Nashik, 4 Feb 2023: Petronas TVS Factory rider Rajendra RE begins as hot favourite, as the fight goes to wire with teammate and defending champion Abdul Wahid Tanveer on Sunday for the Overall National Rally title. The Rally of Nashik, the sixth and final round of the MRF MoGrip fmsci National Rally Championship is flagged off here on Saturday and the three competitive stages will be run on Sunday.

With Champions already decided in many classes, the entries fell to 49 (including two ladies) and there are only four factory bikes in the Super Bike Pro-Expert Class here making it a family affair. However, the compact field has high competition with Rajendra, the 2019 National champion, leading by eight points and he needs to just finish ahead of Tanveer.  But the reigning champion, who began with a win this year, could only garner three second place in the next three rallies (all TVS riders did not participate in Round 2). Thus to win the title, Tanveer not only needs to win the rally outright, but hope that Rajendra finishes third or behind.

In four classes, champions were decided before the final round here. They are Sarath Mohan, Sasikumar K, Imran Pasha and VS Naresh.

Sarath Mohan, Expert class National champion

Sarath Mohan from Kerala, who met with a serious accident in the 2021 Chikmagalur round, made a stunning comeback with a clean sweep of all the first four rounds. Having garnered an unbeatable lead and winning the title  in the Super Bike Expert (Group A) Class 2 by fourth round itself, the aggressive rider skipped the next two rounds opting to train in the dunes of Dubai preparing for bigger Rally Raid international events.

165cc National champ is Sasikumar

Sasikumar K also became the National champion in the Super Sport 165 Group B Class with a round to spare. He took an unbeatable 47-point lead over second-placed Francis PV. Both these top riders are not present in Nashik and the class has only four entries.

Imran Pasha bags Class 4 title - 260cc Group B

Imran Pasha, another Petronas TVS Racing team rider, has pocketed the Super Sport 260 Group B Class 4 title on his RTR 200 with 100 points beating his nearest rival Adnan Ahmed who has only 70 points. He won all the four rallies he took part.

Naresh is 550cc Group B champion 2022

VS Naresh, also captured the National crown astride a Himalayan in the the Super Sport 550 Group B Class 6.

Aishwarya all set for 6th consecutive title

In other classes, Aishwarya Pissay looks set to lay her hands on the sixth consecutive National crown in the Ladies class. The Women in Motorsports campaign reduced from 8 lady riders in 'Round 1 to only two in the final round. (Read a detailed report here).

Veteran rider and the oldest among the lot in the entire 2W rally field, is locked in a tough battle with Hansraj Saikia of Assam in the Super Sport 400cc Group B class 5. Despite missing Round 2, he garnered 73 points, the same as the Saikia. Amog Nag in third has 64 points and has an outside chance to sideline the top guns.

In the Scooter class 8, Shamim Khan on an NTorq has a slender lead of three points from Aprilia riders Pinkesh Thakkar (77) and Subramanya T (58).

The MRF Rally of Nashik will have a 17.5-Km Special Stage (SS) run thrice from Nandgaon Kolikharwal, all in forward direction, for a combined competitive distance of over 52.5Km, mostly broken tarmac. Along with a transport section of about 70Km, the total rally distance will be 122.5Km.

The six-round MRF Mogrip fmsci National Rally Championship for two-wheelers 2022 promoted by GodSpeed Racing is one of the 12 Nationals conducted in various motorsports disciplines by fmsci, the National Federation.

Start Order for the final rally:

# BIBNoRIDER VEHICLECONTESTTEAM 11RAJENDRA RERTR450CLASS 1HOSUR22ABDUL WAHIDRTR450CLASS 1HOSUR33SAMUEL JACOBRTR450CLASS 1HOSUR44NATRAJ RRTR450CLASS 1HOSUR55IMRAN PASHARTR 200CLASS 4HOSUR66SACHIN DRTR 200CLASS 4HOSUR77BANTEILANG JYRWARTR 200CLASS 4HOSUR88BADAL S DOSHIKTM 500 EXCFCLASS 1ANAVI MUMBAI99TABISH RIZVIEC 350FCLASS 1AMUMBAI1010VENU RAMESH KrDUKE390CLASS 5COIMBATORE1111HANSRAJ SAIKIAKTM DUKE 390CLASS 5GUWAHATI1212GS AMOGH NAGKTM 390 DUKECLASS 5BENGALURU1313RUSSELL JOSSYDUKE 390CLASS 5NAVI MUMBAI1414AISHWARYA P MRTR200CLASS 7HOSUR1515CHALASS K BOSESTUNNERCLASS 2KOTTAYAM1616ANOOP MANJAPPASTUNNERCLASS 2BENGALURU1717NIRAJ WANJALEIMPULSECLASS 3PUNE1818JEEVARATHINAM JAPACHE RTR 180CLASS 4BENGALURU1919MUZAFFAR ALIIMPULSECLASS 3BHOPAL2020RAHUL S MOKASHIIMPULSECLASS 3PUNE2121SAMPATH GOWDA CAPACHE RTRCLASS 3BENGALURU2222YOGESH KAGALEDUKE 200CLASS 1AKOLHAPUR2323NADIR KHANYBXCLASS 2BHOPAL2424HITESH S GHADGEHIMALAYANCLASS 6PUNE2525NILESH Y THAKAREHIMALAYANCLASS 6NASHIK2626SANTOSH SARKALEHIMALAYANCLASS 6NASHIK2727SHAMIM KHANNTORQ 124CLASS 8HOSUR2828PINKESH THAKKARAPRILIA SR 150CLASS 8PUNE2929SUBRAMANYA TAPRILIA SR 150CLASS 8PUNE3030GOUTHAM NAPRILIA SR 125CLASS 8PUNE3131KARTHIK NNTORQ 124CLASS 8HOSUR3232SYED ASIF ALINTORQ 124CLASS 8HOSUR3333VENKATESH SHETTYAPRILLA SR 150CLASS 8MUMBAI3434AAKASH SATPUTEAPRILIA SR 150CLASS 8PUNE3535HITEN THAKKARSR150CLASS 8NASHIK3636SABARISH RRTR200CLASS 9BENGALURU3737GOUTHAM RAO RRTR 200CLASS 9BENGALURU3838ABHIMANYU RAYXPULSECLASS 9PUNE3939TANAY S KASERAADVENTURECLASS 9NAVI MUMBAI4040ROHIT TIWARIHIMALAYANCLASS 6PUNE4141LOKESH A BHOSALEXPULSECLASS 10PUNE4242AMARENDRA SATHEXPULSE 200CLASS 10PUNE4343KAUSTUBH MACHHEXPULSE 200 4VCLASS 10NASHIK4444SURYA K TATINENIXPULSE 2004VCLASS 10NASHIK4545PURSHOTTAM MATEXPULSECLASS 10PUNE4646SHRIDHAR PANDEYXPULSE RALLYCLASS 10PUNE4747TANYA S SINGHXPULSE 2004VCLASS 7PUNE4848GAURAV PATHAREGLADIATORCLASS 2MUMBAI4949HARSHAL KADBHANE**XPULSECLASS 10NASHIK