Double points for last round keep Championship stakes wide open: Bike Nationals
Chennai, 26 Sept 2019: The MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2019 is set for a grand climax at the MMRT this weekend that will witness as many as 18 races and edge-of-the-seat, high-stakes battles for titles across all categories. With double points being awarded for this fifth and final round, there is everything to ride for, especially for the front-runners.
The National Championship, comprising Pro-Stock category (200-300cc, 301-400cc and 165cc) which will no doubt headline the weekend, Novice (Stock 165cc) and Girls (Stock 165cc), are all set for close finishes with not much separating the top riders on the leaderboard, in terms of points. For the manufacturers – TVS, Honda, Yamaha and KTM – there is plenty to gain from this weekend.
The situation is much the same in the TVS One-Make Championship that has three categories in Open (RR 310), Novice and Girls (RTR 200), and also the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250R (FIM Moto3-spec) and CBR 150 (Novice). Both TVS and Honda have invested time and effort in plenty to identify and develop young talent that has turned out in good numbers from across country.
MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “This being the final round of the season, we again would like to extend our sincere thanks to our title sponsors MRF Tyres who, for the first time supplied slick tyres for Pro-Stock categories, besides India’s top two-wheeler manufacturers TVS, Honda, Yamaha and KTM who have been associated with us in our constant endeavour to nurture and develop talent. The ever-increasing number of entries, especially in the Novice category, is a testimony to growing popularity of the sport. The Madras Motor Sports Club too has evolved in providing and upgrading infrastructure and technology at considerable expense with focus on safety and comfort at the MMRT circuit.”
Predicting close races, Race Director Manoj Dalal, said: “This weekend, we look forward close competition, that has been a feature through the year, with the championship titles up for grabs. The season has also seen intense rivalry between riders, teams and manufacturers like never before. In a bid to inject more interest and competition, we decided to double the points across all National Championship categories for the this (final) round. Hence, we are in this exciting situation where every title, be it individual or team, is wide open, and we expect extremely competitive races.”
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 from Sholavaram to its present location 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. 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. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.
