INDIA in F1

Tag: Rajini Krishnan

  • Kabilesh Triumphs at MalaysiaSBK: A New Indian Champion Rises

    Kabilesh Triumphs at MalaysiaSBK: A New Indian Champion Rises

    Sepang (Malaysia), Dec 15, 2024: Fourteen-year-old Indian sensation K.R. Kabilesh burst into the international spotlight at the Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) finale on Sunday, claiming his maiden victory on the global stage. Competing in the MSBK 250B class, the youngster clinched two podium finishes, placing second in Race 1 before surging to a commanding win in Race 2 at the famed Sepang International Circuit.

    Though still in his early teens, Kabilesh’s journey has been anything but ordinary. He first turned heads in the Indian Mini GP races in Bengaluru back in 2022, running alongside none other than his father, multiple national champion Rajini Krishnan. Since starting out in the FIM MiniGP Indian Championship, the young rider steadily graduated to national-level racing before making his MSBK debut earlier this year aboard a Kawasaki Ninja 250R. By Round 3 in October, he was already a podium finisher. At the season finale, he lifted his performance even further. He is also the youngest rider to win in the MSBK.

    Race 1 saw Kabilesh seize the lead from the start, fending off a relentless challenge from Indonesian rider Rakha Bima Saktiansyah. Despite relinquishing the top spot on Lap 4, he remained in hot pursuit, ultimately crossing the line a razor-thin 0.014 seconds behind his rival, a clear indicator of the fight he was willing to bring.

    That narrow defeat only fueled his determination. In Race 2, Kabilesh delivered a stunning performance, building a four-second cushion over Saktiansyah that his competitor simply couldn’t overcome. The result capped a stellar rookie season, propelling Kabilesh to a fourth-place finish in the overall standings with a total of 81 points.

    For Kabilesh, racing is more than a passion. It’s in his DNA. His father, Rajini Krishnan, is an iconic figure in Indian motorsport, boasting 11 national titles, as well as the Losail Asian Champion (600cc) crown and MSBK championships. Kabilesh, following in those legendary footsteps, has already begun carving out his own legacy.

    “It’s rewarding to see my hard work pay off,” Kabilesh said after the race. “While other kids play, I’m out there travelling and racing. It’s a sacrifice, but today’s result makes it all worth it. This is just the beginning of a long, challenging road.”

    Caption: Eleven time National champion, Rajini Krishnan, left and India’s first rider in MotoGp, Sarath, who also coached the youngster, pose with Kabilesh after his win at Sepang on Sunday.

    The young rider was quick to credit the man who paved the way. “I am extremely thankful to my dad, Rajini Krishnan, without whom I wouldn’t be here. He’s my hero, my mentor, and my inspiration. I dedicate this win to him,” Kabilesh added.

    With talent forged on familiar tracks at home and now proven on the international stage, Kabilesh’s star is unmistakably on the rise—just like the racing dynasty he proudly represents.

  • MMSC honours National Champions, celebrates 70 years

    MMSC honours National Champions, celebrates 70 years

    Chennai, 19 Feb 2023: The Madras Motor Sports Club celebrated its 70th anniversary while also presenting trophies to the winners of the recently-concluded MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle and Car Racing Championships here at Hotel Taj on Sunday.

    Speaking on the occasion, MMSC president Ajit Thomas offered salutations to long-time sponsor MRF Tyres for their support over the past decades and also the riders and drivers for their participation in large numbers in the National Championships.

    Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Limited, who was the chief guest at today’s function, outlined the company’s involvement in motorsport since the 1980s and said: “With a pedigree for over four decades, the MRF Brand name in racing now competes and wins Globally. It is a matter of pride for India that MRF achieved yet another first – winning the 2022 European Rally Championship with tyres developed and manufactured in India. This is a firstfor any Asian Company that too in the home ground and backyard of MNCs.

    “Today is the culmination of a hard-fought season which started at Coimbatore and the subsequent rounds at the Madras International Circuit in Sriperumbudur leading up to this afternoon’s function awarding the National Championships for both motorcycles and cars across various categories for the year 2022. The riders and the drivers have pushed their teams to extract every ounce of performance from their machines. It is also heartening to note that these Championships are enabling our riders and drivers to hone their skills and take it to International levels.”

    Later, MMSC Vice-President Vicky Chandhok, presented a brief history of MMSC and the famous Sholavaram races to the eventual shifting of its racing activities to the present MIC facility. He announced that a CIK-approved go-karting circuit is being built at the MIC and expected to be ready for competitions in August.

    MMSC Secretary Manoj Dalal proposed a vote of thanks.

    The National champions were presented with the trophies in the two road-racing National Championships for two and four-wheelers, promoted by Madras Motor Sports Club, along with one-make Support Races and Cups.

    2-Wheeler Racing

    MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022:

    Pro-Stock 301-400cc:

    National Champion: Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1).

    Team Champion: Petronas TVS Racing, Chennai. Manufacturer title: Yamaha

    Pro-Stock 165cc:

    National Champion: Mathana Kumar (Trichy, Pacer Yamaha)

    Team Champion: Pacer Yamaha, Bengaluru. Manufacturer – Yamaha

    Novice (Stock 165cc):

    Rider – Sarvesh Balappa (Hubbali, Axor Sparks Racing). Team – Axor Sparks Racing, Chennai. Manufacturer – Yamaha.

    Girls (Stock 165cc):

    Rider – Jagruti Kiran Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing). Team – Alpha Racing. Manufacturer – Yamaha

    Non-Championship one-make classes:

    TVS Open (Apache RR 310):

    Rider – Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad).

    TVS Novice (Apache RTR 200):

    Rider – Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru).

    TVS Girls (Apache RTR 200):

    Rider – Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – Open (NSF 250R):

    Rider – Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune).

    Novice (CBR 150):

    Rider – Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai).

    4-WHEELER RACING

    MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022

    MRF Formula 2000:

    Driver – Sai Sanjay (Salem).

    Indian Touring Cars:

    Driver – Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts). Team – Rayo Racing (Mumbai)

    Indian Junior Touring Cars:

    Driver – Akkineni Anand Prasad (Team Performance). Team – Team Performance Racing, Chennai

    Super Stock:

    Driver – Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Team Performance). Team – Redline Racing, Chennai.

    Formula LGB 1300:

    Driver – Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing). Team – DTS Racing.

    Non-Championship classes

    Volkswagen Polo Cup:

    Driver – Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai).

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios):

    Driver – Justin Singh (Gurugram, Redline Racing). Team – Redline Racing, Chennai.

  • 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).

  • Rajini Krishnan, Sarvesh Balappa keen to keep slate clean

    Rajini Krishnan, Sarvesh Balappa keen to keep slate clean

    Chennai, 4 August 2022: Experienced Indian racing ace Rajini Krishnan and Hubbali’s youngster Sarvesh Balappa who won all the four races in their respective classes will look to keep their slate clean as Round 3 begins here at the rechristened Madras International Circuit, which will open it newly-built Grand Stand for the Public for the first time. The facility could not be opened till now due Covid-19.

    The MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022 enters its crucial phase this weekend with the front-runners on the leaderboard keen to consolidate their positions by achieving a fine balance between outright aggression and smart riding.

    While veteran Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power1), bidding for his 11th National title, has dominated the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category with four wins from as many starts, the situation in the popular Pro-Stock 165cc class is intriguing, though Pacer Yamaha’s Mathana Kumar enjoys a 35-point advantage. His arch-rivals, Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing), and the Petronas TVS Racing pair of Deepak Ravikumar and KY Ahamed, showed signs of resurgence in Round-2 last month after a washout in the season-opener at Coimbatore in June. Thus, the expectations are high of close battles this weekend.

    Hubballi’s Sarvesh Balappa (Axor Sparks Racing), with four wins out of four, is comfortably placed in the Novice category (Stock 165cc) that attracts a grid of some 40 riders. In the Girls category (Stock 165cc), just 10 points separate the top four – Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru, Winverve Apex Racing Academy), Ann Jennifer (Chennai, Axor Sparks Racing), Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) and last year’s champion Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha), in that order.

    The Petronas TVS One-Make Championship has seen some hectic action. In the Open category, there have been four different winners, while Bengaluru schoolboy Chiranth Vishwanath has won all four races in the Rookie class and Aditi Krishnan remains unbeaten after two outings in the Girls category.

    Pune teenager Sarthak Shrikant Chavan, with a clean sweep of all four races, heads the NSF 250R class in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup as also Mumbai’s Raheesh Mudassar Khatri in the Novice (CBR 150) category.

    The 20-race card will get rolling tomorrow (Friday) with Free Practice and qualifying sessions ahead of the races over the following two days which could see some exciting competition as was the case in the previous round last month.

    While almost 200 entrants fight it out on the track, promoters Madras Motor Sports Club have thrown open the 600-seater grandstand along the main straight to the public and fans. Spectators can avail of refreshments and snacks besides watching the live streaming of the races on several 55-inch television monitors in the stands.

    “The two rounds so far have witnessed some thrilling action and extremely close races, and this weekend, we are sure, it will be no different. We are hoping that the fans will turn out in good numbers to witness the action. We have opened the grandstand to the public for the first time since it was built in 2020, but could not be utilised due to the pandemic. A special award will be presented to a rider / team with the biggest cheering squad in the grandstand,” said MMSC vice-president Vicky Chandhok.

    On the track, the National Championship will see double-headers in the two premier Pro-stock categories – 301-400cc Open and 165cc Open – besides the Novice (Stock 165cc) class, while one race is slated for the Girls (Stock 165cc) and the Stock 301-400cc, introduced as a support event this season.

    The Petronas TVS One-Make Championship organised by MMSC – Open (Apache 310RR), and Rookie, Girls and Media (all Apache RTR200) – and the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250R, Novice (CBR 150) and Hornet 2.0 (Support race) – make up rest of the weekend programme.

    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.

  • KY Ahamed clinches a thriller; Rajini, Balappa score a double

    KY Ahamed clinches a thriller; Rajini, Balappa score a double

    Chennai, 10 July 2022: While Rajini Krishnan and Sarvesh Balappa pouched their fourth straight win, KY Ahamed won an absolute thriller that lit up the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022 which concluded at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday. But INDIAinF1’s hero of the day is Md Samrul Zubair of Hyderabad who came only second but his ride from 33rd on the grid to a valiant podium is the story of the day.

    The Race’ists Motorcycle Club in Hyderabad is formed by a group of enthusiastic riders a few years back led by champion riders like Karthik Mateti, Peddu Sriharsha and Rahil Pillarisetty. Of-late they have been a regular feature on the podium in different classes.

    Starting P9 for the eight-lap race in the popular Pro-Stock 165cc Open race, Petronas TVS Racing star Ahamed, who endured two crashes on Saturday, showed poise and aggression to rise like a phoenix as he snatched a dramatic win from Pacer Yamaha’s Mathana Kumar and Rajiv Sethu of Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing, with just one-tenth of a second separating the trio at the finish line. The eventual outcome was in suspense as the three front-running riders exchanged lead after two other contenders, Deepak Ravikumar, also of Petronas TVS Racing, and Prabhu Arunagiri of Pacer Yamaha, retired in the second half of the race. Ahamed then pulled out a last-gasp win in a photo-finish that would be remembered for long.

    Meanwhile, in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category, Rajini Krishnan, the founder of RACR Castrol Power1, riding Yamaha R3 with a lighter frame than last year’s, was simply unstoppable while posting a fluent win that underlined his class and calibre, as he destroyed the field. His victory margin was over 10 seconds in the eight-lap race with the Petronas TVS Racing duo of KY Ahamed and Deepak Ravikumar coming in second and third, respectively. It was Rajini’s fourth win on the trot this season, following his double in the first round at Coimbatore last month.

    Ryhana Bee, after a disappointing first round in Coimbatore last month, bounced back to win the National Championship Girls race (Stock 165cc) to put her campaign on track. She took the top honours ahead of Bengaluru’s Aditi Krishnan (Winverve Apex Racing Academy) who moved up a spot after second-placed Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing) was docked a 15-second penalty which dropped her to fourth behind Axor Sparks Racing’s Jagruti Penkar from Mumbai. Lani was penalised for “causing avoidable collision” that involved early race leader Ann Jennifer (Alpha Racing) who finished fifth.

    Hubballi’s Sarvesh Balappa (Axor Sparks Racing) continued his dream run as he finished the weekend with a double on the back of his two wins in the first round to remain unbeaten in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category. Finishing second was Md Samrul Zubair (Hyderabad) of Raceists Motorcycle Racing Club who started the race from P33 and worked his way up. His team-mate P Vignesh Goud, also from Hyderabad, was third.

    Also scoring four consecutive wins were Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune) and Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) in the NSF 250R and Novice (CBR 150) categories of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, besides Bengaluru schoolboy Chiranth Vishwanath in the Rookie class of the Petronas TVS One-Make Championship.

    Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1) (15mins, 15.889secs); 2. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:26.410); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:26.729).

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:55.678); 2. Mathana Kumar (Trichy, Pacer Yamaha) (15:55.722); 3. Rajiv Sethu (Chennai, Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (15:55.726).

    Novice (Stock 165cc) Race-2: 1. Sarvesh Balappa (Hubballi, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:06.383); 2. Md Samrul Zubair (Hyderabad, Raceists Motorcycle Club) (13:08.978); 3. P Vignesh Goud (Hyderabad, Raceists MC) (13:10.293).

    Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (11:01.483); 2. Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru, Winverve Apex Racing Academy) (11:51.191); 3. Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (11:18.793).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250R (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune) (18:45.396); 2. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (18:55.514); 3. Shyam Sundar (Chennai) (18:55.663).

    Novice (CBR 150, Race-2): 1. Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) (12:54.900); 2. Shyam Babu (Chennai) (13:27.093); 3. Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:27.429).

    Support race – Hornet 2.0 (Race-2): 1. G Balaji (Chennai) (13:32.712); 2. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai) (13:32.851); 3. Romario John (Chennai) (13:38.944)

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship – Open (RR 310, Race-1): 1. Mohan Babu P (Chennai) (11:47.933); 2. S Vivek Pillai (Chennai) (11:48.064); 3. Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) (11:48.694). Race-2: 1. S Vivek Pillai (Chennai) (11:54.105); 2. Mohan Babu P (Chennai) (11:54.125); 3. Kannan S (Chennai) (11:56.367).

    Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-2): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (12:25.916); 2. Shreyas Hareesh (Bengaluru) (12:35.302); 3. Abdul Basim RS (Chennai) (12:35.447).

  • Aditi Krishnan wins TVS girls race; Rakshitha clinches title

    Aditi Krishnan wins TVS girls race; Rakshitha clinches title

    Chennai, 7 Jan. 2022: Aditi Krishnan of Bengaluru won by a comfortable margin beating Adlin Seles of Chennai in the Apache RTR 200 race for girls, the only race that was completed at the Madras Motor Sports Track here on Friday. The day’s menu also had 10 qualifying sessions for different classes. There will be no races on Sunday due to the weekend curfew and 13 more races will be completed on Saturday.

    The 16-year old 11th class student of Delhi Public School is trained by Apex Racing Academy. Chennai girl Rakshitha Dave who came fourth took home enough points to clinch the One-make championship with a round to spare garnering an unbeatable 87 points.

    Meanwhile, the feature class saw experienced speedmaster Rajini Krishnan of RACR Castrol Power team, deliver a stunning lap to grab the pole position in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Open) category in the fourth round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 at the MMRT, here on Friday.

    Astride a Yamaha, Rajini came up with a late burst to post a best lap of one minute, 50.612secs, to pip Thailand’s Vorapong Malahuan (01:50.703), a TVS Racing import who of course is not counted for the championship. Another TVS Racing star, Deepak Ravikumar (01:50.880) filled the front row of the grid.

    Rajini Krishnan, who qualified for pole position in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Open) category on Saturday, 8 Jan 2022 at MMRT. Photo By Anand Philar

    The day witnessed hectic action as 21 sessions (practice, qualifying and one race) were completed. In view of the total lockdown on Sunday announced by the State government, the schedule was revised to ensure that the fourth round concludes a day earlier, on Saturday. The number of races were also reduced from original 18 to 14. The balance four races will be run during the fifth round in February.

    Earlier, TVS Racing team locked the front row in the Pro-Stock 165cc (Open) category with Chennai trio of Deepak Ravikumar (01:55.577) clinching pole position while KY Ahamed (01:55.783) and defending champion Jagan Kumar (01:56.361) completed the top three. Their arch-rival, Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) was fourth quickest (01:57.207) after being forced to curtail his practice session in the morning due to a glitch in his bike.

    Meanwhile, 19-year old local collegian Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports) qualified for pole position in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category with a top lap of two minutes, 08.621 seconds ahead of Sparks Racing pair of Sarvesh Balappa from Hubballi and Thrissur’s Allwin Xavier while championship leader Anfal Akdhar (Rockstar Racing), also from Thrissur, will start from P4.

    Last year’s champion Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing), lying seventh in the championship, made a strong statement by taking the pole position in the Girls (Stock 165cc) category, clocking a best lap of 02 minutes, 10.427 seconds. Behind her were championship leader Ryhana Bee (RACR Castrol Power) and Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing).

    Elsewhere, Pune’s Sarthak Chavan snatched the pole position in the NSF 250 class of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup while Prakash Kamath from Bokaro Steel City qualified for the top spot in the Novice (CBR 150) class.

    In the TVS One-Make Championship, Navaneeth Kumar (Puducherry) and Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) topped their respective qualifying sessions in the Open (RR310) and Rookie (RTR 200) categories, respectively.

    Later, in the only race of the day, Bengaluru’s Aditi Krishnan, starting from pole position, topped the Girls race in the TVS One-Make Championship, ahead of Adlin Seles (Chennai) and Deepika Reddy (Hyderabad).

    The results (Provisional):

    Qualifying (Best laps­):

    Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Open): 1. Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power, Chennai) (01min, 50.612secs); 2. Vorapong Malahuan (TVS Racing, Thailand) (01:50.703); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (01:50.880).

    Pro-Stock 165cc (Open): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (01:55.577); 2. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing, Chennai) (01:55.783); 3. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (01:56.361).

    Novice (Stock 165cc): 1. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (02:08.621); 2. Sarvesh Balappa (Sparks Racing, Hubballi) (02:09.106); 3. Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing, Thrissur) (02:10.185).

    Girls (Stock 165cc): 1. Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing, Chennai) (02:10.427); 2. Ryhana Bee (RACR Castrol Power, Chennai) (02:10.581); 3. Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing, Puducherry) (02:12.004).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250: 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune) (01:50.063); 2. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (01:51.351); 3. Mohsin Paramban (Mallapuram) (01:51.526).

    Novice (CBR 150): 1. Prakash Kamath (Bokaro Steel City) (02:08.830); 2. Vivek Gaurav (Patna) (02:08.935); 3. Raheesh Khatri (Mumbai) (02:09.384).

    Hornet 2.0 (Support event): 1. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (02:11.709); 2. Alwin Sundar (Thrissur) (02:11.912); 3. Ullas Santrupt Nanda (Bengaluru) (02:12.036).

    TVS One-Make Championship – Open (RR 310): 1. Navaneeth Kumar (Puducherry) (01:56.008); 2. Ananthraj P (Chennai) (01:56.346); 3. Amarnath Menon (Kozhikode) (01:56.569).

    Rookie (RTR 200): 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (02:07.478); 2. Shreyas Copparam Hareesh (Bengaluru) (02:08.471); 3. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (02:08.870).

    Girls Race (RTR 200) 5 laps: 1. Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru) (11:22.919); 2. Adlin Seles (Chennai) (11:33.144); 3. Deepika Reddy (Hyderabad) (11:33.354).

  • Double delight for Rajini Krishnan, Jagan Kumar

    Double delight for Rajini Krishnan, Jagan Kumar

    Chennai, 22 August 2021: Chennai veterans Rajini Krishnan and Jagan Kumar stamped their class with a double each in the two premium categories as did young Alwin Sundar in the Novice class while Ryhana Bee staged a winning comeback in the Girls section as the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship concluded at the MMRT, here on Sunday.

    Rajini, 41, who made his National Championship debut back in 2003 and also forayed abroad for stints in Superbike racing, rolled back the years with two stunning performances while winning both the races in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category for his team RACR Castrol Power Racing astride a Yamaha R3.

    In both races, Rajini was in a league of his own. This morning, in Race-1, despite a poor start when he dropped from P2 to P7 in the first lap, he carved through the field in quick time and eventually won comfortably ahead of Hyderabad’s Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing) and Bengaluru-based Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts). In the next outing, Rajini was even more dominating while winning easily from last year’s champion KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) and Anish Shetty.

    Similarly, Jagan, 31, winner of cumulative nine National titles, was outstanding in repeating his Saturday’s victory in the Pro-Stock 165cc class by taking the top honours in Race-2 today, though he had to work hard for it. Fellow-international, Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) chased Jagan all through the eight laps in a futile bid to overtake and the two crossed the line in that order, followed by TVS Racing’s Deepak Ravikumar.

    Jagan Kumar (3) and Rajiv Sethu (80) locked in a tight battle in the Pro-Stock 165cc Race-2 on Sunday in the Motorcycle Racing Nationals at MMRT on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar

    In between, Chennai collegian Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports) also completed a double in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category with yet another dominating ride in a race that was marred by multiple crashes. Finishing behind the 18-year old were Anfal A (Rockstar Racing) from Thrissur and Jinendra Kiran Sangave, a private entrant from Kolhapur, the youngest competitor at just 12 years.

    Ryhana Bee, centre, wins the Girls class with Baddam Deepika Reddy, left, takes 2nd and Jagruti Kiran, 3rd at MMRT on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar.
    Ryhana Bee, wins the Girls race with Baddam Deepika Reddy, left, taking 2nd and Jagruti Kiran, 3rd on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar.

    Earlier, another Chennai rider, Ryhana Bee (RACR Castrol Power Racing), returning to racing after a year’s gap following injury, topped the Girls race (Stock 165cc). The victory in the five-lapper was hers for the taking after defending champion Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing) and Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing) got tangled and crashed in the third lap. Thereafter, it was a fairly easy run for Ryhana who won from Baddam Deepika Reddy (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) and Jagruthi Kiran (Sparks Racing, Mumbai).

    Kavin Quintal (NSF 250R), Rakshith S Dave (CBR 150) and Kevin Kannan (Hornet 2.0), all from Chennai, finished with a double apiece in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup One-Make Championship while Kolhapur’s Jinendra Kiran Sangave, also won both the races in the Rookie category of the TVS One-Make Championship.

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

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Race-1): 1. Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power Racing, Chennai) (11mins, 28.636secs); 2. Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) (11:30.050); 3. Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts, Hubballi) (11:30.267). Race-2 (8 laps): 1. Rajini Krishnan (15:15.580); 2. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:17.169); 3. Anish Damodara Shetty (15:17.977).

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:48.429); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing, Chennai) (15:48.476); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:54.822).

    Novice (Stock, 165cc Race-2): 1. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (13:04.324); 2. Anfal A (Rockstar Racing, Thrissur) (13:05.899); 3. JInendra Kiran Sangave (Pvt, Kolhapur).

    Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (RACR, Chennai) (10:59.842); 2. Baddam Deepika Reddy (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) (11:21.426); 3. Jagruthi Kiran (Sparks Racing, Mumbai) (11:21.647).

    One-Make Championships:

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250 Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (14:51.472); 2. Sartak Chavan (Pune) (15:01.335); 3. Samuel Martin (Bengaluru) (15:09.450).

    Honda CBR 150 (Race-2): 1. Rakshith S Dave (Chennai) (13:20.170); 2. Prakash Kamath (Bokaro Steel City) (13:26.483); 3. Shyam Babu (Chennai) (13:55.118).

    Honda Hornet 2.0 (Race-2): 1. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (13:28.307); 2. Sudheer Sudhakar (New Delhi) (13:28.317); 3. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (13:28.696).

    TVS Apache RR 310 Open (Race-2): 1. Yashas RL (Bengaluru) (11:54.802); 2. Manoj Yesudiyan (Chennai) (11:57.307); 3. Amarnath Menon (Calicut) (11:57.376).

    TVS Rookie (RTR 200, Race-2): 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:58.183); 2. Jagathishree (Chennai) (13:09.244); 3. Zenas Bailey (Auroville) (13:09.286).

    TVS Media (RTR 200, 5 laps): 1. Soham Thakur (Mumbai) (11:56.577); 2. Ajinkya Lad (Mumbai) (12:26.279); 3. Vishal Joshi (Pune) (12:28.684).

  • Triple podium for Rajini Krishnan in Malaysian SBK; finishes second runner-up in the championship

    Triple podium for Rajini Krishnan in Malaysian SBK; finishes second runner-up in the championship

    Rajini Krsishnan….triple poidium in Malaysian SBK. Photo: RACR

    Kuala Lumpur, 10 October 2018: India’s leading rider, Rajini Krishnan, riding a Yamaha YZF R1, enjoyed a fruitful weekend with three podium spots, including one win, as he ended his campaign in the 2018 Malaysian Superbike Championship by finishing third in the series at the Sepang International Circuit here on Sunday.

    The 33-year old Azlan Shah Kumaruzaman of Chia PJ Kawasaki Racing team riding a Ninja ZX-10R won the championship.

    The weekend saw the fourth and fifth rounds being run with a total of four races. In Saturday’s Round 4 double-header. Rajini qualified second and finished second in Race-1 and won Race-2. Krishnan was the 2015 1000cc champion of the Malaysian SBK. He also finished runner-up in 2017.

    On Sunday, he again finished second in Race-1, but pulled out of the second race which cost him a second place in the championship and he eventually ended up second runner-up by a mere one point.

    Reflecting on Sunday’s fiasco, Rajini said: “As the weather wasn’t bad, I went out on Slick tyres. However, once I reached the grid, it started to rain. The Race Control declared the race as wet and gave a time of 15 minutes for the riders to change their tyres from slicks to wet.

    “As we did not have a spare wheel, I decided to go out again on the same slick tyres. During the sighting lap, I couldn’t ride my bike and it was a huge risk to ride with the slick tyres in the rain. So we decided to withdraw from the race.

    “I ended up in losing my first runner-up position in the championship and finished second runner-up champion by just one point.

    “I would like to thank my sponsors and friends who backed me for this season. I hope to do much better in the next season. The results could have been better with more sponsorship funding. We needed a better braking system as we had severe issues with brakes during the season including a major crash due to brake fade. Also, a lack of a spare wheel cost me the second place in the championship by just one point.”