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Tag: Volkswagen
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Chennai racer Sandeep Kumar raring to go: VW Polo Cup
Chennai, 10 Feb 2022: National racing champ Sandeep Kumar of Chennai has found his wonted form and is raring to go as he heads into the final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship 2021 beginning here on Friday in the Polo Cup which acquired National status this year.
With a healthy lead in the Volkswagen Polo Cup, which was conferred the status of National Championship this year, the former champion and karting talent, is eager to turn his consistent performance into championship title, with three races scheduled for the final round at the 3.7-km clock-wise MMRT tarmac.
Sandeep is a former Volkswagen Polo R Pro Cup champion and also the VW awardee for the German Scirocco R Cup for two years. After that fruitful racing experience with the elite in Europe, the steady racer returned to India and entered formula racing, taking part in both the Forumala and Saloon cars with many podium finishes and wins and went on to win the LGB Formula 4 National Championship 2020 before the pandemic slowed down sporting activity.
Sandeep Kumar in action in Round 2 last month at the MMRT. This year he is back in the VW Polo cup and is firmly focused on winning the Championship with the final round scheduled to take place in Irungattukottai, near here. He is leading the Polo Cup title-race with 280 points ahead of second-place Saurav Bandopadhyay, who is on 226 followed by Avik Anwar (223) in third. The title fight is wide open with 156 points on offer from the three races in the final round.
“This year’s car is an amazing and I am enjoying the powerful car built by Volkswagen Motorsports India. The championship being a one-make and equipment same for everyone, it had added to the challenge and motivates me. Being in the leading group, my focus is firmly trained on driving safely and I am banking on my skills and hard work to deliver the final weekend in the Volkswagen Polo Cup,” said the seasoned driver, who garnered important points in every round.
The Chennai Corporate advocate, who is knowledgeable about the rules of the sport, feels that consistency and clean driving is important than always trying to go for the kill. “Winning is not always a goal, depending on where I qualify and the package I have for the day, I visualise and set realistic objectives for the day. I take it race by race, but my focus is always on consistent and steady driving where I attack corners and make moves only when I am safe and sure,” said the racing ace, who made his motorsports debut at Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore taking part in his first Rotax Max National karting championship in 2008.
Sandeep Kumar He finished the year as vice-champion. He not only remained the bridesmaid in karting but the year 2017 where he missed all the three championship titles he entered, changed his life. He became vice-champion despite fighting till the end in the MRF 1600, Formula LGB 4 and Vento Cup, that year. But the gritty driver, sat down made amends and improved his skills by dint of his hardwork and dedication which yielded results as he won the Formula LGB 4 championship in 2020. “It was a bad year and one of the lows in my career. But it also gave me a chance to review myself. I decided to make amends and acquired new skills. Now I make notes for every race, I visualise before the race with some quite moments for myself. I set the objectives taking all factors into consideration and focus on delivering my own targets. It has helped me break the block and I am in a much better position to for it,” revealed Sandeep, who loves his home track the MMRT near Chennai.
His ability to generate good pace and reliable race-craft got him good results in Round 1 and 2, as he proved steady and consistent. Despite slight hiccups in Round 3, he continued to log in crucial points after a tough qualifying and bad starting positions in the next three-race weekender where he climbed up the grid to rally back with podiums in all three races. “Overall, though I did not manage the top step, I was keen on getting steady points and three podiums from three races helped me garner enough points and save the championship lead. I am in an ideal and healthy position to go for the final dash and confident going into the final round,” concluded the karting mentor for many youngsters, who is also a popular Clerk of the Course for many Indian National Karting Championships and a practicing corporate lawyer from the Madras bar.
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Sai Prithvi crowned champion of IR eSports ISRL2
Abdul Fattah and Raiden Samervel finish second and third respectively.
Mumbai, 2 May 2020: For the new generation of India’s racers, its practice arena has turned into a battlefield in the lockdown era.
Cooped up inside homes and missing out on valuable wheel time, racers from 14 cities took part in the country’s most popular competition: the Indian Sim Racing League (ISRL) in association with Volkswagen Motorsport.
Chennai’s Sai Prithvi garnered the maximum points, 252 over the five rounds, with the final one held on Friday night, to emerge Season 2’s undisputed champion.
Thrissur’s Abdul Fattah collected 191 points over the five rounds, to claim second position. Raiden Samervel from Mumbai managed 172 points to take the third position.
The Indian Sim Racing League receives good response. An INDIAinF1 image Incidentally, following innumerable queries, the ISRL announced that the third season would begin on May 8, with the promise of upgrades, a more viewer-friendly format and an attractive prize pool. Registrations are already open.
In the final race on the Laguna Seca track, Chennai’s Amith Kutti grabbed pole in qualifying, a mere eight-thousandth of a second ahead of points leader, Sai Prithvi. As the lights went out, a determined Prithvi went breathing down the tail of the leader pressurising him into an error.
Kutti and Prithvi exchanged fastest laps before Kutti tragically hit a back-marker. The resulting suspension damage forced him to retire. Title challenger Abdul Fattah (Thrissur) then crashed and pitted, losing valuable time and any hopes of winning the title. Jessie Jakhar (Thrissur) was the star of the race, climbing from seventeenth to finish fourth.
Sai Prithvi’s four victories in the five rounds were sufficient to crown him champion. He earns himself testing in a Volkswagen Motorsport race car. Abdul Fattah eventually finished eleventh to secure second in the final standings earns himself kart training sessions with Rayo Racing. Raiden Samervel, and gets a free race entry courtesy IndiKarting.
Organised by 8-time national karting champion Rayomand Banajee and his IR eSports, in association with Volkswagen Motorsport India, the championship pits India’s best online racers against real world racers: held on the popular online iRacing platform, each competes in an FIA homologated Dallara Formula 3 car, with identical setups, using his or her own simulator.
Mr. Sirish Vissa, Head Motorsports at Volkswagen India, said: “We are proud to associate with IR eSports and the Indian Sim Racing League. This gives a different dimension to our motorsport program in India. With this association we look forward to expanding our footprint in terms of accessibility to the sport.”
“We have always been looking at growing motorsport at the grassroots level. We gained a lot of knowledge organising India’s largest eSports Racing Championship last year. The lockdown created a perfect opportunity for the sport to grow and we are happy to create a competitive avenue for motorsport to grow in India via iRacing,” Rayomand added.
In this season, watched live by thousands on multiple social media channels, the five rounds saw the competitors racing on some of the world’s most iconic circuits, including Silverstone, Daytona and Laguna Seca.
The ISRL follows all the racing norms, with a proper rule book and experienced officials overseeing the conduct of the racers. Each round consists of two practice sessions totalling 90 minutes, a 10 minute qualifying and a 20 minute race. Points are awarded as per the Volkswagen India Championship, with additional points for pole position and fastest lap.
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Volkswagen Motorsport call for aspiring drivers for the Polo Cup 2020
Pune, 14 January 2020: Volkswagen Motorsport India has announced the Polo Cup for 2020. The drivers’ selection process for the 11th Edition of the Volkswagen Championship has already begun. Aspiring drivers with a keen interest in Motorsport can register themselves for the selection process on or before 20th January. This edition of the Volkswagen Championship has already witnessed 1,300 registration entries and counting.The two-day driver selection process scheduled on January, 25 & 26 at Ajmera Indi Karting Track, Mumbai will have Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, Rayomand Banajee, Driver Coach and former multiple National Champion, Steve Hodges, Karting Expert as the member of the Jury. The process will comprise of judging drivers on their overall driving skills which includes consistency in performance, understanding of racing lines, lap times, driving attitude and ability to learn. The selection process will also include a fitness test that will focus on the overall capabilities of race drivers to secure their position on the grid of the One-make series.
Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said: “The Volkswagen Polo is synonymous to a fun-to-drive experience, equipped with highest safety standards and build quality that is needed on the race track. We’re extremely delighted to bring back this carline for the 11th edition of Volkswagen Motorsport’s One Make Championship. The team has made relentless efforts in training young talent and providing opportunities of global Volkswagen Motorsport standards. We encourage all those interested participants to come witness the Race Polo at the upcoming Auto Expo 2020.
Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “It is a proud moment for us to mention that with a decade’s presence in India, Volkswagen Motorsport continues to be the only OEM directly involved in Motorsport. Aspiring drivers from within the country and neighbouring countries have been trained by our program and have gone on to race internationally. With the 11th edition of this championship, Volkswagen would like to reiterate its continued commitment in promoting Motorsport in India.”
With over 1,600 registrations in 2019, Volkswagen Motorsport received the highest number of registrations for drivers’ selection in Indian history. Such great numbers is a testimony of growing popularity of the Motorsports in India and Volkswagen Motorsport’s continued efforts to provide a great platform to budding race drivers in India.
Registration Link :: https://www.volkswagen.co.in/en/volkswagen-motorsportindia/ championship.html
About Volkswagen Motorsport India: Taking ahead more than 50 years of enriching global motorsport legacy of Volkswagen, Volkswagen Motorsport India commenced operations with the Polo Cup India in 2010. The vast global expertise, coupled with rich dynamic history of the Group has enabled Volkswagen Motorsport India to progress swiftly and become the best one make series in a short span of time. The Volkswagen Polo R Cup enhanced awareness as well as underlined the technological advancement of Volkswagen in India. In 2015, Volkswagen Motorsport India shifted to Vento Cup and continued to provide a vital platform for the talented young racers to demonstrate their capabilities nationally and internationally by nurturing them. In the one-make series, all participating cars are technically identical with the same performance making it possible for only the most skilled drivers to leave an impact. Since 2017, Volkswagen Motorsport India has been running the Ameo Cup in the same format with a car that has been completely developed and built with local talent at Volkswagen plant in Pune. Successes in Indian Rallying: Under the Customer Sport Initiative, Volkswagen Motorsport India started providing teams and individuals running Volkswagen Polo rally cars in the Indian Rally Championship (IRC) with technical assistance and spares support from 2013. The Volkswagen Polo since then has won several championships and is has become popular in national rallying to the extent that more than half the competing grid in 2018 comprised of Volkswagen Polo cars. -
Aditya Patel to race against Arjun Balu in ITC class: Indian National Racing Championship
Chennai, 16 August 2019: Popular international driver Aditya Patel will replace Karthik Tharani Singh for the Volkswagen Works team in the ITC class and he will be racing against his mentor and former coach Arjun Balu, as the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2019 flows into a critical phase with the fourth and penultimate round scheduled to start at the MMRT on Saturday.
Karthik Tharani escaped with a one-race ban after a grave violation in the third round. Though he is serving only one-race suspension, Volkswagen Motorsport, who promised `clean racing’ as they made their debut in the National Championship this year at Coimbatore, decided to keep him out for the entire round and Tharani will miss three races. Incidentally, Aditya is set to make his saloon car debut in the championship and will be racing at this track after a lapse of 11 years.
With the front-runners in the championship stakes tightly bunched in all the categories that will be on view this week-end. The expectations of close racing are high in all the classes including premier MRF Formula 1600, Indian Touring Cars and Volkswagen Ameo Class.
Aditya Patel is set race against his mentor and former coach Arjun Balu, left, in the ITC races on Saturday for Volkswagen team. Photo: Anand Philar In the previous rounds, winner-picking was a hazardous guess and it would be much the same this weekend with a clutch of India’s top racing drivers, ranging from bubbling teenagers to battle-hardened veterans, lining up on the grid, each seeking precious championship points.
The MRF F1600, with four races scheduled over two days, and a maximum of 100 points on offer, has four drivers – Nayan Chatterjee (Mumbai, 63 points), Chennai’s Vishnu Prasad (58), teenager from Bengaluru Sohil Shah (56) with two wins from four starts and A Bala Prasath from Coimbatore (43) – heading the leaderboard, but wary of others who have them in their sights.
The popular Indian Touring Cars category, a triple-header for this round, has developed into a bitter fight involving veteran racer from Coimbatore Arjun Balu (80 points), driving a Race Concepts-prepared Honda Vtec car, and championship leader Chennai’s Karthik Tharani (86) in a factory-supported Volkswagen Vento. Tharani, winner in two of the five outings, failed to take a drive-through penalty and ignored the black-flag in the previous round to attract the suspension.
Tharani is replaced by Aditya Patel, the 2007 Formula Rolon champion, who has been a participant in various international touring cars series abroad (VW, Audi, GT Asia) in the past decade.
“Obviously, I am quite excited to be racing at the MMRT, virtually my home circuit, after over a decade (his last outing was in 2008, a one-off race). Interestingly, my Formula Rolon car in 2007 when I won the championship for NK Racing, was prepared by Arjun Balu and his brother Sanjay. So, it’s quite extraordinary that this weekend, I am racing against Arjun!” said Aditya.
The Super Stock category, to be run on a combined grid with the ITC class, presents a similar picture with Bengaluru’s Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) leading RP Raja Rajan (Performance Racing) from Chennai by eight points. The pair has won three races apiece and with three more to be run this weekend, a thrilling battle between the two is on the cards.
The VW Ameo Class, which was upgraded to National Championship status, and boasting of 18-car grid, has three drivers, Pratik Sonawane (Pune), Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad) and Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Mumbai), in that order separated by eight points with Delhi’s Anmol Singh Sahil in fourth, a further nine points behind.
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Double for Sohil Shah; Karthik Tharani banned for a race: Car Racing Nationals
MRF F1600 race winners (L to R) – Nayan Chattjerjee (Mumbai), Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) who won a double and Vishnu Prasad (Chennai) on Sunday. Photos by Anand Philar Chennai, 21 July 2019: Bengaluru schoolboy Sohil Shah completed a fine double in the premier MRF F1600 category as the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship drew to a close at the MMRT, here today.
Elsewhere, VW Motorsport’s Ishaan Dodhiwala from Hyderabad notched his maiden win in the Indian Touring Cars class after his team-mate Karthik Tharani was disqualified for a couple of infringementse.
Ishaan Dodhiwala The stewards subsequently banned for one race, while Bengaluru’s Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) chalked up his third win of the season in the Super Stock category.
Other winners of the day were Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing) in the Formula LGB 1300 race and Mumbai’s Saurav Bandyopadhyay who took the honours in the Volkswagen Ameo Class.
Sohil Shah, who scored a double in the MRF F1600 category on Sunday. The saloon car race was fiery with Tharani being disqualified for his violations. The Stewards subsequently slapped a one-race ban which will take effect for the next round of the championship scheduled for August 16-18. Consequent to the disqualification, team-mate Dodhiwala was declared winner followed by Nikanth Ram (ARKA Motorsports) and Arjun Balu (Race Concepts).
The Stewards, following the post-ITC race hearing with Tharani, ruled: “The competitor was called to give the explanation as to why he ignored the ‘drive through’ penalty board for five laps and ignored the ‘black flag’ for the remaining three laps of the race.
“In view of the fact that the competitor is a highly experienced driver and he is also a driver-trainer, the Stewards were of the opinion that exemplary sanctions should be imposed on this driver and a sentence of not being permitted a start in the next race of this championship (One race only).”Ireland’s Lucca Allen completed a double by winning both the Formula 4 SEA races to make up for disappointing outings in yesterday’s double-header.
The results (Provisional – all 8 laps unless mentioned):
MRF F1600 (Race-3): 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (13mins, 28.460secs); 2. A Bala Prasath (Coimbatore) (13:34.321); 3. Manav Sharma (Faridabad) (13:34.945). Race-4: 1. Sohil Shah (13:25.572); 2. Nayan Chatterjee (Mumbai) (13:27.330); 3. Vishnu Prasad (Chennai) (13:30.166).
Indian Touring Cars (Race-2): 1. Ishaan Dodhiwala (VW, Hyderabad) (15:41.905); 2.Nikanth Ram (Arka Motorsports, Coimbatore) (15:42.130); 3. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts, Coimbatore) (15:51.488).
Super Stock (Race-2): 1. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) (16:27.646); 2. RP Rajarajan (Performance Racing) (16:28.805); 3.R Rajashekar (Race Concepts) (16:41.742).
Formula LGB 1300 (Race-2, 7 laps): 1. Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing) (17:43.357); 2. Sohil Shah (M Sport) (17:43.957); 3. Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsports) (17:46.458).
Volkswagen Ameo Class (Race-2): 1. Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Mumbai) (15:49.972); 2. Pratik Sonawane (Pune) (15:52.896); 3. Avik Anwar (Bangladesh) (15:53.007).
Formula 4 SEA (Race-3, 11 laps): 1. Lucca Allen (Ireland) (21:16.050); 2. Shihab Al Habsi (Oman) (21:16.480); 3. Muizz Musyaffa (Malaysia) (21:19.262). Race-4 (13 laps): 1. Allen (21:29.615); 2. Al Habsi (21:31.570); 3. Elias Sappanen (Finland) (21:34.061).
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Full grid for MRF Formula 1600 as MMRT gears up to host 14 races: Racing Nationals
File photo of MRF 1600s in action at MMRT in 2018. Photo by Anand Philar Chennai, 18 July 2019: With a clutch of innovative initiatives on the horizon, the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship gets underway, featuring 14 races, at the MMRT here on Friday.
The programme includes races in the two single-seater categories, the MRF F1600 and the Formula LGB 1300, besides the popular saloon cars which figure in both the premium Indian Touring Cars class and the Super Stock class, besides the Volkswagen Ameo Class which has been accorded National Championship status this year. The four Formula 4 SEA races will also run concurrently.
Even as the National Championship season is in full swing, the promoters Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) are planning to initiate a slew of long-term plans that include night racing, the first of its kind in India.
Taking an overview of this weekend’s races, Chairman of the Championship Vicky Chandhok said: “We are offering a racing menu with a variety this weekend. Beginning with the junior level Formula LGB 1300 leading up to the MRF F1600 which is the first step towards Formula racing, besides of course the saloon cars. We will see a galaxy of foreign and Indian racers this unique weekend when MMSC hosts both international and National racing championship at our very own circuit. So, plenty of action for sure.
“Going forward, we at the MMSC, in keeping with our efforts to move with the changing times, plan to introduce night events with racing under lights. With a view to evaluating the possibilities of night racing, we have planned a test session on Wednesday, August 7, from 18:00 hrs. to 23:00 hrs Primarily, this first session will be only for saloons with mandatory headlights. Depending on the testing, we will expand it to the 1300cc single-seater cars as well. Further, for the next round (August 16-18), we plan to run the races in the anti-clockwise direction. The response, thus far, has been tremendous.”
The MRF F1600, a proven platform for young aspirants looking to break into the international arena, will be running to the full grid with four races scheduled, while the Formula LGB 1300, an excellent option for those graduating to single-seater racing, has again attracted 20-plus entries.
The two categories in the saloon cars, ITC and Super Stock, will be run on the combined grid, and as in the previous round in Coimbatore last month, competition is expected to fierce with the factory-supported turbo-powered Volkswagen Vento cars likely to extend their domination.
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Fresh winds blowing in Indian motor racing
By Anand Philar
It’s monsoon time with some fresh, cool air along with rains envigorating the Indian landscape. Something similar is happening in Indian motor racing with Volkswagen and Honda picking up the gauntlet to take the sport to the next level.
In the past month, VW made a stunning entry into the top-end Indian Touring Cars (ITC) class with the turbo-charged Vento in the National four-wheeler championship while Honda made history by introducing the FIM Moto3-spec NSF 250R in the two-wheeler racing segment.
VW Vento setting the standard in the Indian National Championship. Photos Anand Philar Last season, Volkswagen quietly introduced the Vento in the Turbo sub-class of the highly competitive and very popular ITC category. The intention then was to develop the Vento to be on pace with the pack before even competing.
“It’s still a work in progress. We are still at the development stage. Our first target is to get our cars on pace and maybe, if all goes well, compete in the 2019 season. At this time, there is still a lot of work to be done. We are collecting data and using it to improve the cars,” SirishVissa, head of Volkswagen Motorsport India had said then.
VW certainly burnt the midnight oil and the product of their endeavours was unveiled in the Round 2 of the MRFMMSCfmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore last month. The results were astonishing, to say the least.
Sirish Vissa, Head of Motorsport, Volkswagen India in a jubilant mood during a race weekend. Photo: Anand Philar The three Vento cars, driven by Karthik Tharani, Ishaan Dodhiwala, and Dhruv Shivaji Mohite, dominated the entire weekend, from practice to qualifying to the double-header race card. The Vento left the field in its wake and barring Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu, a former racing and rally champion in his Race Concepts-prepared Honda Vtec, the VW factory team faced the challenge from none other.
The June weekend was an eye-opener to the racing aficionados. Some of the competitors, mostly in their old faithful modified Maruti Esteem, that they had flogged for many years, conceded that the Vento, powered by a 1.8 litre TSi engine mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox, was the way forward. “It is time to pack up the Esteem and go with the Vento,” was the honest admission by veteran Vidyaprakash, one of the few survivors of the hoary Sholaravam past.
A joyous Vissa could hardly contain his emotions. “Honestly, the performances of our cars far exceeded our expectations. Last year, it was about getting on pace with the competition and during the off-season, we had worked long and hard on these cars, sorting out various issues, especially compensating for the weight factor. Winning both the races here in Coimbatore? Wow! But I can’t say how much of a game-changer this will be since I am not sure whether other competitors would switch to Vento in the foreseeable future,” he said.
In a way, it was a double-delight for VW as their Ameo Class, a one-make series had received National Championship status from the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the sport’s National governing body. Coupled with the showing of the Vento in the ITC, the excitement in the VW camp was palpable and understandable.
A HISTORIC MOMENT – HONDA UPS THE ANTE
Cut to the MMRT, a fortnight later, for the second round of the MRFMMSCfmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2019. The motorsport wing of the Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI)showcased the FIM Moto3-spec NSF 250R imported from Japan that replaced the CBR 250 in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup One-Make Championship.
Md Mikail on a Honda NSF 250R during a race week-end at MMRT, Chennai. It was a landmark moment in the history of two-wheeler racing in India. The eight-bike grid comprised riders in the age-group of 12 to 19 years, all trained and primed over the past several months to become race ready.
In a conversation with me at the MMRT, Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice-President – Brand and Communications, HMSI Pvt Ltd, said: “As you are aware, two-wheeler racing at the global level is getting younger in terms of the riders. We thought we will invest in youngsters, in the preferred age-group of 12-18 years on a long-term programme. Eventually, we hope that at least one of the riders would make it to Moto3.
“We have gone to a great extent to train these youngsters in not just racing, but also help them develop as individuals. For this season, we shortlisted eight riders who were put through a rigorous training programme, and hopefully, the grid would get bigger in the seasons to come. We have other plans too for the coming season.”
Sarthak Chavan from Pune, youngest rider (Honda NSF 250R) on the track at just 12 years Back in 2015, Honda won the Moto3 constructor’s Championship with the NSF250R. The race bike, shoed with Dunlop tyres, is powered by a 249.3cc single cylinder liquid-cooled engine, putting out a maximum power of 47.6 HP at 13,000 rpm and 28 Nm of torque at 10,500 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox.
These kids on the NSF 250R bikes rode fearlessly and their timings through the weekend were astounding. The top five boys were quicker than the fastest 400cc bike in the championship. Those in the know believe that the NSF 250R bikes can lower the timings even more, to maybe 1:45 or thereabouts, as against the weekend’s best of 1:48 for a hot lap.
The 84-Kgs NSF 250R is built for young teenagers who easily fit into the saddle. Among the youngest of the riders was Pune’s Sartak Srikant Chavan, just 12 years old, but who performed like he was born to ride. The grid also contained two “veterans” in 15-year old Md Mikail from Chennai and Kritik Habib, 19, from Gadag, Karnataka, both of whom had participated in the Thailand Talent Cup race recently. That experience reflected in their performance with Mikail winning the first of the two races, ahead of Habib.
Also, Honda made a welcome entry in the Pro-Stock 165cc with their race-spec CBR 150R, and much to their delight, Rajiv Sethu, their standard-bearer, won both the races. Sethu has come a long way and his recent performances in the Asia Road Racing Championship besides the Endurance race in Japan as part of the Honda team, have certainly boosted his confidence. In both National championship races over the weekend, Sethu defeated his nemesis and seven-times champion Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing).
Volkswagen and Honda deserve all the kudos for taking the initiative to give a leg-up to Indian motor racing. These are baby steps yet, but the signs are very positive. Hopefully, we can look forward to acche din!
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Polo GTI R5 set for its WRC debut in Spain for a one-off Works outing
Polo GTI R5 set for WRC debut. A VW Motorsport image Wolfsburg, 22 Oct 2018: After about two years of development and over 10,000 kilometres of testing, the Polo GTI R5 will make its competitive debut in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) at the Rally Spain to be run from October 25 to 28. The 200-kW (272-PS) Polo GTI R5 will be driven by the Norwegian duo of Petter Solberg and Veronica Engan (car number 49) and Frenchmen Eric Camilli and co-driver Benjamin Veillas (car number 47).
The Volkswagen Motorsport team, which won a clean sweep of titles in the highest class of the World Rally Championship on four occasions between 2013 and 2016, will run the new customer car when it makes its one-off works outing in Spain.
“Two years after Volkswagen’s last WRC title, we are all looking forward to the Rally Spain, even if it is only a one-off comeback for our team and the Polo GTI R5 will be run by customer teams in the future,” stresses Volkswagen Motorsport Director Sven Smeets. “With 21 competitors, the WRC 2 category has a large and a strong field and that makes us determined to get a good result.”
Solberg and Camilli will not be competing for overall victory in Spain, as the new Polo GTI was developed and prepared according to R5 regulations. Cars in this class have roughly 100 PS less than World Rally Cars. They are aimed at customer teams and privateers. Furthermore, their technology is based far more closely on production technology and is also significantly more affordable.
A unique combination of gravel and tarmac stages
In total, the Rally Spain comprises 18 special stages and a total distance of 331.58 kilometres. The combination of gravel and tarmac is unique within the world championship. “This is another reason why we selected the Rally Spain for the competitive debut of the Polo GTI R5,” explains Gerard-Jan de Jongh, technical project leader for the Polo GTI R5 and former race engineer for world rally champion Sébastien Ogier.
Round 12 of the 2018 WRC season kicks off on Thursday with a spectacular special stage around the Montjuic area in the heart of Barcelona. The first full day on Friday takes in some very tough and dusty gravel routes, while the stages on Saturday and Sunday are held on winding and smooth tarmac roads in the mountains to the south of Salou. This represents a special challenge for the mechanics: at the end of the gravel day, they have just 75 minutes to convert the complete car from gravel to tarmac set-up at the evening service. “Among other things, we swap the chassis, brakes and gearbox,” says de Jongh, explaining the complicated challenge awaiting the mechanics.
The comeback: Former world champion Petter Solberg returns
It could be the comeback of the motorsport year! 43-year-old Norwegian Solberg won 13 rallies during his time in the World Rally Championship. He then switched to Rallycross with his own team in 2013, since when he has twice been crowned world champion (2014 and 2015). Three titles in two different disciplines governed by the International Automobile Federation FIA is a unique achievement in the world of motorsport. Solberg’s PSRX Volkswagen Sweden team currently runs two Polo R Supercars in the World Rallycross Championship (WRX). This season, the team successfully defended the Team title it won in 2017.
“Spain was the venue of my last WRC rally in 2012,” says an emotional Solberg. “It feels great to be heading back there now. Particularly with this car and this team. The combination of gravel and tarmac will be a big challenge for me. After all, it is six years since I drove in a WRC rally. However, one way or another, it will be a fantastic weekend – with old rally friends and passionate fans out on the route.”
Solberg, one of seven test drivers, took the Polo GTI R5 out for the first time on ice and snow in Sweden at the start of the year. Back then, however, he was not planning a comeback. The second test came just last week in Spain, together with team-mate Eric Camilli.
From test driver to race driver: Eric Camilli
Like Solberg, Camilli is one of the test drivers who was heavily involved in the development of the Polo GTI R5 for Volkswagen Motorsport – as well as Raimund Baumschlager, Emil Lindholm, Dieter Depping, Pontus Tidemand and former world champion Marcus Grönholm. The 31-year-old Frenchman is also one of the most experienced drivers in the R5 class. In 2017 he finished second in the WRC 2 class at the end of the season. Since making his world championship debut in 2014, Camilli has competed in 37 WRC rallies.
“It is a great honour for me to be involved in Spain. I have completed a lot of test kilometres and am really looking forward to finally getting to drive the Polo GTI R5 at a rally,” says Camilli. “The first outing with a completely new car is always very special, and you have to be ready for anything. However, I know that we have prepared as well as possible and do not believe that we need to fear our more established opponents.”
First 15 Polo GTI R5 already accounted for
Immediately after the competitive debut of the Polo GTI R5, work will begin in Hannover on an assembly of the first 15 customer cars – a further 30 to 40 are to follow in 2019. “The first Polo GTI R5 will be handed over to customers after the Rally Spain,” says Smeets. “There is far greater demand than we can meet. We are overwhelmed by the huge interest.”
Figuratively speaking, the Polo GTI R5 is the “big brother” of the Polo GTI1. Although the road-going version of the Polo may look more reserved than its rally counterpart, there are still many parallels. For example, the engine, which stems from the basic EA888 engine in both the production Polo and the Polo GTI R5.
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MRF F1600 triple-header to highlight 12-race card: 4w Racing Nationals
Irrungattukottai, 19 July 2018: The third round of the MRF Indian National Racing Championship which has never failed to dish out high octane action while witnessing emergence of fresh talent, gets off to a start at the MMRT, about 40 km from Chennai, on Friday even as the competition hots up among title contenders in various categories. The Racing Nationals are organised by Madras Motor Sports Club under the aegis of the National governing body for the sport, the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (fmsci).The championship returns to the MMRT after a gap of five months after the first round in February and the next in Coimbatore last month. A card of 12 races has been scheduled for the weekend. The programme includes Volkswagen Ameo Cup besides the first round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Drag Racing Championship 2018 for four-wheelers which will be run post-lunch on Saturday and Sunday,
The three races in the MRF F1600, now in its seventh season, has proven to be an excellent platform for young guns to showcase their racing talent. The added incentive to the winner of the championship in the MRF F1600 is the chance to participate in the Mazda Road to Indy shootout in the United States later this year which has been organized by the MMSC. The winner of the shootout will receive a scholarship of USD 200,000.
The previous round at Coimbatore witnessed the emergence of 19-year old Ashwin Datta from Chennai who won all three MRF F1600 races in a display of raw pace that blitzed the field and gave himself a head-start in the championship.
The other open-wheel single-seater category, Formula LGB 1300, threw up three different winners – Team MSport’s Nabil Hussain and Sohail Shah, and Ashwin Datta (Momentum Motorsports) – in the season-opening triple-header in Coimbatore last month that accurately reflected the competitiveness of the races.
Among saloon cars, the premier Indian Touring Cars category should witness the more thrilling action. The previous round in Coimbatore was all about returning stars as Coimbatore ace Arjun Balu (Race Concepts), back on track after a five-year break, won both the races to close in on championship leader Ashish Ramaswamy (ARKA Motorsports) from Bengaluru. Just 18 points separate the duo with veteran B Vijayakumar (Prime Racing) and Nikanth Ram (ARKA Motorsports) sandwiched in between.
A fresh addition to this grid is last year’s champion, Coimbatore-based Arjun Narendran (ARKA Motorsports) who returns after sitting out the previous two rounds and his presence is expected to further sharpen the competitive edge.
In the other saloon cars categories, K Srinivas Teja (Prime Racing) heads the Super Stock with one win and four podiums as also Prabhu AS (ARKA Motorsports) in the Indian Junior Touring Cars while Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing), having won four races, is ahead in the Esteem Cup.
The Round 2 of Volkswagen Ameo Cup is again expected to dish out its share of thrillers as witnessed in the previous round at Coimbatore where Kolhapur’s Dhruv Mohite achieved a credible double to take a firm lead in the championship.
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 endeavour to provide more opportunities for competitors, and to this end, it has chalked out various progressive programmes. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2014, making it the only club which owns such a facility that has been further upgraded with international-standard Paddock, complete with VIP hospitality suites, 20 spacious garages and a separate Paddock on the western side with its own circuit. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championships (2-wheelers) 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.
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Dhruv Mohite leads Volkswagen Ameo Cup 2018 after first round
· Akshay P Bhivshet (Goa) and Shubhomoy Ball (Bangalore) lead the Junior Cup with both at 108 points
Pune, 11 July 2018: Volkswagen Motorsport India’s one-make series – Ameo Cup Round One was dominated by Dhruv Mohite winning both races over the weekend. With the two victories, Dhruv is currently leading the championship with a big lead of 40 points over Affan Sadat Safwan Islam (Chittagong) and Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Thane) in second and third position respectively. After Round 1, Affan and Saurav are both tied-up with a total score of 80 points.
In the Junior Cup, rookies Akshay P Bhivshet and Shubhomoy Ball are locked in a close battle for the leader board position.
The fight for the 2018 Ameo Cup Championship will resume in Round 2 at Madras Motorsport Race Track (MMRT) in Chennai on 22nd and 23rd July 2018.
Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “The Ameo Cup 2018 – Round One was an exciting round for us and the drivers. Dhruv had been dominant in Coimbatore and his overall lead proves that. The battle for second, third and fourth position are closer than ever before. Round 2 presents a chance for Affan, Saurav and Jeet to close the gap at the top.”
Vissa further added, “Round 2 is going to be an exciting battle with multiple contenders eyeing podium finishes. The weather and track conditions at MMRT are going to be quite different when compared to Kari. Moreover, for all the new drivers, it is going to be a whole new circuit as they haven’t got any testing time there yet.”
The third round of Volkswagen Ameo Cup 2018 will again be held at the Madras Motor Race Track in August, followed by the fourth round at Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida in October.
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