INDIA in F1

Tag: TVS Racing

  • Rajendra will miss Round 4 of INRC for two-wheelers on Sunday

    Rajendra will miss Round 4 of INRC for two-wheelers on Sunday

    File photo of Suhail Ahmed from Round 1. Suhail will be gunning for top honours in the C6 550cc class. Photo: Facebook @MotoPortSeena

    Coimbatore, 22 August 2019: TVS Racing star Rajendra RE, who made a clean sweep of all the three rounds thus far in Pro-Expert Group A, will be missing the Round 4 of the MRF MoGrip fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for two-wheelers here on Sunday.

    Teammates Tanweer and defending champion R Nataraj too failed to submit the required documents during the scrutiny and the Group A event is expected to be cancelled. All the riders will be hoping for dry weather after the wet and slushy Round 3 in Pune and locals and other stars like Venu Ramesh Kumar and Suhail Ahmed will be gunning for overall honours.

    The 2W Rally of Coimbatore, promoted by Godspeed Racing of Pune and organised by Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC), will be run on a mix of dirt and gravel Special Stages. The event has attracted 70 riders in nine classes.

    The total distance of the route including the transport section is 109.27 km. The two Special Stages, Black Thunder (14.35 km) and the Thunder World (14.10 km) will be run twice in the same direction taking the Special Stage rallying distance to 56.90 km.

    The nine classes that form the National championship are Super Bike (Pro Expert, Group A), Super Bike (Expert Group A), Super Sport 130 Group B, Super Sport 165 Group B, Super Sport 260 Group B, Super Sport 400 Group B, Super Sport 550 Group B and Scooter 210 Group B and Ladies Class Group B.

    A dozen local riders have entered for the Star of Tamil Nadu category which is run exclusively for riders from Tamil Nadu.

    Edited with inputs from TVS team

  • Aishwarya’s superb show at FIM Bajas World Cup 2nd round gets her a well-deserved podium

    Aishwarya’s superb show at FIM Bajas World Cup 2nd round gets her a well-deserved podium

    Aishwarya Pissay finishes third in the FIM Baja World Cup on 24th March 2019 Sunday. A TVS Racing image

    Proença-a-Nova (Portugal), 25 March 2019: India’s Aishwarya Pissay, 23, came up with a gritty performance to finish on the podium with a third-place finish in the women’s category as the Baja do Pinhal, the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup concluded here on Sunday after the riders completed a grueling course of 364.69 Kms over two days.

    Though Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, a former Indian National girls racing and rally champion, finished 29thOverall in the two-wheeler class, she was placed third and fourth in the women and junior categories, respectively, but not before enduring a nerve-pull on her right hand on Saturday that cost her a lot of time. The podium finish here fetched her 15 points which took her World Cup tally to 40, following the 25 she received in the first round in Dubai, earlier this month.

    Summing up her performance here, Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, who is supported by TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, BigRock Dirt Park (Bengaluru) and Scott Motorsports India, said: “I am extremely thrilled to have completed this rally and collect points for the Baja World Cup. The rally was quite challenging with lots of enduro sections, but I managed to avoid any crashes.

    “With the nerve strain on my hand, I couldn’t push up my speeds and that affected my overall performance. I will continue to train and learn from this experience to be fully prepared for the Baja Aragon, the third round of the World Cup, in July 2019.”

    Aishwarya’s hopes of a strong finish were dashed on Saturday when she suffered a nerve damage on her right hand which severely affected her pace, but survived the long Special Stage of 191.27 Kms.

    “I had problems using the throttle and because of that, I could not have the pace that I wanted. Otherwise, it was a good day of riding for me as I managed to finish the stage without any crashes. My performance could have been a lot better but I hurt the nerve on my right hand forcing me to take it easy on the bike,” said Aishwarya who completed Sunday’s Special Stage of 173.42 Kms with a strapped right hand.

    Looking ahead to the next round, Aishwarya said: “With the experience and confidence I gained by completing the courses in Dubai and here, I hope to perform better in the third round in Aragon in July. I would like to thank by sponsors TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, Big Rock Dirtpark (Bengaluru), Scott Motorsports India for showing belief in me.”

  • TVS Racing invites aspiring women racers for TVS Ladies Championship 2019; 1st trial at Bengaluru

    TVS Racing invites aspiring women racers for TVS Ladies Championship 2019; 1st trial at Bengaluru

    File photo from Team TVS Racing

    Bangalore, 28 Jan 2019: TVS Racing, the factory racing arm of TVS Motor Company, is inviting aspiring women racers to participate in the 2019 edition of the Ladies One Make Championship. The selection rounds will be held in Bangalore and Mumbai on February 9th and February 23rd respectively. These sessions will include a full day training school conducted by national champions of TVS Racing to ensure riders are familiarized with their race tuned TVS Apache RTR 200 4V Race Edition 2.0.

    Based on their best lap timings, physical fitness and racing abilities, top 15 riders will be selected from each city. The final round of selection will take place in Chennai at the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) on May 4th, 2019.  The Bangalore selection round will be held at Meco Kartopia in Hennur and the Mumbai round at Island Sports Gokart Track in Wadala. Interested women candidates can register on the link below: https://www.tvsracing.com/tvs-womens-one-make-racing.aspx

    Commenting on this occasion, B Selvaraj, Team Manager, TVS Racing said, “We are the only manufacturer in India committed to women racing with 4 consecutive seasons of the TVS Ladies One Make Championship. We introduced this initiative to train and equip talented women riders to enter the mainstream racing arena. With each passing year, I am delighted to see the increasing number of participants, which is a testimony to our effort of creating a gender-neutral space for motorsports in India.  I wish all the women participants the very best and hope to see them excited about professional racing.”

    The team will compete in 5 rounds for the championship astride the race tuned TVS Apache RTR 200 4V Race Edition 2.0. Post the final selection round in Chennai, the racers will undergo specific training under the aegis of the national champion riders from TVS Racing to improve physical fitness and hone their racing skills before the Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship begins in June, 2019.

    Please find below the details:

    Bangalore

    • Date – 9th February, 2019
    • Venue – Meco Kartopia, Hennur
    • Reporting Time – 8 am
    • Entry Fee – Rs 1000
    • Documents – Riding Licenses ( DL )
    • Trainers – Harry Sylvester, K.Jagan Kumar, KY.Ahamed & Aishwarya Pissay
    • Safety (Mandatory) – Full face Helmet with visor & Double D ring strap with DOT & ECE certification. Limited racing suits available on first come basis.

    Mumbai

    • Date – 23rd February, 2019
    • Venue – Island Sports Gokart Track, Wadala,
    •  Reporting Time – 8 am
    •  Entry Fee – Rs 1000
    •  Documents – Riding Licenses ( DL )
    •  Trainers – Harry Sylvester, K.Jagan Kumar, KY.Ahamed & Aishwarya Pissay
    •  Safety (Mandatory) – Full face Helmet with visor & Double D ring strap with DOT & ECE certification. Limited racing suits available on first come basis.
  • Big day for Sherco TVS Factory team as Michael Metge wins Stage9; Aravind 39th overall

    Big day for Sherco TVS Factory team as Michael Metge wins Stage9; Aravind 39th overall

    Michael Metge with the Sherco TVS Factory team after winning Stage 9 on January 16. A TVS Racing image

    Pisco, 16 Jan 2019: The lone Indian left in the Dakar Rally 2019, Aravind KP of Sherco TVS Racing Factory Team successfully completed the penultimate stage on Wednesday and is all set to complete the Dakar with only one day left.

    Arvind (Prabhakar) did a wonderful job in all the sections except in wp4, WayPoint4, where he lost time, to gain positions in the 409-km Stage 9. He crossed the finish line gaining valuable positions in a time of 6hr, 25 minutes and 22 seconds. The Indian was 55th in the stage for an overall 39th position with only one stage to go to complete Dakar 2019.

    Aravind KP negotiates the Stage 9 dunes. A TVS Racing image

    However, his Sherco TVS Rally Factory teammate Michael Metge is the real hero of the day winning the stage in 3:46:38. It was quite a memorable day for the TVS Team as their top rider Michael Metge won the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019. Michael dominated the stage today ahead of all the top 10 riders as he pushed himself right from the start. The team dedicates this stage win to teammate Lorenzo Santolino, who had to retire due to a crash in Stage 6. Michael’s overall ranking is now at 22nd and he intends to finish Dakar with another dominating performance. The stage saw a mass start in waves of 10 like the first marathon stage. The riders had to ride through another loop in Pisco, full of tricky sand dunes, the ones that had resulted in many key riders to quit the rally in Stage 2.

    The loop around Pisco explored the Ica desert from an entirely new perspective. It started with an 80 km dune sector, followed by a series of coastal dunes separated by the Subida de los Burrosascent and, to cap it all, another sequence of dunes with three fearsome massifs in the final 100 kilometres —more than enough to throw sand in the gears of the top riders and drivers, as Adrien van Beveren, Stéphane Peterhansel and Sébastien Loeb came to know.

    Stage nine of the rally saw another motocross style mass-start with riders setting off in waves of 10, determined by their finishing positions from the previous day’s stage. Heading into the dunes for the 313-kilometre timed special, the first group of riders stuck together for the majority of the stage.

    Aravind’s teammate and Michael’s younger brother Adrien Metge was more cautious in his approach due to physical strain and he finished at 20th position. He is right behind Michael in the overall rankings at 23rd. India’s Aravind KP got off to a blazing start taking the lead for the first 190 kilometres. KP faced bike issues in the middle of the stage but thanks to some help, he was able to complete the stage. His overall ranking stays at 39th position.

    Commenting on the stage win, Michael Metge says, “It’s an unbelievable feeling to win a stage at Dakar. The stage was challenging as there was lots of dunes and fesh-fesh. I started in the second line at the wave start and I pushed all the way through the stage. Soon I caught up with the first riders and I went past the leader quite quickly. Full credit to the team mechanics for preparing my bike, which has been performing beautifully in the sand dunes. I dedicate this win to my wife and 2 children, who are my pillars of support.”

    Aravind KP says, “It was a mixed day for me but that’s what Dakar is about. I started really well taking the lead in the mass start. But things changed halfway, when my bike had some issues. These were tense moments as I wanted to complete the stage at any cost. Thank god for the local help who assisted me in restarting the bike and finish the stage. This is the spirit of Dakar and I am lucky to have experienced it.”

    The team will ride back from Pisco to Lima in Stage 10, which will be a 358 kilometres journey.

    Provisional Results Stage Nine – 2019 Dakar Rally

    1. Michael Metge (FRA), Sherco, 3:46:38
    2. Daniel Nosiglia (BOL), Honda, 3:48:38 +2:00
    3. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Husqvarna, 3:50:06 +3:28

  • Jagan Kumar leads 1-2 finish for TVS Racing: Super Sport 165cc race

    Jagan Kumar leads 1-2 finish for TVS Racing: Super Sport 165cc race

    Prabhu Arunagiri, Shruthi Nagarajan, Mithun Kumar excel on Saturday

    Jagan Kumar (No.3), winner of the Super Sport Indian (165cc) race at MMRT on Saturday. Photos by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 1 Sept 2018: Defending champion Jagan Kumar finally got his campaign on track as he notched his first win of the season in five starts while leading a 1-2 finish for TVS Racing along with KY Ahamed in the premier Super Sport Indian 165cc class of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the MMRT, here on Saturday.

    While TVS Racing team celebrated, arch-rivals Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing had to be content with a third-place finish through Mathana Kumar as pole-sitter Sarath Kumar retired barely 50 metres after the start with a broken gear lever and championship leader Rajiv Sethu crashed in the back sweep in the very first lap.

    However, there was some cheer for the Honda camp as Mithun Kumar scored a his first of the current season in the Pro-Stock 165cc class with RACR’s Naresh Babu and Sivanesan of TVS Racing following him over the finish line.

    Earlier, pole-sitter Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah) fought his way to a close win over Gusto Racing’s Amarnath Menon and Satyanarayana Raju in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc class with less than one second separating the trio while Chennai’s Shruthi Nagarajan (Apex Racing Academy) recorded her first-ever win in the Girls (Stock 165cc) category.

    Jagan had to work hard for today’s victory as he was stretched to the limit by his younger team-mate Ahamed who put in the fastest lap of the race, but eventually eschewed risk for championship points to settle for second place ahead of Mathana Kumar.

    The win took Jagan’s tally to 87 points, followed by Ahamed (76) and Rajiv Sethu (70) ahead of tomorrow’s second race.

    For 23-year old Shruthi Nagarajan, it was a memorable day while chalking up her maiden win in the National Championship. Starting third on the grid, Shruthi made it to the front on the last lap after easing past leader Alisha Abdullah (Team Abdullah) for a thrilling win. Alisha came in second ahead of Ryhana Bee (Sparks Racing). Pole-sitter and championship leader Ann Jennifer retired after a crash in the second lap, but retained her top position on the leaderboard with 50 points, albeit just two ahead of Shruthi.

    Shruthi Nagarajan

    “I am very happy to score my first-ever win in the National Championship after a few podium finishes in the past. I started third and gradually moved to the front after overtaking Alisha,” said a delighted Shruthi.

    It was a dramatic win for Prabhu Arunagiri in the six-lap race that he along with Menon and Raju dominated. After the trio pulled away from the rest of the field, Arunagiri and Menon, the championship leader in this class, swapped lead. In the last lap, Arunagiri made a decisive pass to claim victory ahead of Menon and Raju.

    Championship leader Anish Shetty (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing), despite failing to score any points after starting the race from the pit-lane due to an ECU problem, continued to lead with 90 points, 33 clear of Kevin Kannan (Rockers Racing) who too drew blank today.

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

    Pro-Stock (301-400cc) – Race-1: Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah) (11mins, 37.278secs); 2. Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing India) (11:37.392); 3. Satyanarayana Raju (Gusto Racing India) (11:39.378).

    Super Sport Indian (165cc) – Race-1: 1. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (11:46.715); 2. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) (11:46.807); S Mathana Kumar (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (11:50.406).

    Pro-Stock (165cc) – Race-1: 1.Mithun Kumar (Idemitsu Honda Ten 10 Racing) (12:09.580); 2. Naresh Babu (RACR) (12:10.041); 3.Sivanesan S (TVS Racing) (12:19.089).

    Girls (Stock 165cc) (5 laps): 1. Shruthi Nagarajan (Apex Racing Academy) (11:28.978); 2. Alisha Abdullah (Team Alisha Abdullah) (11:29.648); 3. Ryhana Bee (Sparks Racing) (11:29.901).

    MMSC One-Make Championship (Novice) – TVS (Apache RTR 200) Race-1: 1. Karthik Mateti (Hyderabad) (13:44.310); 2. Anand R (Chennai) (13:49.157); 3. Suhail Ahmed (Chennai) (13:49.298).

    Girls (5 laps): 1. Ann Jennifer (Chennai) (11:52.938); 2. Ryhana Bee (Chennai) (11:53.005); 3. Lani Zena Fernandez (Puducherry) (12:43.126).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (CBR 150) – Race-1: 1.Mohamed Mikail (Chennai) (12:54.158); 2. Kartik Vasant Habib (Gadag) (13:04.798); 3.Anandhu KK (Chennai) (13.23.689).

    Race-2: 1. Mohamed Mikail (Chennai) (13:03.204); 2. Anandhu KK (Chennai) (13:21.196); 3. Kartik Vasant Habib (Gadag) (13:28.357).

     

  • MRF slick tyres for bike races; stage set for Round 2 of National Championship at MMRT

    MRF slick tyres for bike races; stage set for Round 2 of National Championship at MMRT

    File photo. Action in the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship. Photo: Anand Philar

    Chennai, 4 July 2018: The MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship will be shifting gears here this weekend when the second round is held at the MMRT track which will witness a total of 16 races across various categories. The programme also includes the first round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Drag Racing Championship 2018 on Sunday.

    Races will be held in the premier Super Sport Indian 165cc class besides the Pro-Stock (301-400cc and 165cc), Novice (Stock, 165cc) and Girls (Stock, 165cc) categories. Further, two of country’s leading bike manufacturers, Honda and TVS, will be running their own One-Make Championships in association with the MMSC, in the Open and Novice categories.

    The most significant development is that for the first time ever in the National championship slick tyres will be used in races. MRF will be supplying slick tyres for the Super Sport Indian 165cc and Pro-Stock 301-400cc categories. This is a path-breaking move as the MRF slick tyres are expected to see improved lap timings in view of the better traction, especially through the corners, they afford than the conventional tyres.

    File Photo by Anand Philar

    While the focus will yet again be on the “big boys” in the Super Sport Indian 165cc class, there is much to rejoice in the fact that the Novice category, a move initiated by MMSC last season to promote racing at the grass-root level, has yet again attracted over 40 entries, requiring two heats and qualifying sessions followed by a point-scoring race to identify the winner.

    Similarly, the “Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup 2018 organised by MMSC” one-make championship comprising two categories – Open (CBR 250) and Novice (CBR 150). Honda, in its efforts to spot and nurture aspiring youngsters, have focussed the talent hunt among riders in the 13-17 years age group for the CBR 150 grid. The Open class has some of the top riders in the country who have raced in various international series.

    The scenario is much the same in the TVS One-Make Championship 2018 organised by MMSC which will have three categories – Open (Apache RR 310), Novice and Girls (Apache RTR 200) – with strong presence of experienced riders in the Open class.

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    The Madras Motor Sports Club has been the pioneer in developing and promoting motorsport in India since 1953, and we look to further improve in the years to come. It is the club’s endeavor to provide more opportunities for competitors and to this end, it has chalked out a progressive program for 2017. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2015, making it the only club which owns such a facility. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the Asian 2-wheeler racing championships besides a host of other motorsport events over the years. The club also has active participation for its events from vehicle manufacturers who also use the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) extensively for testing their products.

  • Jagan Kumar of TVS Racing tops the time sheets in Practice session: Bike Nationals

    Jagan Kumar of TVS Racing tops the time sheets in Practice session: Bike Nationals

    Action from the Day 1 of the Rolon round of the MRF MMSC fmsci National Motorcycle Racing Championship at Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore on Friday. Photo: Anand Philar

    Coimbatore, 08 June 2018: Reigning National champion Jagan Kumar of TVS Racing set the benchmark in the premier Super Sport Indian (165cc, Open) class by topping the time sheets in free practice session as the Rolon Round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship commenced at the Kari Motor Speedway, here on Friday.

    Jagan, who notched his sixth consecutive National title last year, displayed good form as he clocked a best of one minute, 12.686 seconds, ahead of TVS Racing team-mates Deepak Ravikumar (01:12.959) and KY Ahamed (01:13.449).

    Also among the quicker riders of the day was Prabhu Arunagiri of Team Alisha Abdullah who topped the Pro-Stock 301-400cc class practice session with a 01:12.698, while last year’s winner in this category Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing India) was the fourth (01:13.503) behind team-mate Satyanarayana Raju (01:12.923) and Faraz Shariff (01:13.468), a private entrant from Bengaluru.

    In the Pro-Stock (165cc) class, Anup Kumar (Team Alisha Abdullah) was the quickest with a timing of 01:15.959), well ahead of Anish Shetty (Honda Ten10 Racing, 01:17.592) and Kevin Kannan (Rockers Racing, 01:17.825).

    Meanwhile, in the girls championship (Stock 165cc), Ann Jennifer clocked 01:25.797 to top the practice session in this category while last year’s first runner-up Ryhana Bee was second fastest in 01:26.353 with Shruthi Nagarajan coming in third at 01:26.873.

    The results (Qualifying only):

    National Championship – Stock 165cc (Novice, Batch 1): 1. Akshay V Murali (Apex Racing) (01:21.050); 2. Ashfaq Ahamed (Team 24 Racing) (01:21.140); 3. A S Alexander (Sparks Racing) (01:21.179). Batch 2: 1. Aditya Rao (Sparks Racing) (01:19.674); 2. Varun Sobhan (Speed Up Racing) (01:20.452); 3. M Nethaji (Pvt) (01:20.698).

    TVS One-Make Championship – Novice (Batch 1): 1. Karthik Mateti (Hyderabad) (01min, 22.796secs); 2. A S Alexander (Chennai) (01:24.616); 3. Suhail Ahamed (Chennai) (01:25.432). Batch 2: 1. Mohamed Shafin (Kerala) (01:25.075); 2. Kesavan S (Chennai) (01:25.405); 3. Suneeth SR (Bengaluru) (01:25.802).

  • TVS road-racing champs to hone the riding skills of Apache owners

    National champions in their respective classes Aiswarya Pissay (left), Jagan Kumar (4th from left) listen as Pradeep (right, TVS Motorsports) explains to the Apache riders in Bangalore recently. A TVS image
    Apache riding skills training (ACE) participants in Bengaluru recently. A TVS Racing image

    Bangalore, 23 Jan 2018: TVS Motor Company kickstarted the Apache Racing Experience (ARE) 2018, for the owners of the TVS Apache series recently. The TVS Apache series first-round saw racing enthusiasts experience the full range of Apache motorcycles on the Meco Kartopia race track recently.

    After a detailed theory session on track riding by National champions Jagan Kumar, Harry Sylvester, KY Ahmed, Kannan Subramaniam and Aishwarya Pissay, they were taught technique and riding skills on the race track. Track riding techniques, braking and cornering were taught before timed laps for each category of Apache RTR 160, 180 and 200 were recorded to declare the winners.

    Apache Racing Experience is a platform for TVS Apache owners will be held across 24 cities in 2018-19, ARE will culminate at MMRT in Chennai. The final round will see winners across the cities compete in their respective categories – Apache RTR 160, 180 and 200 – to become the ARE Winner (category wise). TVS Racing will support the activity with necessary gear and ensure that the riders undergo professional training at the race track astride TVS Racing motorcycles, prior to the final race.

    eom/posted by david bodapati/bng/TVS release

    Caption: National champions in their respective classes Aiswarya Pissay (left), Jagan Kumar (4th from left) listen as Pradeep (right, TVS Motorsports) explains to the Apache riders in Bangalore recently. A TVS image

  • TVS Racing’s Harith Noah wins National Supercross title beating Jinnan

    TVS Racing’s Harith Noah wins National Supercross title beating Jinnan

    Pune, 4 Dec 2017: Harith Noah made a fairytale ending to his comeback year by winning both Motos hands down to claim SX1 national title at the season-finale race of the MRF MoGrip FMSCI National Supercross Championship at Mundhwa ground here on Saturday night.

    TVS Racing rider Noah had an enviable task of finishing at No. 5 position in both Motos to confirm his championship and prevent privateer CD Jinan from overhauling his points, but Noah raced impeccably to win on the 700-metre-long unique track that saw participants taking elevated start for the first time in India.

    Noah had made a comeback to supercross racing early this season after having taken sabbatical for a few years and from the first round in Goa to the following rounds in Coimbatore, Jaipur, Nashik, Indore and now in Pune, the TVS Racing rider always stayed ahead of the competition with clean racing all through.

    eom/God Speed Racing, the organisers’ release

    Harith Noah in action for a superb win that got him the National Supercross title in his come-back year at Pune on 4 Dec, 2017. Image by God Speed Racing
  • Bengaluru girl Aishwarya fourth in Raid de Himalaya: Xtreme category Group B bikes

    Bengaluru girl Aishwarya fourth in Raid de Himalaya: Xtreme category Group B bikes

    Photos courtesy Aishwarya Pissay
    Aishwarya in action at Raid de Himalaya 2017 in Group B Xtreme class.

    Leh (J & K), 13 Oct 2017: Aishwarya Pissay, riding a factory-supported TVS Apache RTR 200, endured the grueling 19th Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya Rally to finish a creditable fourth in the “Xtreme” category for Group B bikes here on Friday.

    She is the only female rider to complete the course in the week-long event in  her second attempt this year.

    The Raid, which has earned notoriety for breaking the hardiest of men and machines, is considered to be among the toughest rallies in the World as the participants have to negotiate treacherous terrain and high altitude mountain passes.

    Aishwarya, the 21-year old from Bengaluru and first-ever National champion among girls in both racing and rallying, was in line for a podium finish, but a couple of crashes cost her precious time.

    Reflecting on her performance, Aishwarya said: “I am delighted to have finished such a grueling rally, and it was an improvement over my debut last year when I had to retire on the very first day. Today, the gap was too much to make up and I focused on finishing the course, though fourth in Group B.

    “It was a very challenging event which tested my mental and physical limits. There were times, especially when I crashed a few times, my body wanted to give up, but I pushed myself to continue. I also had to endure extreme cold and high altitude. So, overall, I am extremely happy to have crossed the finish line.”

    After a smooth start to her campaign which was flagged off from Manali on October 8, Aishwarya, who is supported by TVS Racing, had to endure tough moments. In her bid to catch up with front-runners yesterday, she fell heavily. In fact, she covered the last 20 Kms of Stage on just two gears, first and second, and having to bend down to move the gear lever with her hand.

    “I had a good start with trouble-free runs on Days 1 and 2 though the terrain was really rough. Only about 25 of the 43 bikes which had taken the start finished Day 2.

    “On Day 3, I had some issues with my bike as there was not enough intake of oxygen into the carburetor and the engine kept stalling, but I managed to pull through and was running third in my Group B class.

    “I survived a couple of crashes on Day 4 when we did the Leh to Kargil run and dropped one spot to fourth. Yesterday, Day 5, was very stressful. We had a 65Kms of Competitive Section followed by 85 Kms of Special Stage. In the latter half of the run, I fell heavily as I pushed too hard trying to catch up with a couple of bikers ahead of me.

    “The bike suffered some damage and kept dragging to the left. Over the last 20 Kms or so, I had to bend down to change the gears with my hand. There were only first and second gears available, but somehow I managed to finish the Stage at the end of which the TVS service crew did a fantastic job of repairing the bike.

    “We had to return to Kargil by the same route as the next Stage was cancelled due to technical reasons. I had a 4 am flag-off and I think, I rode for nearly 11 hours, covering some 400-plus Kms!”