INDIA in F1

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  • Deepak Paul Chinnappa tops Indian Touring Cars race: FMSCI Racing Nationals

    Deepak Paul Chinnappa tops Indian Touring Cars race: FMSCI Racing Nationals

    Deepak Paul Chinnappa (No.39), winner of Indian Touring Cars race at Chennai on Saturday. An AP Media Comm. image

    Chennai, 22 July 2017: Anindith Reddy from Hyderabad kept his wits about him after a bad start to post a fine win the MRF FF1600 race as did Bengaluru’s Deepak Paul Chinnappa (Race Concepts) who scripted his third consecutive victory in the premier Indian Touring Cars class in the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship at the MMRT track, Sriperumbudur, near here on Saturday.

    While Reddy made the best of the opportunities that came his way to move from third to first, Chinnappa, after easing past pole-sitter and defending champion Arjun Narendran (Red Rooster Performance), maintained a consistent pace for a well-deserved win.

    Also tasting victories on the day were AS Prabhu (Red Rooster Performance) in the Indian Junior Touring Cars class, team-mate Sudanand Rajan (Esteem Cup) and Deepak Ravi Kumar of Quickshift Racing in the Super Stock category after original winner Varun Anekar was docked 30-second penalty for “dangerous driving”.

    Rookies dominated the Formula LGB 1300 class race with Kolkata schoolboy Arya Singh (DTS Racing) finishing ahead of Momentum Motorsport team-mates Pune’s Aanjan Patodia and Yash Aradhya from Bengaluru. Arya, only 16, had won the Student Cup on Friday.

    South African guest driver, Devin Robertson drove a near-flawless race to win the MRF MMSC Volkswagen Ameo Cup race comfortably ahead of Delhi’s Karminder Singh and A Sandeep Kumar (Chennai). Robertson enjoyed an untroubled outing leaving the rest to battle for minor positions.

    Reddy, after slipping to third at the start of the eight-lap race, managed to fight his way back into the lead after front-runner Raghul Ramaswamy was docked a drive-through penalty for jump start and Chetan Korada ran wide. Reddy then hung on to the slender lead to win from Chennai lads Korada and Sandeep Kumar.

    “It was a tough race. I had a bad getaway and lost two places behind Raghul and Chetan. However, in the very lap itself, Chetan made a mistake going into the back “D” and it allowed me to move up one spot. In the next lap, Raghul went in for a drive-through penalty for jump start and I broke clear.

    “Thereafter, I concentrated on keeping my track position and only once Chetan came close which was when I set my fastest lap. I am happy that it all came together today and it should be fun in the next race on Sunday with the reverse grid start,” said Anindith after chalking up his third win in five outings in the championship whose winner at the end of the season earns a right to participate in the Road To Indy shootout in the United States.

    Chinnappa had a great start and eased into the lead by Turn-1 and then drove extremely well to keep Narendran at bay. The duo was separated by mere inches most of the eight laps while pulling away from the field. Chinnappa, while clocking the fastest lap (01:54.228) of the race defended his line very capably to prevent Narendran from passing him.

    Behind the front-runners, Ashish Ramaswamy fought and beat his team-mate Nikanth Ram to third place.

    “I had a good start and passed Arjun going into Turn-1. Thereafter, it was a pretty close race. We both had some advantages in some of the sections. I had some issues with the car with handling and understeer, , but I am happy that I was able to defend my track position,” said Deepak Paul.

    Arjun Narendran conceded that he lost to a quicker driver. “At the start, I had wheel-spin and he passed me. I stayed with him through the eight laps, but was not able to find a way past him. I too had some issues with the understeer.”

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

    MRF FF1600 (Race-1): 1. Anindith Reddy (Hyderabad) (13mins, 51.925secs); 2. Chetan Korada (Chennai) (13:52.904); 3. A Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (13:53.497).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Deepak Paul Chinnappa (Race Concepts) (15:42.078); 2. Arjun Narendran (Red Rooster Performance) (15:42.599); 3. Ashish Ramaswamy (Red Rooster Performance) (16:05.018).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-2, 7 laps): 1. Prabhu AS (Red Rooster Performance) (15:57.245); 2. Kamlesh Parmar (Team N1) (16:04.112); 3. Arjun M Zaveri (Team Game Over) (16:44.437).

    Super Stock (Race-2, 7 laps): 1. Deepak Ravi Kumar (Quickshift Racing) (15:34.021); Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) (15:53.594); 3. Swajit Achrekar (Team N1) (15:55.816).

    Esteem Cup (Race-2, 7 laps): 1. Sudanand Rajan (Red Rooster Performance) (15:13.237); 2. Charan Chandran (Red Rooster Performance) (15:14.695); 3. Anant Pithawalla (Team N1) (15:15.014).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1): 1. Arya Singh (Kolkata,  DTS Racing) (18:56.746); 2. Aanjan Patodia (Pune, Momentum) (18:57.218); 3.Yash Aradhya (Bengaluru, Momentum) (18:57.516).  Rookie Cup: 1. Arya Singh; 2. Aanjan Patodia; 3. Yash Aradhya.

    MRF MMSC Volkswagen Ameo Cup (Race-1): 1. Devin Robertson (South Africa) (15:39.262); 2. Karminder Singh (Delhi) (15:50.095); 3. A Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (15:56.471).

    eom/AP Media Comm press release

  • Arjun grabs pole position: FMSCI Racing Nationals

    Arjun grabs pole position: FMSCI Racing Nationals

    • Arya Singh (No.12) on way to winning the Student Cup race at MMRT, Irungattukottai,
      near Chennai on 21 July 2017. An MMSC image

      Anindith Reddy quickest in MRF FF1600 practice sessions

    • Kolkata schoolboy Arya Singh annexes Student Cup
    • Top honours for Parmar, Pithawalla, Anekar 

    Chennai, 21 July 2017: Hyderabad’s Anindith Reddy warmed up nicely for this weekend’s races by emerging the quickest in both the free practice sessions of the MRF FF1600 while Arya Singh, a 16-year old schoolboy from Kolkata, clinched the Student Cup (Formula 1300) with two wins and a podium finish in the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship at the MMRT track, Sriperumbudur, near here on Friday.

    South African Devin Robertson, a guest driver, qualified for pole position in the Volkswagen Ameo Cup, a clear second off joint championship leaders Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) and Karminder Singh (Delhi), while defending champion Arjun Narendran (Red Rooster Performance) from Coimbatore topped the qualifying session in the premier Indian Touring Cars class.

    In the day’s last event that was run on a combined grid, Mumbai’s Kamlesh Parmar (Indian Junior Touring Cars) and Anant Pithawalla (Esteem Cup), both of Team N1, and Bengaluru’s Varun Anekar (Super Stock) of Race Concepts won in their respective categories.

    Championship leader in the MRF FF1600 class, Reddy, 27, was clearly ahead of the pack as he put in a series of consistently quick laps in the two free practice sessions, but expected a tough fight in the double-header this weekend.

    “I had a really good run in the morning when the track conditions were excellent. In the afternoon, the track was quite hot and I was off the morning pace. Anyway, we still have the qualifying tomorrow and two races. There is not much difference between the top three and it will boil down to who strings together a few good laps,” said Anindith.

    The winner of the MRF FF1600 championship earns a berth in the Road To Indy shootout in the United States, provided the qualifier is under 25 years of age. “I guess, I will not be eligible for the shootout even if I win the championship,” Anindith pointed out.

    The day undoubtedly belonged to 16-year old Arya Singh, a 11th standard Commerce student of Heritage School, Kolkata. After finishing third in the first of the three races in the Student Cup class (Formula 1300), Arya, in just his second full season, put in impressive drives to win the next two of the triple-header.

    “My intention was to have fun and drive fast. I am happy that I managed to win two of the three races. In the first race, I made a mistake at Turn-3 when in the lead and had to settle for second spot, but in the next outing, I had a good start and won comfortably.

    “The third race was most exciting as I had a good battle with Rithvik after I lost position due to a mistake again at Turn-3. In the end, I managed to pass him going into Turn-1 on the last lap and held the lead,” said Arya who idolises former World F1 champion Fernando Alonso.

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

    Indian Junior Touring Cars – Race 1: 1. Kamlesh Parmar (Team N1) (19mins, 52.565secs); 2. Prabhu AS (Red Rooster Performance) (19:57.069); 3. Mikhail Merchant (Team Game Over) (20:14.408).

    Super Stock – Race 1: 1. Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) (19:18.592); 2. RP Rajarajan (Performance Racing) (19:31.053); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Quickshift Racing) (19:37.032).

    Esteem Cup – Race 1: 1. Anant Pithawalla (Team N1) (19:15.634); 2. Charan Chandran (Red Rooster Performance) (19:15.817); 3. Sudanand Rajan (Red Rooster Performance) (19:22.041).

    Student Cup – Race 1 (7 laps): 1. Aanjan Patodia (Pune, Momentum Motorsports) (08: 16.251); 2. Arya Singh (Kolkata, DTS Racing) (08:16.362); 3. Rithvik Thomas (Bengaluru, Wallace Sports) (08:17.064). Race 2: 1. Arya Singh (09:11.388); 2. Aanjan Patodia (09:21.109); 3. Rithvik Thomas (09:22.361). Race 3: 1. Arya Singh (09:25.868); 2. Bala Prasath (Coimbatore, DTS Racing) (09:27.129); 3. Rithvik Thomas (09:28.836).

    QUALIFYING – Indian Touring Cars: 1. Arjun Narendran (Red Rooster Racing) (01:54.365); 2. Deepak Paul Chinnappa (Race Concepts) (01:55.023); 3. C Rajaram (Performance Racing) (01:57.724).

    Volkswagen Ameo Cup: 1. Devin Robertson (South Africa) (01:54.150); 2. A Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (01:55.252); 3. Karminder Singh (Delhi) (01:55.268).

    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 2016. 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.

    eom/AP Media Comm. press release

  • MRF Formula 1600 to blaze MMRT track; Race to Indy shootout to resumes

    Chennai, July 19: The battle for Road To Indy shootout resumes at the MMRT track in Sriperumbudur, near here, on Friday after a five-month break when the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship gets underway with MRF F1600 headlining the programme comprising 14 races.

    The MRF F1600 is one of the most competitive events as a ticket to the coveted Mazda Road To Indy shootout in the United States is on offer for the champion driver at the end of the season. The winner of the shootout is eligible for a scholarship of USD 200,000.

    Last year, Karthik Tharani took part in the shootout contested by 21 drivers from across the World, but was not among the top six who qualified for the final 30-minute race.

    The two rounds of the MRF F1600 so far this year have witnessed extremely close competition for top honours. Anindith Reddy from Hyderabad heads the championship with 93 points.

    The weekend’s schedule includes the Volkswagen Ameo Cup which replaced last season’s Vento Cup. The double-header in the one-make series dished out exciting fare last weekend in Coimbatore with Karminder Singh (Delhi) and Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) winning one race apiece.

    The first round of the 2017 MMSC fmsi National Drag Racing Championship for four-wheelers is also in the programme with practice runs on Saturday followed by the final sprints on Sunday.

    For the first time this season, the saloon cars in the top-end Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock will come on the same card along with the entry-level Formula LGB 1300 which also has a Rookie class that provides an option for youngsters moving up from karting to open-wheel racing.

    MMSC’s continuing efforts to attract fresh and young talent, especially among students has led to the introduction of a Student Cup where the competitors will drive the Formula LGB 1300 cars.

    As the name suggests, the category is open to college students.

    “I am happy to say that the Student Cup has attracted good number of entries and it is our hope that this category will throw up talent among youngsters who will get a taste of open-wheel racing,” said Vicky Chandhok, Chairman of the Meet.

    The three races in the premier Indian Touring Cars class will be the other highlight of the weekend. The previous outing in Coimbatore witnessed exciting duels between Red Rooster Performance and Race Concepts, the two front-running teams.

    There is much to look forward to as defending champion Arjun Narendran (Red Rooster Performance) seeks to stamp his authority following his winless weekend in Coimbatore where Deepak Paul Chinnappa (Race Concepts) won two of the three races. Narednran’s team-mate Ashish Ramaswamy topped the other.

    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 2016. 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.

    eom/MMSC press release

  • Aishwarya Pissay wins historic first National Championship race for ladies in a thrilling duel

    Aishwarya Pissay wins historic first National Championship race for ladies in a thrilling duel

    Aishwarya Pissay of Bengaluru tops the maiden ladies class National Championship race to complete a double. Image by Sriharsha Nadiger, Special Arrangement with INDIAinF1.

    Coimbatore, 10 June 2017: The girls race in the Rolon round of the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship lit up an overcast day marked by intermittent showers with Bengaluru’s Aishwarya Pissay of Apex Racing Academy team winning a thrilling battle at the Kari Motor Speedway, here on Saturday.

    The day’s programme was truncated due to rains in the evening and two scheduled races will be run on Sunday that will have an early start at 9 am, it was officially announced.

    In a very close and thrilling eight-lap race, pole-sitter Aishwarya was off to a bad start and briefly slid to third before recovering to take the lead. However, she got embroiled in a tight battle with Kalyani Potekar (Madhya Pradesh, Speed Up Racing) who nosed ahead in the last lap before committing an error at Turns 3 and 4 where Aishwarya got a jump on her to win the race.

    While Kalyani was left to rue her riding errors in the last lap to finish second, Chennai’s Alisha Abdullah (Alisha Abdullah Racing Academy) came in third.

    “I had a very bad start. I don’t know what happened but I managed to regain my track position. I had a tough battle with Kalyani and in the last lap, I managed to close the door on her and it gave me just enough breathing space to win the race,” said Aishwarya who later won the TVS girls race, a support event, for a creditable double.

    Another impressive winner on the day was Kerala’s Amarnath Menon of Gusto Racing who topped in the Super Sport Indian 300-400cc after front-runner Antony Peter (Kingdom Motorsport) packed up after the first lap.

    Finishing second behind Menon, who faced little competition after he took the lead, was his team-mate Arun Muthukrishnan with Vivek Pillai (Rockers Racing) completing the podium.

    One of the highlights of Sunday’s programme will be a 40-rider grid in the Stock (up to 165cc, Novice) race. The initial 58 entrants went through a process of qualifying and heats in two batches to make the grid for the race.

    The results (Provisional):

    National Championship – Super Sport Indian (300-400cc, 10 laps): 1. Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing) (12mins, 49.080secs); 2. Arun Muthukrishnan (Gusto Racing) (12:56.517); 3. Vivek Pillai (Rockers Racing) (12:57.274).

    Stock (Novice, up to 165cc) – Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. Aditya Rao (Sparks Racing) (11:34.049); 3. Satyanarayana Raju (Sparks Racing) (11:38.535); 3. Nithish Kumar N (Sparks Racing) (11:40.161). Heat 2: 1. Akshay VM (Palghat) (11:35.275); 2. Navin A (Salem) (11:40.414); 3. AS Alexander (Chennai) (11:45.644).

    GIRLS – (Stock, up to 165cc, 8 laps): 1. Aishwarya Pissay (Bengaluru, Apex Racing Academy) (12:13.213); 2. Kalyani Potekar (Madhya Pradesh,  Speed Up Racing) (12:13.467); 3. Alisha Abdullah (Chennai, Alisha Abdullah Racing Academy) (12:15.613).

    One-Make Championship – Honda CBR150 (Novice, 8 laps): 1. Satya Narayana (Hyderabad) (14:27.445); 2. Bharath BS (Erode) (14:38.111); 3. Syed Nawas N (Chennai) (14:39.523).

    TVS Apache RTR 200 (Novice, 8 laps): 1. Peddu Sriharsha (Chennai) (14:22.692); 2. Shankar Guru (Chennai) (14:28.962); 3. Anup Kumar M (Chennai) (14:42.639).

    Support Race – TVS Girls race (8 laps): 1. Aishwarya Pisay (Bengaluru) (12:20.723); 2.Soundari (Chennai) (12:43.922); 3.Kokila Shiva Shankar (Banglaore) (12:59.397).

    eom/AP Media Comm. Press Release

  • Gill fails long runs, finishes second: APRC

    Team MRF drivers took the top two spots in the National Capital Rally, the second round of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, here on Sunday.

    Norwegian driver Ole Christian Veiby, who led after the opening day, drove his Skoda Fabia R5 to victory in a timing of 2:15:11:2s. Gaurav Gill, who had won the APRC opening race at New Zealand, finished second best time with a timing 2:16:00:5s

    “It’s a really nice win, of course yesterday was a little bit tight, but we showed some good speeds today. The stages suited us well today, we managed to take some good time on the others and the last two stages was just cruising in and securing it in,” said Veiby.

    eom/FIA/APRC press release

  • Gill, Team MRF geared for APRC title defence

    Gill, Team MRF geared for APRC title defence

    Gauvrav Gill in Whangarei, New Zealand, on Thursday. Photo by Anand Philar

    Whangarei (New Zealand), 27 April 2017: India’s Gaurav Gill of Team MRF Tyres appears well primed to begin the defence of his FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship crown as the first round, the International Rally of Whangarei, commences here Friday evening with a ceremonial flag-off followed by a 1Km Super Special Stage that will be run twice.

    Delhi-based Gill along with Belgian veteran Stephane Prevot in the co-driver’s seat, has Norway’s 20-year old Ole Christian Veiby as his new team-mate. Veiby is making his debut in the APRC partnered by co-driver and compatriot Stig Rune Skjærmoen.

    Both Gill and Veiby, a regular in the World Rally Championship (WRC)-2, are driving similar Skoda Fabia R5 cars, prepared by Race Torque.

    Gill enjoyed a phenomenal 2016 season when he won all the six rounds for his second APRC title even as Team MRF Tyres stretched their domination, but he expected a challenging outing over the weekend.

    Speaking after a 14-hour reconnaissance run today, Gill said: “The Stages are a mix of new and old, some of which I had driven on a few years ago. However, it will be very challenging and tyre choice will play a crucial role since there is far more gravel on the road than previously. So, it is important to nurse the tyres, especially in the long Stages.

    “As I am first on the road on Saturday, I will be doing the sweeping, but in 2014 and 2016 when I won here, I had started first. I want to continue that performance.

    “Rains are forecast for Saturday and if it does, then it will help us. Our car, run on India’s MRF tyres, will be up against competition using WRC-spec tyres. But I am confident that we will do well.

    “As for my new team-mate Ole, he has more miles in the car than me. He is into his sixth Rally of the year, while this will be my first in four months. So, it is going to be a challenging task overall, but I am up to it.”

    Veiby said: “I have some extra butterflies in my stomach ahead of this Rally, and honestly, I don’t know what to expect, but I hope to put in a good performance.”

    The super-fast Special Stages totaling 260.64 Kms with flowing corners would see average speeds of about 120 Kmph, but they demand precision driving in view of the loose off-line surface especially on the corners where mistakes will be punished.

    The International Rally of Whangarei will be contested over 16 Special Stages totaling 260.64 Kms with a liaison distance of 528.40 Kms. After Friday’s Super Special Stage, the cars head north out of town on Saturday to complete two loops of four Stages. On Sunday, the cars will move south of Whangarei for six more Stages before heading back to the finish at the iconic Quayside Town Basin near the harbour.

    eom/AP Media Comm press release

  • Gill to lead MRF SKODA campaign in APRC

    Gill to lead MRF SKODA campaign in APRC

    Chennai, 14 April 2017: India’s

    File photo of Gaurav Gill by Anand Philar.

    leading tyre manufacturer MRF Tyres today confirmed their participation in the 2017 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship which commences in Whangarei, New Zealand, on April 28.

    MRF, in association with Czech car manufacturer SKODA, has entered two Race Torque-prepared SKODA Fabia R5 cars to be driven by Delhi-based Gaurav Gill, the defending APRC champion, and Ole Christian Veiby of Norway.

    Alongside Gill is veteran co-driver Belgian Stephane Prevot in the absence of regular partner, Glenn Macneall of Australia. Prevot partnered Gill only once before, in the 2016 Rally Hokkaido (Japan) where the duo won. Veiby, a member of the SKODA’s WRC-2 team and making his APRC debut, is paired with compatriot Stig Rune Skjærmoen.

    Gill, winner of the International Rally of Whagarei in 2014 and 2016, said: “MRF have been doing a lot of development work on their rally tyres during the pre-season and I am hopeful of good performances.

    “The New Zealand Rally is a challenging event in terms of the terrain which is basically super-fast gravel surface where our speeds average around 120 kmph, and the grid which has a couple of drivers with WRC experience. I am familiar with the terrain and looking forward to the competition.”

    The 2017 FIA APRC calendar is: Whangarei, New Zealand (April 28-30), Canberra, Australia (May 26-28), China (July 7-9), Johor Bahru, Malaysia (August 11-13), Hokkaido, Japan (September 15-17) and Chikkamagaluru, India (November 24-26).

    eom/AP Media Comm release

  • Mawson, Newey, Schumacher in frame for title: MRF Challenge

    Mawson, Newey, Schumacher in frame for title: MRF Challenge

    Chennai, 16 Feb 2017: There is plenty of high octane action on cards as the second round of the MRF MMSC Fmsci Indian National Racing Championship kicks off at the MMRT track in Sriperumbudur, near here this weekend along with the grand finale of MRF Challenge (Formula 2000) which boasts of a highly competitive grid containing young guns from abroad, some of them boasting rich racing pedigree.

    In all, 10 races have been scheduled over Saturday and Sunday after Friday’s free practice sessions. Much of the attention will be on the four MRF Challenge races where Australian Joey Mawson (211 points), Harrison Newey of the UK

    File photo of MRF Challenge in progress. Image by Anand Philar.

    (184) and German Mick Schumacher (171) are locked in a three-way battle for the championship. The MRF Challenge returns to Chennai after previous rounds in Bahrain, Dubai and Greater Noida (Buddh International Circuit).

    One of the highpoints of the weekend will be the presence of MRF brand ambassador Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar who is expected to do a few laps of the circuit in a twin-seater racing car on Sunday.

    The MRF Challenge is being run concurrently with the National Racing Championship that includes MRF F1600, a revamped Formula LGB 1300 and the Saloon cars which comprise the Indian Junior Touring Cars and the Super Stock while the Esteem Cup will be making its debut, but not counting towards the National championship. The high-end Indian Touring Cars will be joining the championship in the next round to be run in March.

    The entry-level Formula LGB 1300 which also has a Rookie class provides an option for youngsters moving up from karting to open-wheel racing. The Rookie class is part of MMSC’s continuing efforts to attract fresh and young talent, especially among students and the initiative has met with an encouraging response with 22 entries.

    Chairman of the Meet Vicky Chandhok said: “Now that we have the single-seater category in place as a platform for talent to move up the ladder, we decided to focus on saloon cars in our effort to encourage participation of more car manufacturers in the National Championship in keeping with MMSC’s vision.

    “With this in mind, we have thrown open the Super Stock to all comers and not just restricted to the Maruti Esteem.

    “The production of Esteem cars has been stopped, but considering that many have already invested in this make, we decided to have a separate Cup for this make. We hope that this move will see bigger grids and more manufacturers coming aboard.”

    The MRF F1600, where the champion at the end of the season will be eligible to participate in the Mazda Road To Indy shootout in the United States, is no doubt the flagship of the National championship with a very competitive grid.

    The first round in Noida last month saw Bengaluru’s Ananth Shanmugam and Nayan Chatterjee from Mumbai winning a race apiece. The two share the top spot with 40 points apiece, ahead of 2015 Volkswagen Vento Cup champion Anindith Reddy (36) from Hyderabad. The grid also has 2016 Vento Cup champion Ishaan Dodhiwala (Hyderabad) who is in his first single-seater season and managed just six points in the previous round.

    eom/AP Media Comm. press release

  • Mick Schumacher, Harrison Newey share honours; Maiden win for Nayan in MRF 1600 race

    Mick Schumacher, Harrison Newey share honours; Maiden win for Nayan in MRF 1600 race

    From left: Mawson, Schumcher, Newey. Image by MRF

    Greater Noida, 29 Jan 2017: Mick Schumacher took another commanding win in Round 3 of the MRF Challenge 2016 at the Buddh International Circuit ahead of Joey Mawson and Harrison Newey here on Sunday. Nayan Chatterjee put in an inspired effort to hold off Anindith Reddy to win his maiden race of the MRF 1600 series.

    In Race 2, Newey struck back to take his first win of the weekend as Schumacher crashed out. Ralf Aron and Joey Mawson finished in that order. Mawson continues to lead the championship on 211 points.

    Starting on pole position, Schumacher got the perfect start to lead into the first corner, with front-row starter Newey once again losing out at the start, this time to Joey Mawson. Newey briefly got past Mawson down the main straight only for the Australian to take the position back going into corner 4. As Mawson and Newey continued to battle, Schumacher pulled away at the front. Schumacher crossed the finish line in 1st place, taking his 2nd win in 3 races. Mawson fended off Newey to finish in 2nd place. Drugovich finished in a lonely 4th place, ahead of Rinus Van Kalmthout, Juri Vips and Pedro Cardoso.

    Race 4, the second race of the day provided all the action.  Newey made a perfect start to lead the race, as there was a big battle behind between Aron, Mawson and Schumacher for second place. Schumacher tried to pass Mawson but both drivers collided, dropping Mawson to 8th. Schumacher closed in on Aron and both went wide coming out of turn 3, allowing Drugovich to go past. As Schumacher was passing Aron, he clipped Drugovich who had turned into turn 4. Both Schumacher and Drugovich retired on the spot, bringing out the safety car in the process. The race finished under safety car with Newey winning ahead of Aron and Mawson. Behind them Cardoso finished in 4th place, ahead of Schramm and Van Kalmthout.

    Mick Schumacher was happy to continue his impressive form at the BIC. He commented, “I had a good start and with both these guys (Newey and Mawson) battling behind me I had the chance to pull away. It is a shame about the last race but am pretty happy about the entire weekend.”

    Harrison Newey commented, “I have had trouble with my starts the entire weekend so it was good to finally have a good start. I have had the pace in all the races but tough to overtake here. This is a good way to end the weekend”

    In the second race of the MRF 1600 championship, reverse grid pole sitter Alex Bora held on to the lead at the start only to lose out to Chatterjee in the opening lap. Reddy passed Bora and started to close in on Chatterjee and on lap 4 got past him to take the lead. The next two laps saw an intense battle ensue with both drivers trading places at the front. With 3 laps to go Chatterjee took the lead and stayed in front to take his first victory in the championship. Reddy finished in 2nd place with Race 1 winner Ananth Shanmugam recovering well to finish in a creditable 3rd place. Anshul Shah finished in 4th place ahead of Bora and Arya Singh.

    Provisioinal Results: MRF Challenge 2016, Round 3, Race 3: 1. Mick Schumacher (22:22.305); 2. Joey Mawson (22:26.311); 3. Harrison Newey (22:27.580).

    Race 4: 1. Harrison Newey (30:30.323); 2. Ralf Aron (30:31. 155); 3. Joey Mawson (30: 31.549).

    MRF 1600, Round 1, Race 2: 1. Nayan Chatterjee (17: 21.448); 2. Anindith Reddy (17: 24.780); 3. Ananth Shanmugam (17: 27.097).

     

    eom/david/MRF press release/Edited and revised with correct Race 4 result on 31 Jan 2017 at 10am

  • Exciting win for Jr Schumy; Mawson extends lead

    Exciting win for Jr Schumy; Mawson extends lead

    Greater Noida, 28 Jan 2017: Mick Schumacher won the opening race of Round 3 in the MRF Challenge 2016 at the Buddh International Circuit here on Saturday. Junior Schumacher beat Felipe Drugovich to second place while Harrison Newey came third.

    In Race 2, table leader Joey Mawson extended his lead with a convincing win in an action-packed race. Estonian driver Ralf Aron finished in 2nd ahead of Schumacher, who fought back from 8th on the grid.

    The opening race of the MRF 1600 championship saw pole sitter Ananth Shanmugam win ahead of Anindith Reddy and Nayan Chaterjee, an MRF press release said.

    Schumacher took his maiden pole in the championship after an intense battle with Newey. The 30-minute qualifying session saw Schumacher and Newey trade fastest laps before Schumacher did a 1:50.749 to seal the top spot, making it the fastest lap ever done by the F2000 at the BIC.

    Starting on pole, the German driver got the perfect getaway to lead into the first corner, with front-row starter Harrison Newey losing out to Felipe Drugovich going into Turn 1. Drugovich started to apply pressure on Schumacher but could never get close enough to attempt a pass. Behind him, Newey and Mawson was all over the rear of Drugovich but could not find a way past. Schumacher managed to control the pace at the front to take his third win of the season. Drugovich finished ahead of Newey and Mawson. Rinus van Kalmthout equalled his best result of the season finishing fifth, ahead of Kimi Schramm and Aron.

    In Race 2, Yoshiaki Katayama started on reverse grid pole position alongside Schramm. While all drivers had a clean start there was action at the third corner with Pavan Ravishankar colliding with Drugovich and bringing out the safety car in the process. When racing resumed, Mawson pounced on Schramm at the end of the long straight and took the lead. Schramm then lost a position to Aron and two laps later Schumacher and Newey also got by. Mawson pulled away at the front and comfortably took his second win of the season with Aron and Schumacher completing the podium. Newey finished in 4th with Schramm and Van Kalmthout rounding off the top 6.

    Mick Schumacher said: “I am very happy with the win. I had a reasonable start and then it was important to control the pace. The circuit is very technical and very enjoyable to race on. I hope to continue this form for the rest of the weekend.”

    In the opening race of the MRF 1600 championship, pole sitter Shanmugam had a dreadful start and dropped back to 3rd place with Reddy storming into the lead. Shanmugam first got past Nayan Chaterjee and then overtook Reddy was unchallenged then on to cross the finish line for a great win on debut. Reddy settled for 2nd place with Chaterjee taking third also on debut.

    Provisional Results: MRF Challenge 2016, Round 3, Race 1: 1. Mick Schumacher (22:33.728); 2. Felipe Drugovich (22: 35.421); 3. Harrison Newey (22: 36.193); 4. Joey Mawson (22: 37.754).

    Race 2: 1. Joey Mawson (24: 27.191); 2. Ralf Aron (24:35.276); 3. Mick Schumacher (24: 38.651);

    MRF 1600, Round 1, Race 1: 1. Ananth Shanmugam (16:56.919); 2. Anindith Reddy (17: 02.527); 3. Arya Singh (17:03.922).

     

    eom/david

     

     

    L to R Drugovich, Schumacher, Newey, Arun Mammen, MD, MRF Tyres. Image courtesy MRF