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Tag: Ruhaan Alva
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Ruhaan Alva bags a grand double in F4; Goa Aces JA Racing clinch IRL title
Coimbatore, 17 November 2024: Bengaluru’s racing star Ruhaan Alva of Shrachi Rarh Royal Bengal Tigers closed the championship in style bagging a grand double in the FIA Formula 4 Indian Championship while Raoul Hyman and Gabriela Jilkova not only delivered a 1-2 finish for Goa Aces JA Racing but also helped the team clinch the Indian Racing League championship as the curtains came down at the Kari Motor Speedway, here on Sunday.
South African teenager Aqil Alibhai (Hyderabad Blackbirds) clinched the F4 title. Alva finished second in the Championship as the fifth and final round of the IRL promoted by Racing Promotions private limited concluded on Sunday.
Alibhai, enjoying a successful season with six wins, had two podium finishes (P2 and P3) today which fetched sufficient points to win him the crown.
South African teenager Aqil Alibhai (Hyderabad Blackbirds) clinched the F4 title Alva displayed rare sparks of aggression as he won the day’s first race starting from P5 on the reverse grid easily outpacing Alibhai and Divy Nandan (Bangalore Speedsters). He carried the momentum to win the next from P4 ahead of Canadian Hady Noah Mimassi (Chennai Turbo Riders) and Alibhai. In both races, the 18-year-old came up with a couple of daring moves to notch deserving wins.
An unperturbed Alibhai played it smart. With one eye on the points, he was content to run in P2 behind Alva in the first race as the Indian took the honours by over nine seconds. Alibhai had enough lead on third-placed Nandan to survive a 10-second post-race penalty for a “infringement”.
The P2 finish ensured Alibhai the championship as he led Alva by 29 points going into the final race which had a maximum of 26 on offer.
For the several Indian drivers, the season in F4 was an eye-opener in the context of the level of competition at this level. The championship made it affordable for the home-grown racers to take the next step up in their racing careers and the experience should stand them in good stead going forward.
Alibhai said: “I wanted to finish the season with a win, but it was not to be. But I have had a good season, and I am very happy to win the championship. Going forward, let’s see where this success takes me.”
Indian Racing League
Raoul Hyman tops IRL race as Goa Aces clinch title on Sunday at Kari Speedway. Photo by Rahul Reghu Raoul Hyman and Gabriela Jilkova not only delivered a 1-2 finish for Goa Aces JA Racing but also helped the team clinch the Indian Racing League championship. There was icing on Goa Aces’ cake too as the team also won the car championship to finish the season with a memorable double.
Going into the final race which began after sharp showers, the Goa Aces led Shrachi Rarh Royal Bengal Tigers by just two points, but the latter virtually handed over the championship on a platter within seconds after the race commenced from a rolling start following a crash.
Ruhaan Alva, sandwiched between pole-sitter Hyman and Jilkova in P2, lost the rear of his car, slid across the track and rammed into Akash Gowda (Speed Demons Delhi) just as they approached the start-finish line, leading to their retirement. The Safety Car made a brief appearance before racing resumed.
Thereafter, Hyman and Jilkova cruised along without any serious challenge with the former eventually winning by 28 seconds as they came up with a 1-2 finish for their team which followed yesterday’s win by their team-mate Sohil Shah. Mohd Ryan (Chennai Turbo Riders) completed the podium.
The second Shrachi Rarh Royal Bengal Tigers car, driven by Malaysian Alister Yoong, finished a distant seventh.
“We are very happy for the 1-2 finish. We are grateful to the team for giving us cars that won the races for us. It is their hardwork which enabled us to win the championship,” said Hyman.
The two-day Indian Racing Festival was sponsored by Kingfisher Soda, JK Tyres, Mobil 1 and Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Limited.
The results (Provisional):
John Abraham with Goa Aces Team Medium Indian Racing League (Race-2, Driver-B) 25 mins+1 lap:1. Raul Hyman (UK, Goa Aces JA Racing) (26:39.020); 2.Gabriela Jilkova (Czech Republic, Goa Aces JA Racing) (27:07.684);3. Mohamed Ryan (India, Chennai Turbo Riders) (27:29.813). Best Lap:Raoul Hyman (01:10.359).
Formula 4 Indian Open (Race-2, 25mins+1 lap):1. Ruhaan Alva (India, Shrachi Rarh Royal Bengal Tigers) (26:55.114);2. Aqil Alibhai (South Africa, Hyderabad Blackbirds) (27:14.880);3. Divy Nandan (India, Bangalore Speedsters) (27:24.987).Best Lap:Ruhaan Alva (01:06.492).
Race-3:1. Ruhaan Alva (India, Shrachi Rarh Royal Bengal Tigers) (27:00.884);2. Hady Noah Mimassi (Canada, Chennai Turbo Riders) (27:10.373);3. Aqil Alibhai (South Africa, Hyderabad Blackbirds) (27:16.425).Best Lap:RuhaanAlva (01:06.386).
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Jaden Pariat takes brilliant win in Indian F4; Abhay Mohan takes creditable 3rd
Chennai, 14 Sept. 2024: Teenager from Shillong Jaden Pariat took a brilliant victory, his second in the championship while team-mate 16-year-old Abhay Mohan from Bengaluru, in his first full single-seater season, come third behind South African Aqil Alibhai (Black Birds Hyderabad) to provide their team, Bangalore Speedsters, a creditable double podium on Day One of the third round of the Indian F4 Championship at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.
The Indian Racing League promoted by Racing Promotions private limited, was also held along with the JK Tyre National Racing Championship 2024.
Off to a clean start from pole position, 17-year-old Pariat, winner here in Round 1, and National champion in the MRF F2000 class, never looked back for a lights-to-flag win. Behind him, Alibhai settled into P2 from Lap 1 to the finish, not having the pace to trouble Pariat who also put in the fastest lap of the race, a blistering one minute, 40.459 seconds.
Jaden Pariat celebrates after winning the F4 Indian race at MIC on Saturday. IRL photo Down the grid, battles raged up for track positions. Abhay Mohan, winner of the National title in the MRF F1600 category earlier this summer, started from P5 but immediately gained a spot when Veer Sheth (Ahmedabad Apex Racers) stalled on the grid and dropped to last. Abhay, the Class 12 NIOS student, then put fellow-Bengalurean Ruhaan Alva (ShrachiRarh Bengal Tigers) under pressure before passing for P3, a position he comfortably held to the finish. Alva eventually came in fifth.
Down the road, Gurugram’s Divy Nandan (Ahmedabad Apex Racers) put in an impressive show to climb from P16 to eventual P7 finish.
Ruhaan Alva impressive, but loses top spot in the last lap
With a fastest lap timing and leading the race until few corners from the finish, ShrachiRarh Bengal Tiger’s Ruhaan Alva slipped to third position with a gearbox issue and home favourite Chennai Turbo Rider’s Jon Lancaster, made the best of the opportunity to finish on the top step of the podium
The 35-year-old Lancasterfrom UK and representing Chennai Turbo Riders in this franchise-based Indian Racing League championship, was running about four seconds behind Alva in the last lap of the race (A Drirver), but lady luck smiled on him when disaster struck Alva a few corners from the finish, allowing him to take the win ahead of Czech Republic’s Gabriela Jilkova (Goa Aces JA Racing). Alva, who had started from pole position and built a winning lead, managed to limp home in thirdplace in a race that was his to lose.
With a win in sight and less than a lap left for the finish, the 18-year-old Ruhaan came across a car that had spun across the track. He slowed down and passed the stricken car only to meet with disaster as the engine spluttered and the gear got stuck in third. It allowed Lancaster and Jilkovato pass him.
At the start, Alva made a good getawaywhile his team-mate, Malaysian Allister Yoong dropped two spots from P2 as Lancaster and Jilkova slipped past in the very first lap. Their positions remained unchanged until the last lap when Alva blew away a certain victory.
Gabriela Jillkova, takes a deserving second place, racing on equal footing with men in the IRL at MIC on Saturday. An IRL image “You got to take the opportunities,” was how Lancaster commented after the win. “It was
The Indian Racing Festival, to be held over five rounds, is sponsored by Kingfisher Soda, JK Tyres, Mobil 1 and Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Limited.
JK Tyre-Fmsci Indian National Racing Championship 2024
Coimbatore’s Bala Prasath led a 1-2 finish for Dark Don after starting P3 on the 24-car grid in Race-1 of Formula LGB, that was twice interrupted by Safety Car due to on-track incidents. Following him home was Tijil Rao from Bengaluru ahead of Ahura Racing’s Chetan Surineni, also from Bengaluru. It was the second win of the season for Bala Prasath.
Likewise, Abhay Mohan, who showed impressive pace for his second win, and Dhruvh Goswami, both from Bengaluru, delivered a 1-2 result for MSport while Hyderabad’s Abhinav Reddy (Avalanche Racing) completed the podium in the Rookie class.
At the start of the race, pole-sitter Viswas Vijayaraj (Dark Don Racing) led the pack for a couple of laps before the Safety Car was deployed. On resumption, Vijayaraj slid to third behind Bala Prasath who put in some quick laps to gain the lead ahead of Tijil Rao who had led briefly. The order remained unchanged for a couple of laps until Surineni made a move on Vijayaraj to take P3 before the second Safety Car period. The race ended behind the Safety Car with Bala Prasath taking a win from Tijil Rao and Surineni.
Later, in Race-2 that was red-flagged twice and reduced to five laps, Chetan Surineni took the honours, holding off Bala Prasath and Viswas Vijayaraj. In the Rookie class, Bengaluru’s Dhruvh Goswami finished first ahead of Abhinav Reddy and Pune’s Neythan McPherson (Momentum Motorsport).
The results (Provisional):
Indian Racing League:
Race-1 (Driver A, 25mins + 1 Lap):1. Jon Lancaster (UK, Chennai Turbo Riders) (27mins, 11.213secs);2. Gabriela Jilkova (Czech Republic, Goa Aces JA Racing) (27:12.428);3. Ruhaan Alva (India, ShrachiRarh Bengal Tigers) (27:14.554).
Formula 4 Indian – Race-1 (25mins + 1 Lap):1. Jaden Pariat (India, Bangalore Speedsters) (26:57.528);2. Aqil Alibhai (South Africa, Black Birds, Hyderabad) (27:02.059);3. Abhay Mohan (India, Bangalore Speedsters) (27:20.546).
JK Tyre-FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship:
Formula LGB 4 (Race-1, 8 laps):1. Bala Prasath (Coimbatore, Dark Don Racing) (17:58.987); 2. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Dark Don Racing) (17:59.833); 3. Chetan Surineni (Bengaluru, Ahura Racing) (18:00.288).
Rookie: Abhay Mohan (Bengaluru, MSport) (18:01.848);2. Dhruvh Goswami (Bengaluru, MSport) (18:02.402); 3. K Abhinav Reddy (Hyderabad, Avalanche Racing) (18:06.581).
Race-2 (5 laps):1. Chetan Surineni (Bengaluru, Ahura Racing) (09:58.945); 2. Bala Prasath (Coimbatore, Dark Don Racing) (09:58.967); 3. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, Dark Don Racing) (10:00.099).
Rookie: 1. Dhruvh Goswami (Bengaluru, MSport) (10:06.569); 2. Abhinav Reddy (Hyderabad, Avalanche Racing) (10:14.306); 3, Neythan McPherson (Pune, Momentum Motorsport) (10:14.529).
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Ruhaan Alva, Divy Nandan bag second place each: Indian F4
Chennai, 1 Sept. 2024: Two Indian drivers Bengaluru’s Ruhaan Alva driving for Bengal Tigers and Delhi’s Divy Nandan racing for Ahmedabad Apex Racers, notched up creditable second places in Race 1 and Race 2 respectively, even as Australian Hugh Barter of Godspeed Kochi and South African Aqil Alibhai of Hyderabad Blackbirds wrote their own script to share the day’s honours in the FIA-Formula 4 Indian Championship at the Chennai Formula Racing Circuit under floodlights here on Sunday.
Starting from pole position, Barter topped Race 1 in typical style, outpacing the field, in another flawless exhibition that underlined his undoubted talent. In contrast, Alibhai, who missed Race-1 due to issues with his car, made ample amends by winning Race 2 after starting fourth on the grid, and, in the process, displaying considerable skill in defensive driving.
Barter, who last weekend had won a race starting last on the grid, was unstoppable while winning the first race that was marred by two Safety Car periods and then a red flag with little over three minutes and a lap left. Meanwhile, Abhay Mohan (Bangalore Speedsters) quietly moved to P4 from P8 and then jumped to third place behind Barter and Ruhaan Alva Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers) as Jaden Pariat (Bangalore Speedsters) retired, bringing out the Safety Car for the third time with about six minutes and a lap left of the race. The proceedings were yet again interrupted by a red flag with about 3:30 plus one lap remaining following an incident.
Ruhaan Alva, who finished a creditable P2 in F4 Race 1 receiving the trophy. An IRL image Unable to complete second qualifying session, Barter started Race 2 from the end of the grid, but in no time, climbed to fifth before tangling with Ruhaan Alva and dropped to eighth. Ahead of them, Alibhai made three spots to take the lead which he defended with aplomb to win from two Indians, Divy Nandan and Jaden Pariat as the race ended behind the Safety Car. Alva finished fourth while Barter came in fifth.
The results (Provisional):
FIA Formula 4 Indian Championship (25mins + 1 lap)
Race 1
1. Hugh Barter (Australia, Godspeed Kochi) (19:42.952);
2. Ruhaan Alva (India, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers) (19:50.251);
3. Abhay Mohan (India, Bangalore Speedsters) (20:09.021).
Race 2
1. Aqil Alibhai (South Africa, Blackbirds Hyderabad) (30:03.445);
2. Divy Nandan (India, Ahmedabad Apex Racers) (30:03.704);
3. Jaden Pariat (India, Bangalore Speedsters) (30:04.413).
Diljit, Tijil Rao share honours
JK Tyre-FMSCI National Racing Championship 2024
Dark Don team enjoyed a profitable weekend as Diljith TS from Thrissur and Bengaluru’s Tijil Rao won a race apiece in the Formula LGB 4 category, but both had to work hard for their P1 slots on the podium.
Race-1 was a close fight between pole-sitter Pune’s Neython McPherson (Momentum Motorsports) and Diljith as the two exchanged leads early on. However, the more experienced Diljith managed to secure a slender lead that he nursed to the finish despite a Safety Car period, to finish ahead of McPherson. Behind them, Tijil Rao, having started from P8, moved up to P3, showing impressive pace, but could not make further progress as the eight-lap race was reduced to six after a red flag stoppage.
Later in the day, under lights, Tijil Rao came up with another fine drive to upstage Diljith after the two traded lead through the 10-lap race that saw two Safety Car periods. Eventually, Tijil made a decisive move on front-running Diljith to take his second win in the championship. Diljith had to be content with P2, ahead of McPherson.
The results (Provisional):
JK Tyre-FMSCI National Racing Championship (Formula LGB 4) – Race-1 (5 laps): 1. Diljith TS (Thrissur, Dark Don Racing) (11:48.827); 2. Neythan McPherson (Pune, Momentum Motorsports) (11:48.973); 3. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Dark Don Racing) (11:50.800). Rookie: 1. McPherson (11:48.973); 2. Abhay Mohan (Bengaluru, MSPORT) (11:53.785); 3. Ashok Lal (Bengaluru, Avalanche Racing) (12:01.039).
Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Tiljil Rao (27:03.653); 2. Diljith TS (27:03.964); 3. Neythan McPherson (27:04.402). Rookie: 1. McPherson (27:04.402); 2. Abhay Mohan (27:07.408); 3. Dhruvh Goswami (Bengaluru, MSPORT) (27:09.599).
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Ruhaan Alva clinches LGB Formula 4 title for 2023
Coimbatore, 19 Nov. 2003: Championship leader Ruhaan Alva of MSport signed off on a merry note winning the LGB Formula 4 title much to the joy of his team on an action-packed final round of the 26th JK Tyre National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway in
Chettipalayam here on Sunday.
Ruhaan enjoyed a good 20-point lead over Kolkata’s Arya Singh of Dark Don Racing the other day. With just a race to go, it was enough for the Bengaluru boy to seal the title. But it turned out to be a different story as Arya got some relief and his points back after they appealed to the Indian Motor Sports Appeal Court (IMSAC). So did a couple of Momentum Motorsport drivers in the JK Tyre Novice Cup.
A post event scrutiny saw their points docked in the penultimate round at the same venue for technical infringement and they slipped down the table. So that put the pressure back on Ruhaan gunning for his maiden national championship title in the premier category. However, Ruhaan put that at the back of his head and fought hard from P8 to take the second spot on the podium in the final race and emerge the champion with a final tally of 82 points.
The youngster was obviously elated after the race. “I feel great to have got the title. It was a crazy final race. Diljith [Dark Don] and I were involved in a great battle went neck to neck. He tried to hold me up for some time but I managed to cut a corner to come in second,” said Ruhaan.
“It was a bit tense at the beginning but I am a lot relieved now,” he added. Arya and his teammate Tijil Rao, who finished on top of the podium, were tied for the second spot with 71 points each.
Arjun S. Nair (82pts) brought great delight to his team Momentum Motorsports by clinching the JK Tyre Novice Cup without much ado. His teammate Neythan McPherson (53pts) and DTS Racing’s Joel Joseph (44pts) had to content with the next two places respectively.
It was a clean sweep by the Bengaluru boys in the JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup with Abhishek Vasudev (54pts), Jagadeesh Nagara (45pts) and Ullas S. Nanda (39pts) finishing in that order.
Sarvesh Balappa (Hubballi), who dominated the entire season, finished with 30 points, to seal the title in the JK Tyre Presents 250 Cup followed by Sachin Jothees (Hosur) and S. Govidharaj (Tirupur).
The results (provisional): Day 2:
LGB Formula 4: 1. Tijil Rao (Dark Don Racing) 28:19.852, 2. Ruhaan Alva (MSport) 28:22.808, 3. Mira Erda (MSport) 28:25.478.
JK Tyre Novice Cup: 1. Arjun S. Nair (Momentum Motorsport) 10:07.713, 2. Neythan McPherson (Momentum Motorsport) 10:07.754, 3. Jigar Muni 10:10.095.
RE Continental GT Cup: 1. Anish Shetty (Bengaluru) 13:17.302, 2. Abhishek Vasudev 13:18.817, 3. MD Samrul Zubair 13:19.706.
250 Cup (10 laps): 1. Sarvesh Balappa (Hubballi) 15:49.274, 2. Sachin Jothees (Hosur) 15:53.109, 3. S. Govindharaj (Tirupur) 15:53.250. -
Ruhaan Alva continues to dominate; Tjil, Arya steal a win each: JK Racing
Coimbatore, 18 Nov. 2023: Championship leader Ruhaan Alva (MSport), Arya Singh and Tijil Rao from Dark Don Racing shared a race win each on an eventful Saturday in the final round of the 26th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway in Chettipalayam here.
It has never been this close between the top three in the LGB Formula 4, the premier class of the championship. All the three races went down to the wire. With just a few points separating them, they knew it was now or never and gave their all for one more time.
Bengaluru’s Ruhaan started with a fighting win over Tijil of Dark Don Racing in the opening race. It did boost his confidence and further his points tally going into the second race. The former took advantage of starting on pole and raced to a quick lead. He was in control for over four laps but quite soon found Arya and Tijil breathing down his neck. The duo even managed to go upfront.
It was wheel-to-wheel racing between the three from there. Even as Arya and Tijil were fighting right up in front for some time, Ruhaan made a clever move in the first corner of 11th lap to take the lead yet again only to surrender it soon.
The duo maintained a steady pace to finish one-two for Dark Don, while Ruhaan had to rest content for the third spot on the podium.
In the last race of the day, Ruhaan was quick off the blocks. So did Tijil and T.S. Diljith of Dark Don Racing. The battle royal had the spectators on the edge of their seats but Tijil held his nerve to finish on top.
The JK Tyre Novice Cup was as close as the LGB Formula 4 class. Neythan McPherson of Momentum Motorsport edged out teammate and championship leader Arjun S. Nair in the first race. But Arjun, a fighter that he is, shot back to win the second race in style and further strengthened his chances of clinching the championship crown
with a tally of 62 points.
Anish Shetty underlined his class in the JK Tyre Presents RE Continental GT Cup with a well-deserved double win.
The results (provisional):
LGB Formula 4: Race 1: Ruhaan Alva (MSport) 19:48.550, 2. Tijil Rao (Dark Don Racing) 1:16.555, 3. T.S. Diljith (Dark Don Racing) 1:16.875.Race 2: 1. Arya Singh (Dark Don Racing) 20:55.669, 2. Tijil Rao 20:56.711, 3. Ru+haan Alva 20:56.738.
Race 3: 1. Tijil Rao 20:32.887, 2. Ruhaan Alva 20:33.254, 3. T.S. Diljith 20:34.282.
JK Tyre Presents RE Continental GT Cup: Race 1: 1. Jagadeesh Nagaraj (Bengaluru) 6:05.395, 2. Anish Shetty (Bengaluru) 6:06.322, 3. Vignesh Goud (Hyderabad) 6:07.141.
Race 2: 1. Anish Shetty 12:55.273, 2. P.M. Soorya (Chennai) 13:00.965, 3. Abhishek Vasudev (Bengaluru) 13:00.965.
Race 3: 1. Anish Shetty 12:57.123, 2. Jagadeesh Nagaraj 12:59.901, 3. Rajkumar (Coimbatore) 13:00.209.
JK Tyre Novice Cup: Race 1: 1. Neythan McPherson (Momentum Motorsport) 14:39.144, 2. Arjun S. Nair (Momentum Motorsport) 14:39.459, 3. Jigar Muni (Momentum Motorsport) 14:42.854.
Race 2: 1. Arjun S. Nair13:57.412, 2. M. Abhay (MSport) 13:57.615, 3. Joel Joseph (DTS Racing) 13:57.909.The races will be webcasted live on JK Tyre Motorsport’s social media handles:
Sunday, 19th Nov from 10.15am onwards
YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/zn__E7azfyE?feature=share
Facebook: https://fb.me/e/3lLWs714X
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Tijil Rao wins another race to lead the table; Sarvesh, Abhishek shine on bikes
Coimbatore, August 27, 2023: Bengaluru teenagerRuhaan Alva of MSport signed off on a merry note winning the first race on Day 2 but compatriot Tijil Rao of Dark Don Racing had the last laugh with a fine victory in the last race as he made it a double in the in the premier LGB Formula 4 class of the 26th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship, the first round of which concluded at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday.
Tijil Rao, who shared honours with Arya Singh yesterday, won another race and made it a double to take the championship lead. In the opening race, all eyes were on the Dark Don Racing stars but it was Bengaluru’s Ruhaan who won Race 3 with a stunning overtake in the final lap. However, Tijil made a comeback with a facile win in the final Race 4 and ended Round 1 on a high leading the points table in the LGB F4 class.
Arya Singh (Dark Don Racing) dominated for most part but Ruhaan played catch up with some brilliant driving. The former was beginning to feel the pressure. There was a little bumping and jostling now and then between the two but Ruhaan kept searching for space to sneak in. He managed to find one in the final lap and crossed the line much without any further hiccups.
Kolkata’s Arya Singh, #10, leads Dilijit TS, #44 while Ruhaan Alva, Yellow #27, waits for his time. INDIAinF1 photo The second was as good as the first but Tijil did one better than the rest to clinch the thriller. With the reverse grid in play, it was Saran Vikram Tmars (Mars Racing) who started off on a blitzy note staying in the lead for good five laps, however it was Ruhaan who overtook him and was primed for victory.
Tijil Rao after Race 3 (in pic) makes a strong comeback. Tijil Rao at his best:
Ruhaan failed to hold on to the lead as he spun out of the race giving the Dark Don’s racers a fresh leash of life with Diljith and Tijil battling it out for the victory. While it looked like the senior pro Diljith would close the round on a high, it was the young Tijil who showed grit and great skills to overtake in the 13th lap. It was a sight to behold as both the racers were involved in a to and fro action but eventually Tijil brought in his car ahead of others to win the race, and a double in the weekend.
Neythan McPherson wins Novice Cup Race 3
In the JK Tyre Novice Cup, Bengaluru’s Arjun S. Nair of Momentum Motorsports, who cracked a double on Saturday, for once could not celebrate on top of the podium in the first race as his teammate Neythan McPherson from Pune staved off a stiff challenge from him and Aman
Nagdev (MSport) and took a good win.The nine-lap race saw the safety car out twice and that took some flow and shine out of the event. Aman and Arjun finished second and third respectively.
But in the second race, Joel Joseph (DTS Racing) came out victorious, while Arjun and McPherson wrested the next two spots.
Good week-end for Arjun Nair
However, it was a good week-end for Arjun Nair, who took two victories and two podiums to lead the table in the Novice class after Round 1. “The weekend results justified the countless hours spent fine-tuning our strategies, perfecting my driving, and pushing myself all the time. The competition is fierce, but I managed to raise my performance up to it. I am motivated to work hard physically and to give my best for the remainder of the championship,” said Arjun Syam Nair confidently.
Sarvesh Balappa rules the roost
Hubballi’s Sarvesh Balappa, starting on P2, ruled the field in the JK Tyre presents 250 Cup. Pole sitter G Abhinav (Coimbatore) brought some cheer to the home crowd clocking the fastest time of 1:25.00. He maintained a good pace but not good enough to outsmart Sarvesh at the end. Bengaluru’s Rohit ad had to be content with the third spot.
Abhishek Vasudev at his best
In the JK Tyre Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup, it was the Bengaluru boys who stole the show with a clean sweep. Abhishek Vasudev emerged victorious with an impressive timing of 13 minutes 53.248 seconds, while his city-mates, Ullass Nanda (13:53.651) and Md Samrul Zubair (13:57.403) were the others who stood second and third on the podium respectively.
Provisional Results (Day 2):
LGB Formula 4 Race 31. Ruhaan Alva, MSport: 22 minutes 09.037 seconds;
2. Arya Singh, Dark Don Racing: 22:09.084;
3. Tijil Rao, Dark Don Racing: 22:10.131.
Race 4
1. Tijil Rao, Dark Don Racing: 27:51.142;
2.Diljith TS, Dark Don: 27:51.822;
3.Saran Vikram Tmars, Mars Racing: 28:05.523.
Novice Cup Race 31. Neythan McPherson: Momentum Motorsports; 14:28.205;
2. Aman Nagdev; MSport: 14:28.801;
3. Arjun S Nair, Momentum Motorsports: 14:29.264.
Race 4
1. Joel Joseph, DTS Racing: 16:20.908;2. Arjun S Nair, Momentum Motorsports: 16:21.077;
3. Neythan McPherson, 16:21.201, Momentum Motorsports.
Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup Race 2
1. Abhishek Vasudev, 13:53.248;2. Ullass Nanda 13:53.651;
3. Md. Samrul Zubair 13:57.403.
JK Tyre 250 Cup
1. Sarvesh Balappa: 15:16.3452;
2. Abhinav G: 15:19.623;
3.Rohit Lad: 15:27.436.
ends
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JK Tyre-backed Ruhaan Alva grabs a superb 2nd: GB4 Championship
Silverstone, 9 May 2023: Indian Racing starRuhaan Alva grabbed his maiden podium in the GB4 single-seater championship last weekend with a second-place finish in the final race of the series’ second round at England’s iconic Silverstone race circuit.
The 16-year-old from Bengaluru, backed by the JK Tyre scholarship programme, crossed the line less than a second behind winner Harri Reynolds and Tom Mills finished third.
Ruhaan Alva, who drives for Fortec Motorsports team, took his rostrum result in the third race of the weekend. Starting from pole in the reverse grid race, he had a contact with Sid Smith, which robbed him of the momentum, and gave Reynolds a sniff at the lead.
The Bengaluru teenager defended robustly against Reynolds, going wheel-to-wheel with the Elite Motorsport racer, through the high-speed Maggots and Becketts complex of corners. But the young Indian ultimately had to concede as Reynolds swept past at Vale.
Ruhaan didn’t get a chance to make the place back as the safety car was deployed to clear away Sid Smith’s car, which had suffered a puncture from the start-line contact with Ruhaan and was left stranded at Copse. Thomas Lee had also spun off in his Evans GP car at Abbey.
The safety car came in, once the time limit on the race had run out. With no overtaking allowed, Reynolds went clear of the field and cruised to the flag followed by Ruhaan.
Ruhaan Alva said, “It’s really nice to be here. The qualifying didn’t go as planned and I had to settle for P11. I got caught up in traffic. Later, the rain and resultant spray resulted in a lot of lost time. My first podium of the season is a really good boost to my confidence and we know that if we keep working hard, we will be able to achieve consistent results.”
“Ideally it would have been P1 but Harri passed me and I just had to stick with him and hope that no one else caught me and started fighting me so then I could get a gap behind.
“Obviously I’d like to thank the big sponsors who helped me get here, my Dad, and it’s really great thing being an Indian driver being able to get podiums outside of India now,” Ruhaan concluded.
The GB4 Championship is an entry-level, one-make single seater championship aimed at giving young racers their first taste of slicks-and-wings machinery. Launched in September 2021, the series is currently in its second season and uses Tatuus F4-T014 cars, which are also raced in Italian, ADAC and Spanish F4 series.
About JK Tyre Motorsport
JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades. The company laid down a long-term plan to popularize and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So, it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport. JK Tyre’s efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others. JK Tyre Motorsports is very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, the company also gave them opportunities in various national championships. With a vision to promote women in motorsports, the company has curated women-centric events such as JK Tyre WIAA Women’s Rally to Valley, JK Tyre Defence Wives Power Drive, JK Tyre-YFLO Women’s Power Drive, JK Tyre Times Women’s Drive apart from introducing an all-women’s team in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship to encourage women to take up to the sport.
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Ruhaan makes a strong debut in GB4 with two P7 finishes in points
Oulton Park (UK), 8 April 2023: Indian racing star Ruhaan Alva made a strong debut, a Baptism by fire, in the British GB4 Championship finishing in the top 10 twice as he returns to racing in the European circuits at Cheshire’s Oulton Park where the Round 1 concluded on Sunday.
He did suffer an unfortunate mechanical issue that pulled him down in Race 2 but is confident to come back stronger. “I am eagerly looking forward to getting back in the car,” Ruhaan, who is sponsored by JK Tyre and backed by Vamcy Merla Sports Foundation, said.
A grid of 15 aspiring single-seater stars of the future assembled at Oulton Park for the start of the new GB4 season last weekend. Three different winners from the season opener suggest another wide-open season is in store, and you can watch all the action again here. Ruhaan Alva did a commendable job and showed enough pace which is expected to improve further as works with his engineers on the car set-up ahead of Round 2 in May. You can watch the Round 1 races here.
Ruhaan Alva The Bengaluru teenager started from P9 in his Tatuus F4 T014 #27 car and managed a creditable seventh in the first race after showing admirable pace in his very first race on debut in the GB4 series. Later, due to some issues he logged a DNF after his anti-fog seal broke and filled up his visor leading to a blind drive behind the safety car that caused contact with a car in front of him, and his race ended abruptly. However, the 16-year-old came back strongly in Race 3 on Sunday for another point finish in the top 10, taking seventh place again in the 15-car grid, 14 of them new for the season like Ruhaan. The Indian will take part in all 21 races over 7 weekends and will use this as a platform to get into bigger things like FIA Formula 3.
“It was a great experience with a lot of learning for me,” said Ruhaan after the race weekend. After initial hiccups in qualifying, he saw that despite an issue with the floor which was dragging on the ground, Ruhaan managed a decent lap to get a P9 position. In Race 1, he did launch nicely off the line and after a comfortable race, he was left with a bit of defending which he did admirably to keep the drivers behind him in check and took a creditable seventh among many racers who had a better saddle time and experience on the circuit.
Race 2, did not go according to expectations. It was raining heavily and most of the race ran behind the Safety Car. The anti-fog seal of Ruhaan’s helmet broke leading to the visor getting filled up with water which caused complete fogging. “I was driving blind under the safety car. The car in front of me braked hard, and I couldn’t see him,” revealed Ruhaan about the conditions that forced him to make a contact. It did damage his front wing and the Master Cylinder that holds the brake fluid resulting in an unfortunate DNF in Race 2.
Ruhaan Alva is in a relaxed mood at Oulton Park ahead of Round 1. The talented Indian karting champion, who graduated from Formula Cars, won the IRL league recently for his team. In Race 3, he was pretty confident and had fun racing, with a lot of battles on a drying track. The pace was decent but he got stuck behind a slower car in the initial stages which caused him to drop back a bit. Once he was able to pass the slower car, Ruhaan was able to climb up the order making two passes on the last lap and once again took a decent P7. “We had a few issues with the engine throughout the weekend and the team is working on it for the next round in the first week of May. I am confident to come back better equipped,” was the parting shot of Ruhaan, son of former Indian rally star Umakanth Alva.
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JK Tyre, Vamcy Merla to sponsor Ruhaan’s GB4 campaign in the UK
Bengaluru, 6 April, 2023: Ruhaan Alva, the young 16-year-old racing prodigy’s next big international outing will be the 2023 GB4 Championship, which gets underway this kon Friday at Oulton Park in the UK.
Ruhaan, who had a dream run in his racing career with four National titles and multiple club titles, for a total of seven titles under his belt, will take part in the GB4 Championship, an extremely-competitive single-seater motorsport series based in the United Kingdom. Indian rising star, Ruhaan Alva will race with renowned Fortec Motorsport team in the upcoming season.
Ruhaan Alva said: “I’m really excited to be racing in the GB4 Championship this year with such a fantastic team as Fortec Motorsport. The aim is to use this as a springboard and to be as successful in single seaters as I have been throughout karting. I’m grateful to the support JK Tyre has extended to me throughout my racing career. I also thank Mr. Vamcy Merla for his belief in me and my talent. I look forward to represent our country and our Indian motorsport fraternity.”
In 2021, he won four Championships in India at a very young age of 15 years. The driver from Bengaluru, has already represented the country on several international platforms like the Rotax Grand Finals in Bahrain in 2021, Ferrari Driver Academy Asia Pacific selection programme and the World Motorsport Games in F4 in 2022.
JK Tyre Motorsport known for nurturing motorsport talent from India for over four decades inducted Ruhaan in their scholarship program last year.
The talented Bangalore boy, graduates to full-time single-seater Formula cars after an impressive karting and racing career, including winning the Indian X30 title and front-running appearances at both the IAME International Final and Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals. Now, Ruhaan will contest the seven-event, 21-race GB4 calendar alongside Fortec’s other driver, Colin Queen. The third driver slot is yet to be announced.
Sanjay Sharma, Head of Motorsports, JK Tyre, said: “Ruhaan has been a trailblazer in Indian racing circuit and now it is time that he proves his mettle on international soil. Nothing gives us more happiness than supporting our racers who proudly represent our Tri-colour. We wish Ruhaan the very best and hope that this experience will propel him closer to his dream.”
In a recent announcement by Fortec Motorsport, Team Principal Oliver Dutton said: “We’re really looking forward to working with Ruhaan. His is a name that has been cropping up on a few people’s radars recently, and we definitely think he has a lot of potential. GB4 is a really tough championship, as we found out last year, but with the right development and some experience, he can be a force to be reckoned with, and his addition to the team puts us in even stronger shape heading to Oulton Park this weekend.”
About JK Tyre Motorsport:
JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades. The company laid down a long-term plan to popularize and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So, it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport. JK Tyre’s efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others. JK Tyre Motorsports is very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, the company also gave them opportunities in various national championships. With a vision to promote women in motorsports, the company has curated women-centric events such as JK Tyre WIAA Women’s Rally to Valley, JK Tyre Defence Wives Power Drive, JK Tyre-YFLO Women’s Power Drive, JK Tyre Times Women’s Drive apart from introducing an all-women’s team in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship to encourage women to take up to the sport.
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Godspeed Kochi crowned maiden IRL champions
Hyderabad, 11 Dec 2022: Scintillating performance winning all the three races on the final day saw dark horses Godspeed Kochi crowned as the team champions in the inaugural Indian Racing League (IRL) as strong favourites Black Birds Hyderabad fell by the way side in the fourth and final round which concluded at the street circuit on the banks of Hussain Sagar here on Sunday.
Akhil Rabindra, who won the Driver’s championship. Photo Shameem Fahath Black Birds Hyderabad’s Akhil Rabindra, ace Indian driver, was adjudged as Driver champion followed by teammate Neel Jani in Second. Kochi team’s Alister Yoong of Malaysia was third.
All the four drivers of Kochi, Ruhaan Alva and Fabienne in Car #1 and Alister Yoong and Nikhil Bora in Car #2 turned in excellent performance on the final day to close the championship with a bang.
Despite the early hiccups, the historic Racing League, the first city-based motorsports league in the country also gave India its first Street Circuit, thanks to the support from the Telangana government. The new Circuit is expected to host the Formula E world Championship next February after the homologation of the track.
Godspeed Kochi’s Alister Yoong and Nikhil Bora finished the final day of the League season and the Round 4 on a high note, posting thumping victories in both the Sprint Races and the Feature Race. Meanwhile, their second car piloted by Ruhaan Alva and Fabienne Wohlwend, chipped in with a sixth place, despite technical issues with the car, after finishing fourth on the track and logging a penalty. Thus, Godspeed Kochi (313.5), who went into the final race trailing by 23.5 points to Black Birds Hyderabad (337) garnered enough points to turn the tables and overthrow the Championship leaders and were crowned the inaugural Team Champions of IRL promoted by Racing Promotions Private Limited. Kochi ended up with 417.5 points to Hyderabad’s 385.
Alister Yoong, centre, and Nikhil Bohra, right, with Kochi team boss Jose Pottamkulam Ootta, a former Rally star. File photo by Karan Ravi. In the Feature Race, both the Blue cars of Kochi started on the front row but there was much drama with a Red flag at the very beginning following Hyderabad’s Akhil Rabindra’s car stalling on the grid. Later, after three formation laps the race began with most of the cars on wet tyres on a drying track.
In car #2, Nikhil Bora started on pole and lead the race and after driver swap, Alister Yoong, surprisingly found himself in third place and finished second on the track. But later, he was credited with a victory in the Feature Race, thus making a clean sweep for Kochi team.
File photo of Ruhaan Alva, left, and Fabienne Wohlwend of Godspeed Kochi team. Photo by Akhil (IRL/Shameem’s team) Behind Alister, Kevin of Goa Aces, who began in P3 overtook Ruhaan and soon Jon Lancaster of Chennai followed suit. But with some skilful driving Ruhaan, the 17-year Bengalurean, gained back a place and jumped into the pits quite early and there was confusion if he missed the pit-window. However, Fabienne took over after the driver swap and retained the third place till the final lap before finishing the race in fourth place on the track. But later, a penalty saw them end up in sixth place. But that classification was enough to garner valuable 32 points for the team which counted in their snatching the Team Championship.
Earlier, Alister, the son of Malaysia’s first F1 racer Alex Yoong, won the first Sprint Race followed by Gabriela Jilkova and Sohil Shah (Both Goa Aces).
In the second Sprint Race, Nikhil Bora and Ruhaan Alva posted a 1-2 victory for Kochi to gain full points and Kevin Mirocha of Goa Aces finished third. With today’s exploits Goa Aces finished the championship in third with 282 points.
Godspeed Kochi team file photo from Round 2 by Shameem Fahath. Final Results – Feature Race:
1. Nikhil Bora/ Alister Yoong (Godspeed Kochi);
2. Kevin Mirocha / Gabriela Jilkova (Goa Aces);
3. Anindith Reddy/ Lola* (Black Birds Hyderabad);
4. Jon Lancaster / Sandeep Kumar (Chennai Turbo Riders);
5. Nicole Hvarda / Parth Ghorpade (Chennai Turbo Riders);
6. Ruhaan Alva /Fabienne Wohlwend (Godspeed Kochi);
*(Unwell Lola did not take part on Sunday and Anindith drove the race alone with a 3-min pitstop)
Not Classified:
7. Amir Sayed/ Sohil Shah (Goa Aces);
8. Rishon Rajeev / Bianca Bustamante (Bangalore Speedsters);
9. Mitchell Gilbert / Celia Martin (Speed Demons Delhi);
10. Akash Gowda/ Shahan Ali Mohsin (Speed Riders Delhi);
11. Oliver Webb /Anshul Gandhi (Bangalore Speedsters);
12. Akhil Rabindra /Thomas Canning (Black Birds Hyderabad);
Sprint Race 1:
1. Alister Yoong (Godspeed Kochi);
2. Gabriela Jilkova (Goa Aces)
3. Shohil Shah (Goa Aces)
4. Thomas Canning (Black Birds Hyderabad);
5. Akash Gowda (Speed Demons Delhi);
6. Nicole Havrda (Chennai Turbo Riders);
7. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai Turbo Riders);
8. Celia Martin (Speed Demons Delhi);
9. Fabienne Wohlwend (Godspeed Kochi);
10. Rishon Rajeev (Bangalore Speedsters);
11. Oliver Webb (Bangalore Speedsters);
12. Anindith Reddy (Black Birds Hyderabad).
Sprint Race 2:
1. Nikhil Bohra (Godspeed Kochi);
2. Ruhaan Alva (Godspeed Kochi);
3. Kevin Mirocha (Goa Aces);
4. Jon Lancaster (Chennai Turbo Riders);
5. Akhil Rabindra (Black Birds Hyderabad);
6. Amir Sayed (Goa Aces);
7. Parth Ghorpade (Chennai Turbo Riders);
8. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Speed Demons Delhi);
9. Mitchell Gilbert (Speed Demons Delhi);
10. Bianca Bustamante (Bangalore Speedsters);
11. Anshul Gandhi (Bangalore Speedsters);
12 Anindith Reddy (Black Birds Hyderabad).
Final Championship Points table
1. Godspeed Kochi 445.5;
2. Black Birds Hyderabad: 397;
3. Goa Aces: 294;
4. Chennai Turbo Riders 226.
5. Bangalore Speedsters 147.5;
6. Speed Demons Delhi 141;
Drivers title:
1. Akhil Rabindra (Black Birds Hyderabad);
2. Neel Jani (Black Birds Hyderabad);
3. Alister Yoong (Godspeed Kochi).
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