Arjun Balu leads ITC; Chirag, Shahan to fight it out in MRF 1600
Chennai, 18 Jan 2022: Coimbatatore ace and multi-faceted motorsport athlete, Arjun Balu, will be the cynosure of all eyes as he leads the championship with a slender 7-point even as a clutch of teenaged talent, will line-up on various grids in the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2021 commencing at the MMRT circuit near here on Thursday, with Covid-19 safety protocols in place.
Due to the Sunday lockdown in Tamil Nadu in the wake of the pandemic, the promoters, Madras Motor Sports Club, have rejigged the schedule for the programme to start a day earlier on Thursday, which will be devoted to practice sessions only, and conclude on Saturday afternoon with over 100 participants in fray at the Irangattukottai circuit near Sriperumbudur.
A card of 13 races will be gone through with triple-headers each in the premier MRF F1600, Volkswagen Polo and the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) categories, while the popular saloon cars class (Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars and the Super Stock) and the Formula LGB 1300 will have two races apiece.
Due to the pandemic-induced delays, the 2021 championship has spilled into the current year, but the challenging conditions have not deterred the racing enthusiasts if the number of entries is any indication.
If the second round in December was impacted by the monsoon rains, the going this week is expected to be fair in balmy winter sunshine.
Teenagers Chirag Ghorpade (Bengaluru) and Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) have dominated the MRF F1600 category with two wins each in six starts with the former heading the championship table with 105 points.
In contrast, veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) from Coimbatore showcased his vast experience in wet conditions in the second round to notch a double in the ITC category where he enjoys a seven-point advantage over Rayo Racing’s Anindith Reddy (Hyderabad). In third spot and five points adrift is another Hyderabad racer, Jeet Jhabakh, also of Rayo Racing.
Privateer from Coimbatore, Charen Chandran, heads the IJTC category while the versatile local challenger Deepak Ravikumar tops two classes, the Super Stock for Performance Racing and Formula LGB 1300 for Momentum Motorsport.
The Volkswagen Polo category, with 22 cars on the grid, is extremely competitive as the four races so far has produced as many different winners with Chennai’s Sandeep Kumar heading the points table though not having won a race.
The experienced Fahad Kutty from Mumbai, with two wins in three starts, is comfortably perched on top in the MRF Saloon Cars category that boasts of 21 competitors.
MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “We once again welcome the four-wheeler competitors have are attending the third round in good number. The championship has thrown up some exciting young talent which augurs well for the sport as also the continued support from our title sponsors MRF Tyres. We expect another round of close racing this week which should spread cheer among the racing aficionados.”
About Madras Motor Sports Club
Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved its racing activities from Sholavaram to its present location, the MMRT circuit in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. Parallelly, MMSC imported timing equipment specifically for Drag racing. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. MMSC also constructed a 500-capacity grand stand with provision for garages / storage below. In another upgrade, the MMSC purchased Digi flags from TAG Heuer Chronolec that will be positioned strategically around the track. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.
