, to end a drought that stretched to 10 months and 12 races.

    Jagan made the best of the situation that saw front-running and yesterday’s winner Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) crashing early in the eight-lap race and later, new leader Deepak Ravikumar, also of Petronas TVS Racing, retiring in the second-half of the race. Needing no second invitation, Jagan blasted past team-mate KY Ahamed and Pacer Yamaha’s Prabhu Arunagiri to victory. Arunagiri, who led briefly after Sethu’s exit, finished second ahead of Ahamed. Championship leader Mathana Kumar (Pacer Yamaha) came in fifth and enjoys a 28-point cushion over Sethu.

    Earlier, Md Samrul Zubair came up with a brilliant performance to win the Novice (Stock 165cc) category race which he started from P21. The race also ended a five-win streak of Hubballi’s Sarvesh Balappa (Axor Sparks Racing) who finished ninth. However, Balappa remains at the top of the championship standings in this category with a 36-point lead over Bengaluru teenager Chiranth Vishwanath (Rookies Racing) who finished third behind Mumbai’s Kayan Zubin Patel (Axor Sparks Racing) in today’s race.

    Meanwhile, Ann Jennifer scored her second win of the season after the two front-runners, Ryhana Bee (Pacer Yamaha) and Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power1) crashed in consecutive laps at the same spot exiting the last corner. For much of the five-lap race, the battle raged in front between Ryhana and Lani, with Ann lying in third. However, with the two in front crashing but subsequently recovering to finish the race, it was a comfortable win for Ann who thus moved to the top of the championship standings in this category with 60 points.

    Others who maintained their unbeaten run were:

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – Sarthak Shrikant Chavan from Pune (NSF 250, 6 wins); Raheesh Mudassar Khatri from Mumbai (CBR 150, 6 wins).

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship – Chiranth Vishwanath from Bengaluru (Rookie, 6 wins); Aditi Krishnan from Bengaluru (Girls, RTR200, 3 wins).

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

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1) (15mins, 09.788secs); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:10.049); 3. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:11.842).

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:50.649); 2. Prabhu Arunagiri (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (15:50.794); 3. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:51.092).

    Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-2, 6 laps): 1. Md Samrul Zubair (Hyderabad, Race’ists Motorcycle Club) (13:06.841); 2. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:07.254); 3. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, Rookies Racing) (13:08.310).

    Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ann Jennifer (Chennai, Alpha Racing) (11:00.636); 2. Jagathishree (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (11:02.138); 3. Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (11:09.459).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250 Open (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune) (18:19.395); 2. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (18:41.408); 3. Shyam Sundar (Chennai) (18:45.910).

    Novice (CBR 150, Race-2): 1. Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) (12:49.567); 2. Rajender Beedani (Jangaon) (12:49.849); 3. Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:01.044).

    Support Race – Hornet 2.0 (Race-2): 1. Allwin Xavier (Chennai) (13:23.706); 2. Sudheer Sudhakar (New Delhi) (13:25.265); 3. G Balaji (Chennai) (13:25.293).

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship – Open (Apache RR310, Race-1): 1. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (11:45.653); 2. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (11:45.659); 3. P Anantharaj (Chennai) (11:47.459). Race-2: 1. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (11:40.643); 2. Jagadeesh N (Bengaluru) (11:40.661); 3. P Ananthraj (Chennai) (11:42.608).

    Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-2): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (12:30.498); 2. Shreyas Hareesh (Bengaluru) (12:40.139); 3. Abdul Basim RS (Chennai) (12:40.250).

    Media (Apache RTR 200, 5 laps): 1. Karan Singh (Delhi) (11:53.563); 2. Ishan Lee (Pune) (11:54.038); 3. Mandar Sheela Sawant (Pune) (11:57.498).

  • Rajendra triumphs at MRF Rally of Coimbatore; TVS dominates

    Rajendra triumphs at MRF Rally of Coimbatore; TVS dominates

    Coimbatore, 17 July 2022: Former champion Rajendra RE spearheaded a stunning bounce back by Petronas TVS Racing team into strong contention with a solid overall victory even as the team made a clean sweep of the top-five positions in the MRF Rally of Coimbatore, the third round of the God Speed Racing MRF MoGrip fmsci National Rally Championship-2W 2022 organised by Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC) here on Sunday.

    Sarath Mohan, became the top privateer, taking sixth behind the TVS riders and Aishwarya Pissay, made light of the competition with another easy victory in the Ladies Class, switching easily into local rally mode after another round of high-performance training in Europe, the second this year. Satara lass, Tanika Shanbagh, who upgraded herself to a higher class to gain experience on a super bike, rode the Husqvarna with confidence finishing overall 18 among a field of 100 bikes that took the start. While 14 failed to finish the rally, Tanika, competing on par with men, is making strides improving her timing every round.

    Winners All: Winners of different classes in the Round 3 of the MRF Rally of Coimbatore.

    Sarath Mohan bagged the sixth overall place astride a Husqvarna and won the gold in his class as he clocked the third fastest time after Rajendra and Imran Pasha, both from the stables of TVS. The talented biker puts in tremendous efforts into his preparations but was bogged down on Sunday due to clutch issues. He overcame a serious accident last year and recovered to mount his challenge once again. He is a strong contender to win his maiden National title in Class 1A, the Superbike Expert Group A category this year. “Yes, I have to get my bike set-up right. Today, I had to go only at 60 per cent of my usual self due to clutch issues. On the fourth stage I got into my own and was having fun but in no time the rally was over,” said the Kerala rider, who trains with Dakar star, Harith Noah, back home.

    Rajendra RE bounces back into contention with an easy victory at Coimbatore

    Rajendra, the Shimoga-born 2019 Overall champion, who could only get 12 points from a fourth place in Round 1, bagged full 25 points to place himself in a fighting distance with table topper and teammate Abdul Waheed Tanveer, who despite increasing the pace to win the last two stages, could only finish second in Class 1. Rajendra’s blistering pace in the first two stages, provided him a buffer of over 20 seconds. The former champion began with a bang topping SS1 in the Kethanoor farms to log a 15-sec lead that helped him finish Overall first with ease and grace.

    The Class may have only four riders, but the competition was high as all the four National champions (in different years) finished within three seconds. All four missed second round due to Team Orders, but it would not affect any of them in this class as all belong to Petronas TVS Racing, which bagged top honours with Imran Pasha, the Class V winner taking the fifth spot.

    World Cupper Aishwarya Pissay, was back in her elements posting a facile win in the Ladies class and logged 38th place in the Overall ranking for a creditable performance in Round 3, which saw a record number of over 100 bikers vying for honours.

    SuperSport 130cc Group B – Class 2

    Chalass K Bose, put his #62 Stunner on the top of the pack beating Vinoth Kumar (also on a Stunner) of Erode by a whisker and another Kerala rider has to be content with a third place astride a Gladiator. With this win, the Kottayam champ took a 13-point lead over his nearest rival Anoop Manjappa, who could finish only fourth.

    Adnan suffers loss, but keeps Overall lead

    Meanwhile, championship leader Adnan Ahmed saw former champion Imran Pasha race away to a comfortable lead. But later Imran’s TVS mate Sachin too pipped Adnan by less than two-seconds. However, Adnan’s 15 points today for his third-placed finish still keep him atop the rankings with a 5-point lead over Pasha, who has 50 points (2 wins).

    Venu Ramesh, at his best in Supersport 400cc Group B

    The story of this Coimbatore veteran is all about passion and experience. Venu Ramesh Kumar, the oldest rider in the field, continues to defy age with his commitment and dedication to fitness teaching a lesson or two to youngsters half his age. He won comfortably by a mile beating the Bengaluru duo of Amog Nag and Mohammed Zaheer to second and third places respectively. Venu, who also takes part in four-wheeler rallies, keeps himself fit taking part in competitive cycling activities.

    Naresh bags Bullet class

    Naresh VS, another rider, popular as Bruce Lee among the biking family, chalked out an easy win brushing aside the two Kerala riders, Arun Joy and Shajeer Ishmail in the Bullet class.

    Sasi Kumar, on an Impulse, bagged Class 3, the Supersport 165cc Group B while local rider Sabarish won the Superstock 450cc Group D. Vishnu Prakash, also on an Impulse won the local Class 10, a non-championship class.

    TVS continues to dominate Scooter class

    Petronas TVS Racing continues to dominate the Scooter class with Syed Asif Ali and Shamim Khan making it 1-2 for the Hosur factory team while Subramanya T finished third.

    Provisional Results (Ro 3 Cbe):

    Class 1:

    1. #5 Rajendra RE (Petronas TVS Racing; Shimoga) RTR 450; 57:59.624;

    2. #2 Abdul Waheed Tanveer  (Petronas TVS Racing; Bengaluru) RTR 450;  58:19.178;

    3. #3 Samuel Jacob (Petronas TVS Racing; Udupi) RTR 200; 1: 00:38.045;

    4. #4 R Nataraj (Petronas TVS Racing; Mysore) RTR 450; 1: 00:51.112;

    Class 10:

    1. #91 Vishnu Prakash S (Privateer – Pvt; Coimbatore) Impulse; 01:11:01.450;

    2. #99 Ricarius Venchaslaus (Pvt; Coimbatore) Impulse; 01:11:56.250;

    3. #96 Shailesh Kumar (Pvt; Coimbatore) Impulse; 01: 12:14.340; (Including 10 sec penalty)

    4. #100 Aswin JK (Pvt; Coimbatore) Xpulse; 01:13:13.370;

    5. # CV Vignesh (Pvt – Coimbatore) XPulse; 01:13:15.100; (Including 1 min penalty)

    (Legend: Pvt= Privateer; #= Bike number/ Competition Number)

    Class 1A:

    1. #6 Sarath Mohan (Pvt – Mallapuram) Husqvarna; 01: 03: 08.160;

    2. #10 Anish Shetty (PRN Motorsport – Hubbali) KTM 390; 01:03:56.013;

    3. #9 Jatin Jain (Pvt. Nagpur) KTM 450; 01:07:00.381;

    4. #7 Sinan Francis (Pvt.Vennala/Kerala) KTM 450; 01:07:09.419;

    5. #8 Tanika Shanbag (Pvt. Satara) Husqvarna;  01:08:49.726;

    Class 2:

    1. #62 Chalass K Bose (Pvt – Kottayam) Stunner; 01:14:48.638;

    2. #66 Vinoth Kumar (Pvt – Erode) Stunner; 01:14:54.987;

    3. #70 Hari Krishnan (Pvt – Kerala) Gladiator; 01:17:21.170;

    4. #63 Anoop Manjappa (Pvt – Bengaluru) Stunner; 01:24:16.627;

    5. #67 Raj Bharath (Pvt – Bengaluru) Stunner; 01:25:06.845;

    Class 3:

    1. #35 Sasi Kumar (Pvt -Coimbatore) Impulse; 01:08:29:813;

    2. #34 Francis PV (Pvt – Chikkamagaluru) Impulse; 01:08:44.737; (Including 10 sec Penalty);

    3. #45 Vikram Sekar (Pvt – Coimbatore) Impulse; 01:10:27:488;

    4. #39 Varun Kumar (Pvt. – Bengaluru) Impulse; 01:10:44:532;

    5. #43 Nirmal E Paret (Pvt – Kottayam) Impulse; 01:11:14:540;

    Class 4:

    1. #12 Imran Pasha (Petronas TVS Racing – Mysore) RTR 200; 01:01:45:030;

    2. #15 Sachin D (Petronas TVS Racing – Mysore) RTR 200; 01:03:56:323;

    3 #1 Adnan Ahmed (Pvt -Mangaluru) Xpulse; 01:03:58.053;

    4. #17 Banteilang Jerwa (Pvt -Shillong) Xpulse; 01:05:08.075;

    5. #16 Yuva Kumar (Hero MotoSports Team Rally) Xpulse; 01:05:39.889;

    Class 5:

    1. #29 Venu Ramesh Kumar (Pvt – Coimbatore) KTM390; 01:09:16.089;

    2. #30 Amogh Nag (Pvt – Bengaluru) KTM390; 01:10:21.107;

    3. #27 Mohammed Zaheer (Pvt – Bengaluru) KTM-Adv; 01:10:30.994;

    4. #28 Ashwin Anantha Raju (Pvt – Bengaluru) KTM390; 01:16:28.343;

    5. #32 Russel Jossy (Pvt – Mumbai) KTM390; 01:17:20.579;

    Class 6:

    1. #48 Naresh VS (Pvt – Bengaluru) Royal Enfield; 01:08:53.423;

    2. #49 Arun Joy (Pvt – Kerala) Royal Enfield; 01:11:24.222;

    3. #51 Shajeer Ishmail (Pvt – Ernakulam) Royal Enfield; 01:13:59.864;

    4. #52 Mahesh Kumar (Pvt – Kochi) Royal Enfield; 01:14:01.538;

    5. #50 Sreekanth Komana (Pvt – Kochi) Royal Enfield; DNF

    (Only 5 riders in this class took the start)

    Class 7:

    1. #73 Aishwarya Pissay (Petronas TVS Racing – Bengaluru) RTR 200; 01:12:23.225;

    2. #72 Fazeela (Pvt – Ernakulam) Impulse; 01:14:58.092;

    3. #75 Sameera Dahiya (Pvt – Bengaluru) Xpulse; 01:32:54.076;

    4. #74 Deeksha Srivastava (Pvt – Pune) Impulse; 01:33:41.643;

    5. #76 Jeena Joy (Pvt -Muvattupuzha) Xpulse; 01:45:32:747.

    Class 7:

    1. #60 Syed Asif Ali (Petronas TVS Racing – Bhopal) NTorq; 01:11:02:998;

    2. #55 Shamim Khan (Petronas TVS Racing – Bhopal) NTorq; 01:11:06:548;

    3. #57 Subramanya T (Pvt – Bhopal) NTorq; 01:14:02:631;

    4. #54 Goutham N (Pvt – Bengaluru) NTorq; 01:15:55:088;

    5. #61 Elango (Pvt – Erode) NTorq; 01:18:18:147;

    Class 9

    1. #77 Sabarish (Pvt – Coimbatore) Xpulse; 01:09:41:935;

    2. #78 Arun T (Pvt – Bengaluru) RTR200; 01:10:22:870;

    3. #80 Saravana Kumar (Pvt – Coimbatore) Xpulse; 01:11:48:576;

    4. #79 P Rakesh Kumar (Pvt – Coimbatore) RTR200; 01:13:18:295; (Including one minute liaison penalty);

    5. #85 Jagadeesh (Pvt – Coimbatore) Xpulse; 01:13:39:059;

  • 2022 2w Road Racing National attracts over 200 bikers

    2022 2w Road Racing National attracts over 200 bikers

    Coimbatore, 9 June 2022: The MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship returns to the refurbished Kari Motor Speedway here after a three-year interval for the Rolon Round which commences on Friday, June 10.

    The five-round 2022 championship, like the previous edition, promises to be another thriller as the country’s top riders, several of them with international credentials, and two-wheeler manufacturers like TVS, Honda, KTM and Yamaha, vie for honours. The number of entries, as in the previous seasons, has crossed the 200-mark.

    The weekend card includes the National Championship comprising four categories – Pro-Stock 301-400cc and 165cc, Novice (Stock 165cc) and Girls (Stock 165cc) – while Petronas TVS One-Make Championship (301-400cc Open, Rookie, Girls and Media) and Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (NSF 250R, CBR 150 and Hornet 2.0) are also part of the programme. A new addition is the Stock 301-400cc category which will be run as a support race.

    The overall response from the riders has been overwhelming. The promoters, Madras Motor Sports Club, celebrating their 70th anniversary, closed the entries for the Novice (Stock 165cc) category within five days after opening.

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “It is great to be back at the Kari Motor Speedway after a three-year break due to the pandemic. We are overwhelmed by the tremendous response for the Rolon Round this weekend that should dish out high quality and exciting races. While we welcome and thank the riders and manufacturers for their participation, MMSC remains grateful to MRF Tyres for their continued involvement in the championship.”

    The two Pro-Stock categories will headline the weekend card as both grids are brimming with riders with proven credentials and international experience. Topping the line-ups are Rajini Krishnan (301-400cc, RACR Castrol Power) and Jagan Kumar (165cc, Petronas TVS Racing). Both notched their 10th National titles last season.

    Similarly, Ryhana Bee, who has moved to the Pacer Yamaha team, would be the rider to beat in the Girls section. She clinched the title last year, winning all five rounds.

    The Novice category (under-23), which boasts of a massive grid of 32 riders selected from 35 entrants, will throw up a new champion who, though, will have to earn the title considering the highly competitive field comprising riders who are keen to annex their maiden National crown.

    The two One-Make Championships by Honda and TVS have never failed to produce close races in all their categories in the seasons gone by and it is unlikely to be any different this year.

    While Friday is set aside for Free Practice and a few qualifying sessions, 20 races will be gone through over the next two days.

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

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

  • Rajini Krishnan bounces back, double for KY Ahamed

    Rajini Krishnan bounces back, double for KY Ahamed

    Chennai, 10 October 2021: Ace rider Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power Racing) came into his own to script a fine win while TVS Racing’s KY Ahamed completed a double as the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 concluded at the MMRT, here on Sunday.

    Rajini Krishnan, 41, diced with yesterday’s Race-1 winner Hyderabad’s Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing) and Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing) before winning the thrilling battle in the premier Prostock 301-400cc category with less than a second covering the trio. The win, his fourth of the season from six starts, helped Rajini (118 points) to maintain his top position in the championship table with Rahil 17 points adrift.

    Later, local challenger Ahamed kept his nerves to record his second win of the weekend with team-mate and defending champion Jagan Kumar delivering a 1-2 finish for TVS Racing while Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) was third. The result could have been different as early leader, Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing) crashed heavily exiting the last corner in the fifth lap. The result notwithstanding, Jagan continues to head the points table with 126 points, followed by Ravikumar (85), Sethu (83) and Ahamed (77).

    Rajini Krishnan leads the premier Prostock 301-400cc class (118 points) Photos Anand Philar

    One of the top rides of the day, however, was from Chennai collegian Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports), who started P34 and won the Novice (Stock 165cc) race, his third of the season, as did Ryhana Bee (RACR Castrol Power Racing) in the Girls (Stock 165cc) category. Sundar is currently placed second in the championship in the Novice class with 103 points to leader Anfal Akdhar’s 113. Ryhana heads the Girls table with 75 points, well clear of Mumbai’s Jagruti Penkar of Sparks Racing (45).

    Riding a Yamaha R3, Rajini Krishnan brought into play his vast experience to win a tight battle with Rahil Shetty, astride a KTM 390, as the two swapped leads over eight laps with third-placed Ravikumar in the mix.

    The contest, at times, turned physical with Rajini and Rahil coming into contact, but both escaped any mishap. “It was a tough race. Rahil is extremely fast, like he was yesterday. I also had an eye on the championship points and didn’t want to make any mistakes like in the previous round when I crashed,” said Rajini.

    KY Ahamed (No.33) powering his way to victory in the Prostock 165cc Open race (Oct 10)

    The Prostock 165cc Open race was full of suspense as to the eventual outcome, though TVS Racing appeared heading towards another podium sweep like on Saturday. The quartet of Ravikumar, Ahamed, Jagan Kumar and Rajiv Sethu was bunched tight at the front with the TVS trio leading by turns.

    However, Ravikumar tragically crashed when the front tyre washed away and he was fortunate to fall outside the track on the grass allowing Ahamed, Jagan and Sethu, besides rest of the field to zip through.  

    The results (Provisional):

    National Championship – Prostock 301-400cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power, Chennnai,) (15mins, 04.136secs); 2. Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) (15:04.561); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:04.719).

    Prostock 165cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) (15:40.885); 2. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (15:41.020); 3. Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (15:41.146).

    Novice (Stock 165cc) Race-2 (6 laps): 1. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (13:05.747); 2. Sarvesh Balappa (Sparks Racing, Hubballi) (13:06.309); 3. Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing, Thrissur) (13:06.342).

    Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (RACR Castrol Power Racing, Chennai) (10:53.801); 2. Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing, Chennai) (11:07.230); 3. Jagruti Penkar (Sparks Racing, Mumbai) (11:09.601).

    One-Make Championship organised by MMSC:

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250R (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune) (14:46.889); 2. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (14:53.056); 3. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (15:02.291).

    Honda Novice (CBR 150) Race-2 (6 laps): 1. Prakash Kamat (Bokar Steel City) (13:10.827); 2. Ikshan Shanbhag (Satara) (13:13.736); 3. Theopaul Leander (Chennai) (13:26.125).

    Honda Hornet 2.0 (Race-2, 6 laps): 1. Ullas Santrupt Nanda (Chennai) (13:20.440); 2. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (13:20.867); 3. Prabhu V (Chennai) (13:21.107).

    TVS Open (Apache RR 310) Race-1 (6 laps): 1. Jagadeesh N (Bengaluru) (11:47.095); 2. Aditya Rao I (Bengaluru) (11:48.755); 3. Navaneeth Kumar S (Puducherry) (11:50.591). Race-2: 1. Jagadeesh N (11:46.122); 2. Venkat Prabhu (Chennai) (11:49.456); 3. Yashas RL (Bengauru) (11:49.969).

    TVS Rookie (Apache RTR 200) Race-2 (6 laps): 1. Shreyas Hareesh (Bengaluru) (12:53.089); 2. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:53.628); 3. Vignesh Goud (Hyderabad) (12:53.660).

    TVS Media (Apache RTR 200) (5 laps): 1. Soham Thakur (Mumbai) (11:37.219); 2. Manaal Mahatme (Mumbai) (11:47.104); 3. Ajinkya Lad (Mumbai) (12:04.009).

  • MMSC set to host India’s biggest bike racing weekend

    MMSC set to host India’s biggest bike racing weekend

    Chennai, 9 Dec 2020: Big grids, a massive card of 29 races and over 200 entries mark the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2020 which gets underway at the MMRT, here on Friday, behind closed doors, and in what is the biggest domestic racing weekend in India.

    Due to the pandemic and consequent restrictions, the 2020 two-wheeler racing championship has been packed into two back-to-back weekends (Dec 11-13 and Dec 18-20) with competitions in 10 categories.

    The National Championship comprises two Pro-Stock classes – the premier 301-400cc and 165cc – besides two Stock 165cc categories – Novice, which will have a grid of 40 riders, and Girls.

    Also in the mix are two One-Make Championships organised by the MMSC – the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (CBR 150cc and NSF 250R) and TVS One-Make Championship (RTR 310 Open, Novice, Girls and Media).

    MMSC have left no stone unturned in ensuring that not only all Covid-19 safety protocols are followed, but also to deal with the challenges posed by the unpredictable weather by providing grooved tyres also for the Pro-Stock categories.

    Having endured a 15-month break since the 2019 season, the racers are chafing at the bit with all of country’s top riders lining up as also India’s leading bike manufacturers, Honda, TVS, Yamaha and KTM.

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “We are just bowled over by the response from the riders, especially the first-timers. Two-wheeler championship has always produced exciting and close races, and we expect much the same in the two rounds that we are organising this month. Due to the pandemic, lockdown and restrictions, the racing season was put on hold until last month when we squeezed in two rounds of races to complete the four-wheeler championship. Over the next two weekends, the safety protocols would be very much in place despite easing of restrictions and the events will be held behind closed doors.”

     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 from Sholavaram to its present location 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. 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. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.

  • 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.