INDIA in F1

Tag: Sai Sanjay

  • Sai Sanjay Makes Spectacular Debut in the UK GT4 Arena

    Sai Sanjay Makes Spectacular Debut in the UK GT4 Arena

    Snetterton (UK), 10 October 2023: Indian racing star Sai Sanjay made his international debut winning a race in the GT Cup Championship 300 finale here in the GTH class. During the weekend, Sai won two races and finished P2 in the second feature race. For his stellar performance, he was also awarded the ‘Driver of the Day’ in a grid of seasoned competitors.

    On Day 1, teammate, Davies, put the car on pole with a best timing of 1:55:744 and won the first Sprint race in 25:39.518. In the first Feature race of the weekend, Davies started as first driver and after the pit stop, Sai did a creditable job to keep the lead and finish the race with ease and grace. The Racelab pair clocked 51 minutes, 45.513 seconds in the 25-lap race. They clocked a best lap of 1:58.009.

    On Day 2, Sai, who hails from Salem, proved the pace in the #13 Racelab McLaren Artura by putting in a storming 3rd lap with a timing of 1:55:472 to qualify 1.4s ahead of Hart’s Morpheus Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 in Group GTH. Sai won the 13-lap second Sprint race of the weekend from pole-to-finish in 25:40.512 and with more than 30-second gap. The team managed a second place with a time of 51:31.167 in the Feature (Pit-Stop) race. Davies pulled well clear in the early stages for Racelab but due to an incident, the pair had to settle for a second. Competing in his first weekend in sportscars, the Indian showed that his Qualifying speed was no flash in the pan, pulling clear to take an emphatic team victory.

    “Competing in the UK for the first time in a GT4 car has been an exhilarating experience. I was elated to know that I would’ve been in the Top-5 of British GT Championship with my time in Qualifying. Looking ahead, I’m planning to explore the car more at Silverstone as we had very limited track time prior to the race weekend,” said Sai Sanjay.

    Jon Lancaster (Driver Coach) said: “It is an unbelievable start to his GT career. Sai adapted well making his transition from single seaters to GT cars. We had an open mind before the first test but just after five laps in Donnington, I was super excited. He has been very professional and his feedback about the car has been good. He’s been the fastest man all weekend and a very promising start indeed.”

    The 20-year Mechatronics student of VIT, Chennai was driving in the GTH category for the first time. The Indian National champion of 2022 in the MRF Formula 2000 car was encouraged and supported by mentor Aditya Patel, who was instrumental in Sai making his international debut in UK. He was coached by Jon Lancaster, a seasoned race driver and qualified instructor.

    The GT Cup Championship is one of the UK’s leading sports car categories, catering for all levels of driver ability and a huge range of gorgeous machinery. Sai Sanjay and Team Racelab are now gearing up for the test at Silverstone today.

  • 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.

  • Champions 2022 – Sai Sanjay: MRF Formula 2000 class

    Champions 2022 – Sai Sanjay: MRF Formula 2000 class

    Chennai, 2 Feb 2023: Young racing talent Sai Sanjay dished out dominating performance in the top category for the fastest Formula cars in India to be crowned the National champion in the MRF Formula 2000 class, in the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022, at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.

    Sai Sanjay, the 20-year-old from Salem, won his maiden National title in his debut season in the premier open-wheel Formula category. He notched up three race wins, and displayed mature driving skills and consistent performance throughout the season that got him eight podium places. He garnered 201 points from the 12-race, four-round Nationals and won with a race to spare beating second-placed Ryan Mohamed by (165) 36 points.

    “I am very excited and the moment feels surreal. It’s an honour to be crowned the Indian National Champion of the fastest national car racing series in India. We’ve had a great season, the pace was consistently there and the hard work of my team, mechs, finally paid off. Thanks to JA Motorsport and MRF Racing for giving us an opportunity to race in these cars,” Sai Sanjay said.

    A Mechatronics student at VIT Chennai, Sai, made his motorsports debut in 2015 and after gaining some international exposure racing in the karting championships in the UAE and also became the Rotax Senior Max UAE vice-champion in 2018. He made the switch to formula cars the same year and raced in the LGB Formula 1300 and MRF 1600 championships. He also has experienced racing the well-known Volkswagen Polo Cup in 2021. All along, he notched up many podiums and dished out many fastest laps and made the switch to faster Formula cars for a successful winning debut in the top class of the country. Sai is currently a part of NK Racing Academy and is being mentored by India’s first Formula 1 driver, Narain Karthikeyan.

    “Coaching by Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim during the season also helped polish my skills,” he added. And the restart of the MRF Formula 2000 class after two years of pandemic, gave a huge opportunity for the consistent performer.

    “I thank my family for being the biggest and best support in this huge journey. I will continue to push limits and try reaching new heights,” he concluded and had a special word of thanks for Rajarajan, the race mechanic, for pushing and encouraging him. Sai will continue in the Formula races and hopes to go racing abroad in pursuit of his dreams.

    In the other championship classes, Viswas Vijayraj won the LGB F1300 National title while veteran Arjun Balu bagged the ITC crown, his 11th National title. Ritesh Rai (Super Stock) and Akkineni Anand Prasad (IJTC) were the other National champions.

  • Salem’s Sai Sanjay clinches MRF F2000 crown; 11th National title for Arjun Balu

    Salem’s Sai Sanjay clinches MRF F2000 crown; 11th National title for Arjun Balu

    Chennai, 29 Jan 2023: On a day of twists and turns, Salem’s Sai Sanjay pocketed the title in the premier MRF Formula 2000 category as the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 concluded at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.

    While Sai Sanjay gathered enough points this weekend in the three races to seal the championship, Bengaluru’s Sohil Shah, winner of Race-1 yesterday, won both the races today to complete a triple crown. The 21-year old Sohil, who missed two of the four rounds, finished fourth in the championship behind Sai Sanjay, Ryan Mohamed (Chennai) and Divy Nandan (Gurugram).

    Also sealing the titles in their respective categories were: Viswas Vijayraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) in the Formula LGB 1300; Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) in Super Stock; Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) in Indian Junior Touring Cars; Justin Singh (Gurugram) in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) and Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) in the Volkswagen Polo Cup.

    Polo Cup winner Pratik Sonawane is flanked by National championship winners Vishwas Vijayraj, left, (Formula LGB1300) and Sai Sanjay (F2000) at MIC on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar.

    Meanwhile, the popular Indian Touring Cars category witnessed as many as three disqualifications for technical infringements. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) and Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports), both from Coimbatore, were disqualified from yesterday’s Race-1. Narendran suffered the same fate in Race-2 today, but later won Race-3. However, the revised results fetched Balu the National title ahead of Narendran in the provisional championship standings.

    Viswas Vijayraj sealed the title in the Formula LGB 1300 category though finishing second behind Bengaluru’s Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsports) in the final race today. The other championship leader Raghul Rangasamy (MSport) dropped out of contention after he was disqualified for ignoring a black flag.

    Defending champion Arjun Balu, retains his ITC National championship at MIC, to earn his 11th National title on Sunday. File photo by Anand Philar.

    “I don’t know what to say. It is such an emotional moment for me. After missing the championship a few times in the past, it is great to finally win it in my fifth season. I owe everything to my parents who I know are watching the live streaming, and MRF Tyres for their support,” said Viswas.

    Mumbai’s Zahan Commissariat, hailing from a family of racers, scored an impressive win starting from P10 in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) category, and the victory helped him to finish fifth in the championship. Gurugram’s Justin Singh failed to finish following an incident, but had sufficient cushion to annex the title ahead of Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh) by five points. Mathroo came in second behind Commissariat and ahead of Pune’s Diana Pundole, who ended up third in the championship.

    Ritesh Rai, who won the National title for 2022 in Super Stock class.

    The results (Provisional – all 10 laps unless mentioned):

    MRF F2000 (Race-2): 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (15min, 36.462sec); 2. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai) (15:40.983); 3. Dillon Thomas Zachariah (Chennai) (15:42.064). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (12:28.545); 2. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (12:33.894); 3. Chetan Korada (Chennai) (12:52.777).     

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-2, 12 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (25:00.290); 2. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai, Rayo Racing) (25:08.270); 3. Jeet Jabakh (Hyderabad, Rayo Racing) (25:11.802). Race-3: 1. Arjun Narendran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (18:58.937); 2. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (19:12.399); 3. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai, Rayo Racing) (19:14.297).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1, 12 laps): 1. Raja Rajan (Chennai, Performance Racing) ( 25:27.541); 2. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (25:27.700); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) (25:27.997). Race-3: 1. Raja Rajan (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:36.876); 2. Gurunath Meiyappan (Chennai, Race Concepts) (19.38.441); 3. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:40.541).

    Super Stock (Race-2, 12 laps): 1. Narendran S (Chennai, Redline Racing) (26:19.871); 2. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (26:23.033); 3. Jason Deepak Saldanha (Mangaluru, DB Motorsports) (26: 28.874). Race-3 (9 Laps): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:01.675); 2. Narendran S (Chennai, Redline Racing) (19:07.807); 3. Dilijith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (19:12.675).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (20:10.154); 2. Viswas Vijayraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (20:10.291); 3. Dhruvh A Goswami (Bengaluru, MSport) (20:10.865).

    Volkswagen Polo Cup (Race-3, 8 laps): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai) (15:50.470); 2. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (15:54.571); 3. Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (15:57.079). Race-4: 1. Ojas Surve (Mumbai) (19:42.853); 2. Avik Anwar (Dhaka) (19:49.034); 3. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (19:52.460).

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios – Race-2): 1. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai) 20:49.191; 2. Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh) 20:53.991; 3. Diana Pundole (Pune) 20:54.112.

  • Divy Nandan, Sai Sanjay share honours in MRF F2000

    Divy Nandan, Sai Sanjay share honours in MRF F2000

    Chennai, 7 Jan 2023: Gurugram’s Divy Nandan and Salem lad Sai Sanjay notched double podium apiece with a win and a third place in the two MRF F2000 races that headlined the opening day of the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit here on Saturday.

    Divy Nandan, 20, who enjoyed a great start in the first race for a comfortable win, finished the day with a third-place finish in the next outing starting from P6. Sai Sanjay, also 20, made amends for a disappointing first race with a fine win in the next starting from P4.

    Also tasting success today was Nellore’s 24-year old Viswas Vijayraj (DTS Racing) in the Formula LGB 1300 category, with a pole-to-flag effort.

    Earlier, 10-times National champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) powered to another fluent win in the premier Indian Touring Cars category as he led a Coimbatore sweep of the podium spots, sparing over seven seconds to Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports) while 77-year old D Vidya Prakash (Performance Racing), the oldest man in the championship, finished third.

    The ITC along with Indian Junior Touring Cars and the Super Stock classes, was run in a combined grid of 27 cars that saw as many as four drivers penalized for jump start resulting in a couple of podium finishers getting demoted.

    Local veteran Gurunath Meiyappan (Race Concepts) took the honours in the IJTC class with Narendran S (Redline Racing), also from Chennai, topping the Super Stock category.

    Meanwhile, Viswas Vijayaraj chalked up a dominating win from pole to flag in the Formula LGB 1300 category race, easily holding off second-placed Mamallapuram veteran Raghul Rangasamy (MSport) while local ace Deepak Ravikumar (Momentum Motorsports) came in third with a last-lap pass on Bengaluru youngster and team-mate Tijil Rao.

    Justin Singh (Gurugram) and Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh) won a race apiece in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) category.

    The results (Provisional):

    MRF F2000 (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Divy Nandan (Gurugram) (12mins, 42.224secs); 2. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai) (12:42.715); 3. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (12:43.385).

    Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Sai Sanjay T (16:01.632); 2. Chirag Ghorpade (Bengaluru) (16:03.564); 3. Divy Nandan (16:08.073).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (19:04.128); 2. Arjun Narendran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (19:11.427); 3. Vidya Prakash (Coimbatore) (20:07.604).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Gurunath Meiyyappan (Chennai, Race Concepts) (19:32.970); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:36.462); 3. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:52.477).

    Super Stock (Race-1, 9 laps): 1. Narendran S (Chennai, Redline Racing) (19:07.337); 2. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:07.867); 3. Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh, Pvt) (19:41.701).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Viswas Vijayraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (15:06.989); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Mahabalipuram, MSport) (15:10.325); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Momentum Motorsports) (15:13.839).

    MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios, Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Justin Singh (Gurugram, Redline Racing) (16:34.046); 2. Diana Pundole (Pune, Redline Racing) (16:34.050); 3. Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh, Redline Racing) (16:58.560). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Mathroo (20:55.583); 2. Jai Prashanth Venkat (Coimbatore, Redline Racing) (21:13.776); 3. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai, Redline Racing) (21:14.940).