INDIA in F1

Tag: MRF

  • Team MRF top guns to renew rivalry: APRC Rally Hokkaido

    File photo of Gaurav Gill during Friday's shakedown in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, ahead of the Round 4 of FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship. Image Anand Philar
    File photo of Gaurav Gill during Friday’s shakedown in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, ahead of the Round 4 of FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship. Image Anand Philar

    Obihiro (Japan): Trailing his MRF Tyres team-mate Pontus Tidemand by 43 points after four of the six rounds of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, India’s Gaurav Gill will resume his titanic battle with the Swedish ace in the Rally Hokkaido this weekend.

    The Rally-Hokkaido, which commences Friday with a ceremonial start followed by one loop of the 960-metre Super Special Stage, is one of the more punishing rounds in the APRC with as many as 20 Special Stages to be run over 225.35 Kms, apart from the Transport section of 735.92 Kms.

    Tidemand along with his co-driver and Swedish compatriot Emil Axelsson currently head the APRC points table with 147 points while Gill and his Aussie partner Glenn Macneall are placed second on 104 with the pair, in the factory-supported Skoda Fabia S2000, well on course to seal the team championship for MRF and the manufacturers title for the Czech car major.

    For 33-year old Delhi-based Gill, the 2013 APRC champion, it has been an up-and-down season with one win in New Caledonia, two podium finishes in New Zealand and Malaysia, and a retirement in Australia that cost him dearly. However, he has the opportunity to repeat his 2013 performance when he won the Rally Hokkaido en route to the championship title.

    With just two rounds of the APRC remaining, the Rally Hokkaido and the China Rally, and a maximum of 78 points available to the winner, Gill has to produce flawless drives to win both the events and reclaim the championship. As such, the Rally Hokkaido should witness another titanic battle between the two team-mates.

    “It is going to be a very fast rally for sure. The Stages are much wider than last time and there are a few new Stages too. I will do my best to win the event though I would have been happier with some testing prior to this event,” said Gill after a reconnaissance run of the Stage on Thursday.

    Tidemand, only 24 but with far more seat time in the Skoda than Gill, it has been a brilliant debut in the APRC following victories in New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia as he kept his wits about in unfamiliar conditions.

    Reflecting on the situation, Tidemand said: “Of course it feels great to come to Japan as the championship leader. But each rally comes with a new challenge, especially for me as I do all these events for the first time and never really know what to expect. We are ready to fight for a great result and hopefully it will be a close and exciting race.”

    Gill and Tidemand have been so dominant in their super-quick and agile S2000 cars, prepared by Race Torque, that the rest of the APRC pack is barely in the frame, much less offer meaningful challenge to the Team MRF duo.

    Even Cusco Racing team’s talented New Zealander Michael Young (co-driver Malcolm Read) in the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, has been struggling to match the pace of the front-runners. With just 60 points in the kitty, Young at best can only finish second in the championship, but it is early days yet for the Kiwi to look so far ahead.

    Team MRF boss Lane Heenan said: “So far, the year has gone according to plan. The Skoda Fabia S2000 is a proven winner all around the world, and it continues to be the car to beat in the diverse Asia-Pacific Rally Championship events. Rally Hokkaido is an event Team MRF has won on several occasions, and we’re hoping for a similar result this weekend.”

  • MRF dominate with 1-2 finish, as Tidemand triumphs: APRC

    Johor Bahru (Malaysia) 16 Aug 2015: Pontus Tidemand and co-driver Emil Axelsson led a 1-2 finish for Team MRF as the Swedes swept to their third win of the season by claiming the title in the Malaysian Rally, the fourth round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, here on Sunday.

    The 24-year old Tidemand, driving the Skoda Fabia S2000, finished one minute, 56.5 seconds ahead of team-mate, India’s Gaurav Gill (co-driver Glenn Macneall).

    Gill comfortably won the first round of Asia Cup, sparing over 19 minutes to Fan Fan (Junwei Fang) from China who drove the Mitsubishi Evo EX for South-East Motor team.

    Tidemand, making his APRC debut, had triumphed in Australia and New Zealand, and the win on Sunday took his tally to 147 points while 33-year old Delhi-based Gill, winner of the first round in New Caledonia, moved to 104.

    With just two more rounds of APRC to be run in Japan (Sept 18-20) and China (Oct 30-Nov 1) and a maximum of 78 points on offer, Tidemand has taken a stranglehold on the championship leaving Gill a mathematical chance of claiming the title he had won in 2013.

    Leading by 01:19.9 overnight, Tidemand kept the throttle down on Sunday when six more Stages were run over much shorter distance than on Saturday as the Swede was quickest in five loops while Gill, driving in heavy rains, took the last Stage of the day.

    “I had a good day today and absolutely no problems with the car. I was new to these conditions and it was very challenging. But I am happy that I survived and brought the car home safely.

    “We have two more rounds in Japan and China, and I looking forward to it. Like I said, all this is new to me, but I want to do well,” said Tidemand.

    An obviously disappointed Gill, winner here last year, had problems with the rear differential of his Skoda Fabia S2000 besides overheating and loss of grip.

    “The rear differential stopped working during the first loop and there was no grip. So, I couldn’t drive normally. Then we had heavy rains during the second loop, but we were quicker in the last Stage.

    “Overall, it was the worst weekend of my life with all the problems we had due to grass getting into the radiator grill and all that. I now look forward to the remaining two rounds,” said Gill who did not participate in the conventional champagne ceremony as a mark of respect for Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India president Bharath Raj who passed away in Bengaluru on Saturday.

    MRF team boss Lane Heenan said: “It was very tough on the cars, but we are happy that both Tidemand and Gill finished. I think it was after very long time that both MRF cars finished here in Malaysia.”

    Provisional classification (after Leg-2):

    Asia-Pacific Rally Championship: Pontus Tidemand / Emil Axelsson (Team MRF, Skoda Fabia S2000) 1 (03hrs, 05mins, 11.5secs); Gaurav Gill / Glenn Macneall (Team MRF, Skoda Fabia S2000) 2 (03:07:08.0).

    Asia Cup (Round-1): G

    Pontus Tidemand of Team MRF in action on Sunday on way to winning the Malaysian Rally, the fourth round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, in Johor Bahru on Sunday. Image by Anand Philar
    Pontus Tidemand of Team MRF in action on Sunday on way to winning the Malaysian Rally, the fourth round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, in Johor Bahru on Sunday. Image by Anand Philar

    aurav Gill / Glenn Macneall (Team MRF, Skoda Fabia S2000) 1 (03:07:08.0); Fan Fan / Junwei Fang (South-East Motor, Evo EX) 2 (03:26:58.8); Genki Takeuchi / Naoki Kase (Cusco Racing, Subaru Impreza) 3 (03:32:28.1).

    eom/AP Media Communications release

  • Gaurav Gill trails teammate Tidemand by over 1 minute: APRC Malaysian Rally

    Johor Bahru (Malaysia), 15 Aug 2015: Swedish pair Pontus Tidemand and co-driver Emil Axelsson of Team MRF took a commanding one minute, 19.9 seconds lead over team-mate Gaurav Gill (Glenn Macneall) at the end of Leg-1 in the Malaysian Rally which is the fourth round of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship here on Saturday.

    Gill, however, drew consolation from finishing the day on top in the Asia Cup category, enjoying a 11-minute lead over Cusco Racing duo of Genki Takeuchi and co-driver Naoki Kase who were in a Subaru Impreza.

    Both Tidemand, who leads the championship, and Gill, the 2013 APRC champion, survived a nightmarish ride through the day’s eight Special Stages highlighted by bouts of overtaking between the two as they stopped to remove grass from the front grill which was leading to overheating of the engine.

    “I have never seen anything like it in my rallying career. In Special Stage-3, for instance, I had to stop four times to remove grass from the front frill and Pontus did the same twice. So, we overtook each other on the Stage,” said the 33-year old Delhi-based Gill who was quickest in three of the eight Stages.

    Tidemand, the 24-year old Skoda test driver, and winner of two of the three APRC rounds this season, had to tackle other problems, ranging from dampers, brakes and loss of concentration due to extreme heat and humidity.

    “I am happy that I was able to finish the day. To top it, I had a couple of spins which also cost me time. We had to stop thrice in one of the Stages to remove the grass. We had issues with dampers, brakes and lapse of concentration. So, it was a tough day and tomorrow, I just want to survive,” said Tidemand, driving in Malaysia for the first time.

    Gill, winner here last year, had to also deal with an errant front fender which came off and somehow got entangled in front of the radiator leading to overheating in the post-lunch session.

    “It was weird. We had to stop and rip off the fender which was causing overheating. Overall, it was a difficult day and tomorrow, I will be pushing hard, but with shorter Stages and less distance, the lead is too much to make up,” said Gill.

    Through the day’s eight Stages, Tidemand and Gill put on a spectacular show with aggressive driving as the Swede tried to sustain an early lead and the Indian pushing all the way in a bid to narrow the leeway.

    With the two MRF team-mates setting such a scorching pace, the rest of the field fell away with a series of retirements leaving only Tidemand and Gill in the running for APRC honours.

    Provisional classification (after Leg-1):

    Asia-Pacific Rally Championship: Pontus Tidemand / Emil Axelsson (Team MRF, Skoda Fabia S2000) 1 (02hrs, 9mins, 21.2secs); Gaurav Gill / Glenn Macneall (Team MRF, Skoda Fabia S2000) 2 (02:10:41.1).

    Asia Cup (Round-1): Gaurav Gill / Glenn Macneall (Team MRF, Skoda Fabia S2000) 1 (02:10:41.1); Genki Takeuchi / Naoki Kase (Cusco Racing, Subaru Impreza) 2 (02:22:26.9); Hitoshi Takayama / Hideki Takeyabu (Immens Motorsport, Subaru Impreza WRS STi) 3 (02:29:44.4).

    Sweden’s Pontus Tidemand of Team MRF who finished Leg – 1 in the lead in the fourth round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, on Saturday. Image by Anand Philar
    Sweden’s Pontus Tidemand of Team MRF who finished Leg – 1 in the lead in the fourth round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, on Saturday. Image by Anand Philar

     

  • Tough terrain to test Team MRF stars Gill, Tidemand: APRC

    Johor Bahru (Malaysia): The indications are that the Malaysian Rally which is also the fourth round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship and commencing here on Saturday after tonight’s ceremonial flag-off, will prove to be a tough test for Team MRF’s Gaurav Gill and Pontus Tidemand who are locked in an intense battle for supremacy.

    Following the reconnaissance run on Thursday, both Gill, the 2013 Asia-Pacific champion who trails team-mate Tidemand of Sweden by 34 points, described the 14 Special Stages, totaling 226.56 Kms that will be run over two days, as “tough and extremely challenging”.

    Speaking at a pre-event Media conference here on Friday after the shakedown where the two MRF Skoda Fabia S2000 cars were among the quickest, Gill, who w

    Gaurav Gill during Friday's shakedown in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, ahead of the Round 4 of FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship. Image Anand Philar
    Gaurav Gill during Friday’s shakedown in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, ahead of the Round 4 of FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship. Image Anand Philar

    on here last year, opined that the rally tracks had knee-high growth of grass which could test the vehicles.

    “I have never seen so much grass on a rally route in all my years in this event. It is going to be hard on the cars, but hopefully, we will come through,” said 33-year old Delhi-based Gill who will be partnered by his long-time co-driver Glenn Macneall from Australia.

    Echoing Gill’s views, 24-year old Tidemand, who is coming off a second-place finish in World Rally Championship-2 in Finland a fortnight back, felt that as much as the track, the weather conditions could also be a major hurdle.

    “The Stages are rough and it is my first time in Malaysia. So, I have to get used to the heat and humidity, but I hope to do well,” said Tidemand who will have fellow-Swede Emil Exelsson beside him.

    Gill said his Skoda Fabia S2000 is fitted with a new engine for the Malaysian Rally, and after tweaking the set-up on Friday, he was happy with the car.

    At the half-way mark in the Championship, Tidemand heads the championship after wins in New Zealand and Australia and a second place finish behind Gill in the season-opener in New Caledonia.

    With three more rounds, including the Malaysian Rally, to be run, Gill can ill afford to drop any more points, like he did in Australia where he packed up after the engine expired.

    “It was unfortunate not to get the result we were after in Queensland, but we had a great battle with Pontus and I am looking forward to renewing that competition in Malaysia this weekend,” said Gill.

    Team MRF’s Skoda Fabia S2000s have not only been the fastest cars in the APRC in recent seasons, but have also been the strongest and most reliable.

    Team MRF boss Lane Heenan said: “The Skoda Fabia S2000 is the most successful S2000 car ever, and we are confident the cars and MRF Tyres are up to the task of winning at each event we attend.

    “The APRC gives us such diverse conditions that the car needs to be capable of coping with widely varying roads, whether that be the smooth, flowing roads of New Zealand, or the rougher plantation roads in Malaysia.”

    Tidemand and Gill will have to contend with 2005 APRC champion, Jussi Valimaki, a former MRF team driver, returning to pilot a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X after a gap of eight years, besides 22-year old New Zealander Mike Young in a Subaru WRX, and Indonesian Subhan Aksa in a Lancer Evo X.

    eom/AP media communications/MRF release

  • Lohit Urs, Srikanth Gowda win Coimbatore rally

    Coimbatore, 2 August 2015: Mysore businessman Lohit Urs and long-time winning navigator Srikanth Gowda of Bangalore won the IRC class and Overall title in the Rally of Coimbatore, the second round of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship here on Sunday. Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif retired due to technical problems.

    They were in a Mitsubishi Evo VIII car and timed a total of one hour, 34 minutes, 59.1 seconds.

    Mahindra Adventure’s Sunny Sidhu-PVS Murthy (01:39:27.6) finished second Overall, while their teammates Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik (01:39:59.0) were third. Karna Kadur-Vivek Ponnusamy (01:40:30.5) finished fourth Overall and also won the IRC 1600 title here.

    Defending National Overall champion Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif) retired with car problems on Friday and started Leg 2 on Saturday. However, Urs and Gowda had put themselves in a good position and clinched the title.

    An elated Urs said: “The road was rough but we managed to do good times today. We were faster than yesterday. There were niggling problems with the car and we had to ease off.

    “All our efforts have paid off and our main target is to do well in the Asia Cup in Chikkamagaluru this year. The IRC is going to be good practice for us as we continuously aim to improve the car and our driving.”

    Co-driver Gowda said: “I am happy with the win. With the Evo being a much faster car than the others I have rallied in, it was a big leap in terms of learning. Basically, the calls had to be much faster and Lohitt has helped me cope up with the new challenge. It is good that we got this win.
    Bengalureans Rahul Kanthraj-Vivek Bhatt (Team Yokohama), in a Mitsubishi Cedia, wrapped up the IRC 2000 title with a total time of 01:43:06.5. They retained the Rally of Coimbatore title and made it two in a row this season after winning in Nashik. Second was the combine of Hrishikesh Thackersey-Ninad Mirajgaonkar, while Sumit Panjabi-Nitin Jacob finished third.

    Kanthraj stated: “The lead we now have in the championship is heartening. We have been winning and are settling into a nice rhythm. The team has done an excellent job.”

    It was a mix of joy and relief for Karna Kadur (co-driver Vivek Ponnusamy), who clinched the IRC 1600 title.

    “There was a lot of pressure on me and this win has come in good time. It is a relief and I am happy as well. We drove clean today and made up a lot of time. We now have to begin work for the next tarmac rally,” said Kadur.

    Last year’s champions Adith KC-Harish KN won the FMSCI Cup with a total time of 01:43:53.2.

    There were five retirements from the 30 who started the rally on Saturday. Prominent among them were Arjun Rao Aroor-Satish Rajagopal with car problems.

    Results (provisional):

    Overall IRC: 1. Lohit Urs & Srikanth Gowda 01:34:59.1s; 2. Sunny Sidhu & P.V. Srinivas Murthy 01:39:27.6s; 3. Amittrajit Ghosh & Ashwin Naik 01:39:59.0s.

    IRC 2000: 1. Rahul Kantharaj & Vivek Y. Bhatt 01:43:06.5s; 2. Hrishikesh Thackersey & Ninad Mirajgaonkar 01:44:00.8s; 3. Sumit Panjabi & Nitin Jacob 01:46:10.7s.

    IRC 1600: Karna P. Kadur & Vivek Ponnusamy 01:40:30.5s; 2. Bikku Babu & Milen George Cherian 01:42:15.4s; 3. Aroor Vikram Rao & A.G. Somayya 01:42:41.4s.

    FMSCI Cup: 1. K.C. Adith & K.N. Harish 01:43:53.2s; 2. D. Ashwin Reddy & M. Suraj 01:44:49.7s; 3. Habib Mohammed & Shahid Salman 01:45:21.0s.

  • Arvind KP emerges overall winner in Nashik: MRF MoGrip 2w nationals

    Nashik, 1 June 2015:

    Yashraj Rathod. Image courtesy FMSCI media office
    Yashraj Rathod. Image courtesy FMSCI media office

    Arvind KP emerged overall winner in the first round of the MRF MOGRIP FMSCI National Rally Championship (2W) – 2015 that was conducted here on Sunday. NareshVS finished overall second, while Abdul Wahid emerged third overall.

    Arvind and Naresh won in their respective categories as well.

    A total of 48 riders entered the event, while 38 finished. The total distance of the rally was 170 Km with four competitive stages. The stages were mostly broken tarmac with some dirt sections thrown in.

    This was the first of the five-round championship and the other rounds will be conducted in Coimbatore, Chikkamagaluru, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. This championship has been revived after a gap of eight years.

    Results:
    Overall winners: 1. Arvind KP (43 min, 36 sec penalty); 2. Naresh VS (45 min, 56 sec); 3.Abdul Wahid (45 min, 56 sec).

    Class 1: Motorcycles Group A: 1. Arvind KP (43min, 36sec); 2. Dhaval Toke (56min, 36sec); 3.Ashish Raorane (57min, 52sec).

    Class 2: Motorcycles Group B, upto 130cc (M1): 1. Rohit Gowda (1 hr, 14mins, 48 sec).

    Class 3: Motorcycles Group B, 131cc to 165cc (M2): 1. Suhail Ahmed (47min, 49sec); 2. Sachin D(51min, 37sec); 3.NishitJhaveri (51min, 40sec).

    Class 4: Motorcycles Group B, 166cc to 260cc (M3+M4): 1. Naresh VS (45min, 56sec); 2. Abdul Wahid (45min, 56sec); 3.Yuva Kumar (47min, 42sec).

    Class 5: Motorcycles Group B, 261cc to 500cc (M5): 1. YashrajRathod (51min, 58sec); 2. Vishwas SD (54min, 39 sec).

    Star of Nashik: 1.AdityaThakkar (50min, 20sec); 2. Parvinder Singh Hunjan (52min, 26sec); 3.AmitSuryawanshi (54min, 15sec).

    Scooters: 1.Shamim Khan (53min, 13sec); 2. HitenThakkar (56min, 18 sec); 3. Syed Asaf Ali (56min, 22sec).

     

    Ends

     

  • Nashik to kick start MRF MOGRIP 2-Wheeler Nationals with Round 1 today

    Nashik, 30 May 2015: Pit Stop Motorsports Club, Nashik will host ‘MRF MOGRIP FMSCI National Rally Championship (2-W) – 2015’ in Nashik on Sunday, 31/May/2015. The rally, to be flagged off fromHotel Express Inn (Nashik), will cover a total distance of 170 kms and will run on the Ghoti – Vaitarana route upto Dharnoli – Valvihir and back to Hotel Express Inn.

    The first leg of the competition will begin from the flag-off point to Dharnoli (37 kms) and is expected to be covered in an ideal time of 50 minutes. The competitive section has been demarcated from Dharnoli to Valvihir (15 kms) and the riders’ skills & experience will be tested in the four laps of this competitive section (total 60 kms).

    Spectators will be treated to spectacular speeds, thrilling turns, bumps & riding acrobatics at close quarters in this section. Last year’s record timing of 12 minutes for covering one lap (15 kms) over this route is expected to be broken in this year’s competition. The judges’ panel consisting of Shrikant Karani (Mumbai), Ravi Shamdasani (Nashik) & Prashant Gadkari (Nashik) has been appointed by the Federation of Motor Sports’ Club of India (FMSCI) while Sarvesh Chitko’s ‘Crazy Coders’ team will take care of individual competitor timings and also complete & comprehensive results for the event. Amod Mhaskar will coordinate the overall event. Pradeep Mhaskar, Clerk-Of-the-Course for the event, briefed the reporters at a specially organized press conference.

    FMSCI had discontinued organizing 2-wheeler rallies for the past five years. Despite this, Pit Stop Motorsports Club had continued hosting this annual 2-wheeler event to encourage rally enthusiasts in the region. In 2014, the event was renamed in memory of Late Anjali Mhaskar, the driving force behind Pit Stop. Encouraged by the consistent response to Pit Stop events since 2010, FMSCI has revived the 2-Wheeler Rally Championship and has designated Nashik event as one of the five legs in the series. Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad & Chennai will host remaining four legs of the championship and the overall national winner will be declared on points won by the competitors in all these five events. The first three podium-finishers at each round will earn 20, 18 & 15 points, respectively.

    The organizers have secured valuable sponsorship support for this event from MRF Ltd., the tyre-manufacturer giant in the country, through the good offices of Shyam Kothari, former national champion in 2-wheeler category. Apache RTR-180has also extended valuable support in organizing this rally.Hotel Express Inn has graciously agreed to host the rally event (including the flag-off & prize distribution) and extend inclusive hospitality to the rally officials.

    Additionally, Thane Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd. has also chipped in with sponsorship support.

    The rally event will be held in the following eight categories –

    I. 2-Wheelers upto 130 cc engine capacity

    II. 2-Wheelers from 131 – 165 cc engine capacity

    III. 2-Wheelers from 166 – 260 cc engine capacity

    IV. 2-Wheelers from 261 – 500 cc engine capacity

    V. Scooters

    VI. Royal Enfield Bullet

    VII. ‘Star of Nashik’ – Special group for amateur 2-stroke motorcycles

    VIII. Imported Foreign Made Motorcycles

    The first three winners in the rally will be awarded with a trophy & a cash award of Rs 10,000/-, Rs 7,500/- & Rs 5,000/-, respectively. Besides these awards, the best amongst first-time participants in the rally (Novice) will also be felicitated with Late Anjali Mhaskar Trophy.

    Explaining the regulations & modalities for the event, Ravindra Waghchaure, Member Technical Coordination Committee, further elaborated that, it is mandatory for all competitors to wear rally-specified helmets, safety-dress, and hand gloves. Alongwith R Natarajan (current national champion), KP Aravind, R Venugopal, the star 2-wheeler riders nationally, Nashik’s own Shamim Khan, Nilesh Thakre, Hiten Thakker have confirmed their participation in the rally and approx.

    40 riders have already entered their names. The competitors & their vehicles were subjected to documentation & technical scrutiny on 30/May/2015 at Hotel Express Inn and then were taken through city’s main roads in a ceremonial procession.

    All requisite safety precautions have been arranged for this exciting event and four ‘Trauma Ambulances’ will be deployed on the rally route, added Sudheer Joshi, the chief safety officer for the event and a former rally participant himself.

    A special contest for press photographers has also been announced on the sidelines of this event. The four best photographs published in the newspapers will earn a cash award of Rs 2,100/-, Rs 1,500/-, Rs 1,000/- & Rs 500/-, respectively. The original photograph in size 8”x12” alongwith the cutting of the published newspaper needs to be submitted to the organizers latest by 04/June/2015 for being eligible to participate in the contest.

    MRF MOGRIP FMSCI National Rally Championship (2-W) – 2015 will be flagged off from Hotel Express Inn on 31/May/2015 at 9.00 am at the hands of Mr. Murali, Mr. Muralidharan, Mr. Prashant (all from MRF Ltd.) & Mr. Darryl Blenkley (Gen. Manager, Hotel Express Inn, Nashik). Mr. Pranit Perumal, Chairman, 2-Wheeler Rally Committee, FMSCI, will also bepresent on this occasion as a special observer.

    eom/FMSCI press release

  • Team MRF the team to beat in APRC as it looks to 4th straight win

    Whangarei, 15 April 2015: Team MRF head into this weekend’s first round of the 2015 Asia-Pacific Rally Championship targeting their fourth successive win in the prestigious series.

    The 2013 champion, India’s Gaurav Gill, will head Team MRF’s attack, ably supported by his Skoda Fabia Super 2000 team-mat

    File picture of MRF team courtesy MRF.
    File picture of MRF team courtesy MRF.

    e, Pontus Tidemand, from Sweden. Frenchman, Jean-Louis Leyraud, will drive a third Race Torque-prepared Skoda in New Zealand’s Rally of Whangarei, from April 17 to 19.

    Gill will fancy his chances of a second title this year, having won in 2013 and finishing runner-up last year. With experience of the Skoda Fabia S2000 and the events that make up the APRC, he’ll be hard to beat.

    But the early season hype has been around his young team-mate, who led the World Rally Championship qualifying Swedish Rally earlier this year. “I’m really looking forward to this new challenge. It makes me incredibly proud to see my name on the list of ŠKODA’s drivers,” Tidemad said. “I have been waiting for a chance like this for years and I will take care of it in the best way I can, both in terms of performance and development, to get a good result for ŠKODA Motorsport.”

    Despite not having had any experience with the seven events that make up the APRC, Tidemand will be hoping that he can repeat the performance of last year’s champion, and Team MRF driver, Jan Kopecky, who won on his first attempt. “We will do everything we can to take podiums and victories as soon as possible,” Tidemand’s co-driver, Emil Axelsson, added.

    While both Tidemand and Gill will contest all events in the APRC, Leyraud, who is based in New Caledonia, will tackle only those events making up the Pacific Cup component.

    In past seasons the Race Torque-prepared Team MRF Skodas have been the cars to beat, and with a proven package, team manager Lane Heenan is hoping for similar success in 2015. “The Skoda Fabia is one of the most successful rally cars in the world at present, with many international victories around the world, and we’re hoping that continues this year.

    “We’ll be using the same cars that finished last season so successfully, and with further development we expect to our drivers to be right on the pace again.”

    However, the new Fabia R5 is likely to replace the current Super 2000 model before the end of this year’s championship. “We plan to have our team running the new ŠKODA Fabia R 5 in the APRC by the end of the year – after all, the season finale takes place in our most important market, China,” ŠKODA Motorsport Director Michal Hrabánek said.

    The Rally of Whangarei commences on the evening of Friday, April 17, with a rally show in central Whangarei, before they attack two passes of the night time Super Special Stage at Pohe Island. Leg one continues on Saturday, heading as far north as Kawakawa for eight special stages on the fast, flowing cambered roads the rally is famous for, while Sunday’s final leg heads south of Whangarei for a further six stages. A total of 282 kilometres of competitive stages make-up the event.

    Team MRF’s strongest opposition is expected to come from the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X of Indonesia’s Subhan Aksa, and New Zealander youngster Mike Young in a Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

    Calendar 2015
    1. 17-19 APR New Zealand
    2. 15-17 MAY New Caledonia
    3. 19-21 JUN Australia
    4. 14-16 AUG Malaysia
    5. 18-20 SEP Japan
    6. 30-01 Oct/Nov China
    7. 11-13 DEC India
    Subject to FIA Approval

    eom/MRF release

  • Toby Sowery beats Raj Bharath to win MRF Challenge 2014

    Raj Bharath finishes 3rd on Sunday. Photo by Raj Bharath's PR team
    Raj Bharath finishes 3rd on Sunday. Photo by Raj Bharath’s PR team

    Irungattukottai (Chennai), 25 Jan 2015: 18 year old Toby Sowery was crowned MRF Challenge 2014 Champion after finishing on the podium in Race 3  at the finale at the MMRT in Chennai. Sowery is the third Champion of the MRF Challenge and at 18 years, the youngest as well. Ryan Cullen won his first race of the weekend ahead of Sowery and Oscar King in Race 3 while King took his first win of the series ahead of Matthew Solomon and Gustava Myasava. Arjun Narendran won his first MRF FF1600 race ahead of Goutham Parekh in another thrilling race with the top 2 finishing less than a second apart from each other.

    Sowery finished on top of the standings with 221 points with Cullen in 2nd place with 174 points. Raj Bharath finished in 3rd place, making him the highest Indian finisher in the MRF Challenge. Kyle Mitchell, who missed the final round, had 112 points with Tarun Reddy finishing 5th in the Championship with 87 points.

    In Race 3 of the MRF Challenge 2014, Cullen took the lead into the first corner ahead of Sowery and Gustavo Myasava. For the first time this weekend all drivers got through the first few corners safely. Behind the top 3 was King leading the Indians Tarun Reddy and Raj Bharath. Cullen and Sowery pulled away from the rest of the field while Myasava had a battle on his hands holding off King and Raj after Reddy was forced to retire with a fuel pump problem. On lap 7 both King and Raj got past Myasava but the top 2 were too far ahead. Cullen made up for the disappointment of yesterday to take his first win this weekend ahead of Sowery and King. Raj finished in 4th place with Myasava and Matthew Solomon in 5th & 6th places respectively.

    In Race 4 of the MRF Challenge 2014, Matthew Solomon started on reverse grid pole alongside Myasava. Solomon held on to the lead with Myasava and King right behind him as they finished the first lap. The top 6 drivers were closely bunched up for the first half of the race with Myasava applying constant pressure on the leader. On lap 8 as Solomon tried to defend against Myasava, King pulled off the overtaking move of the weekend as he drove around the outside of the two drivers to go into the lead. King pulled away from the pack to take his first ever win in the series. Solomon managed to finish in 2nd place, taking his first podium in the series as well. The battle for 3rd was a 4-way battle with Myasava getting the final podium spot ahead of Cullen, Sowery and Raj.

    MRF Challenge 2014 Champion Toby Sowery commented, “It is just an unbelievable feeling to win this title. It felt great to fight with such good drivers in what was a highly competitive field. A big thank you to MRF and the organizers for doing such a great job and giving me such a good car to fight with. Every race every round has been a challenge so am happy to come away with the title. Driving in Chennai has been unbelievable and from the first session I have felt comfortable on this circuit and am happy to win the title here. I hope to use this experience to help me in my next season as well. ”

    In the MRF FF1600 Race 2, Arjun Narendran starting on reverse grid pole, led into the first corner ahead of fast starting British driver Hamish Robinson, who jumped into 2nd place from 5th on the grid. Race 1 winner slotted in into third place and quickly passed Robinson and set off after the leader. Advait Deodhar also passed Robinson and joined Parekh in catching the leader. As in Race 1 there was nothing to choose from the top 3. Narendran crossed the line to take his first win with Parekh finishing in 2nd place and Advait in 3rd.  Karthik Tharani Singh survived a first lap crash which damaged his front wing to finish in 4th position, ahead of Robinson and Anshul Shah.

    Arjun Narendran was delighted to take his first win in the category and third win of the weekend after winning the two Indian Touring Car races as well. He commented, “This weekend has been perfect for me with 3 wins. I was happy to be so competitive in the MRF FF1600 category as I was not happy with the races I did here last year. These cars are really good and the competition is so close and fierce that it is really enjoyable to battle with these guys.”

    MRF Challenge

    In its third year, the MRF Challenge 2014 will feature 16 MRF Formula 2000 race cars, which have been made in India by JA Motorsport based in Coimbatore, in collaboration with Dallara, world’s largest racing car manufacturer and also Jayem Automotives Ltd, which is a strategic partner for Tata Motors Ltd. The Formula 3 style car has been built by JA Motorsport in technical collaboration with Dallara, and is considered to be the fastest of its kind in Asia. The MRF Formula 2000 is powered by a 2.0 litre 210 BHP Renault Sport Engine and will have a Hewland 6-Speed sequential gearbox. The race car has also been crash tested to FIA F3 safety standards and will race with MRF ZLO slick and wet tyres.

    The MRF Challenge has fielded a strong driver line-up in the last two seasons, with drivers going on to win races in GP2 and British Formula 3. The MRF Challenge Alumni include GP2 drivers like Arthur Pic, Tio Ellinas, Jon Lancaster, Conor Daly, GP3 drivers like Ryan Cullen and Carmen Jorda, Former Formula 2 Champion Luciano Baccheta and British Drivers Harry Tincknell (WEC) and Rupert Svendsen-Cook.

    MRF Challenge 2014 Calendar:

    Round 1: October 17-18, 2014, Doha, Losail International Circuit (Night Race)

    Round 2: November 14-15, 2014, Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit (World Endurance Championship Support Race)

    Round 3: January 24-25, 2014, Chennai, Madras Motor Race Track

    eom/MRF press release

  • Raj Bharath pips Ryan Cullen to take pole: MRF Challenge in Bahrain

    Raj Bharath takes pole at Bahrain. An Adrenna image
    Raj Bharath takes pole at Bahrain. An Adrenna image

    Bahrain, 13 Nov 2014:  Raj Bharath continued his brilliant form to qualify on pole position for Race 1 of Round 2 of The MRF Challenge 2014 at Bahrain International Circuit. GP3 driver Ryan Cullen traded fastest laps with Bharath but had to settle for 2nd place on the grid, albeit just 0.076secs off pole position. Championship leader Toby Sowery will start from 3rd position while it was a good day for Indian fans with Vikash Anand enjoying his best ever qualifying session in the MRF Challenge to start 4th on the grid. Round 2 of the MRF Challenge is the main support race for the second biggest motorsport series in the world, the FIA World Endurance Championship.

    After a highly competitive Round 1, which was held under floodlights in Qatar as a night race, the action continued from where it left off with the top 10 drivers close to each other. Bharath started off qualifying with a strong first lap but Cullen was quick to match it and go faster. This went on for the next 5 laps with both drivers exchanging fastest laps and almost nothing to choose from them. With 15 minutes to go the red flag came out after a racing incident between Tarun Reddy and Advait Deodhar, ruining both their sessions.

    When the session resumed it was the same story with Bharath leading Cullen by 0.033secs. Both drivers still managed to go faster with Bharath managing to hold on to pole after a brilliant session. The gap between 3rd and 8th place was 0.203 with Sowery starting in 3rd position ahead of Vikash in 4th place. Dylan Young will start in 5th position with Camren Kaminsky in 6th position.

    Bharath was ecstatic after taking his first ever pole position. He commented, “The car has been great from the beginning and i have been confident ahead of qualifying. It was a really close session and even after the red flag I felt we had the pace to go faster. Cullen was close and it was a great battle for pole position. I am confident ahead of tomorrow and look forward to fighting for the win.”

    Earlier in the day Free Practice 1 saw Australian driver Dylan Young fastest ahead of Sowery, Cullen and Bharath. The times got even faster in Free Practice 2 with Cullen taking over the top spot in a highly competitive session. The top 12 drivers were covered by less than a second. Tarun Reddy was 2nd fastest with Sowery and Bharath completing the top 4.

    Out of the 5 Indians on the grid, 4 drivers have graduated from the MRF 1600 category, which runs with the MMSC National Racing Championship. Tarun Reddy won the 2014 MRF 1600 Championship, with Advait Deodhar, Lee Keshav and Vikash Anand finishing in 2nd, 3rd and 4th places respectively. Raj and Tarun were both race winners in Round 1 in Qatar, and are currently lying 2nd and 5th in the Championship respectively.

    18 year Toby Sowery currently leads the Challenge with 86 points. He finished on the podium in all 4 races in Round 1 which included 2 wins. The battle for 2nd is tied with Raj Bharath and GP3 driver Ryan Cullen on 53 points. Kyle Mitchell is 3rd on 51 points with Tarun Reddy on 49 points.

    MRF Challenge

    In its third year, the MRF Challenge 2014 will feature 16 MRF Formula 2000 race cars, which have been made in India by JA Motorsport based in Coimbatore, in collaboration with Dallara, world’s largest racing car manufacturer and also Jayem Automotives Ltd, which is a strategic partner for Tata Motors Ltd. The Formula 3 style car has been built by JA Motorsport in technical collaboration with Dallara, and is considered to be the fastest of its kind in Asia. The MRF Formula 2000 is powered by a 2.0 litre 210 BHP Renault Sport Engine and will have a Hewland 6-Speed sequential gearbox. The race car has also been crash tested to FIA F3 safety standards and will race with MRF ZLO slick and wet tyres.

    The MRF Challenge has fielded a strong driver line-up in the last two seasons, with drivers going on to win races in GP2 and British Formula 3. The MRF Challenge Alumni include GP2 drivers like Arthur Pic, Tio Ellinas, Jon Lancaster, Conor Daly, GP3 drivers like Ryan Cullen and Carmen Jorda, Former Formula 2 Champion Luciano Baccheta and British Drivers Harry Tincknell (WEC) and Rupert Svendsen-Cook.

    MRF Challenge 2014 Calendar:

    Round 1: October 17-18, 2014, Doha, Losail International Circuit (Night Race)

    Round 2: November 14-15, 2014, Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit (World Endurance Championship Support Race)

    Round 3: January 24-25, 2014, Chennai, Madras Motor Race Track

    ends/Adrenna release