Domestic Drag Racing National Championship Non-F1

Hemanth Muddappa bags 10th National crown; Alimon clinches top class: Drag Nationals

Lani Zena Fernandez stages a stunning comeback to win Girls title

INDIAinF1 Desk December 31, 2022

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Hemanth Muddappa astride a Suzuki Hayabusa bags his 10th National title. Photo by Karan Ravi/INDIAinF1

Chennai, 30 Dec 2022: Reigning champion Hemanth Muddappa added one more title to his glittering shelf to join the rare elite club 10-time National champions, as he clinched the National Championship titles in the superbike category in the fourth and final round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit here on Friday.

As declared yesterday, Bengaluru’s Alimon Saidalavi won the premier Unrestricted class National Championship with an all-win record, winning the final round with ease astride the Kawasaki Ninja H2.

Champions All: (from left) Prashanth, Hemanth Muddappa, Alimon Saidalavi, Saurabh Parab, Bharath Raj and Abdul Shaikh. Photos by Karan Ravi.

Muddappa, with three wins in four outings in the Super Sport 4-stroke 1051-1650cc class retained his title astride a Suzuki Hayabusa. Muddappa’s team Mantra Racing bagged the team honours in both these superbike classes. Muddappa and Mantra Racing combination, thus achieved a record 10 National titles.

Chennai-born engineer from Rockers Racing, Bharath Raj hogged the limelight bagging a hat-trick in the 361-550cc class and made it a grand double adding another National title in the Upto 165cc category. He also helped his team Rockers Racing win the team championship in both the classes.

Puducherry’s Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power Ultimate1) won the Round-4 race which helped her to finish on top in the championship standings in the Girls category (Stock 165cc), just three points ahead of favourite Soundari Ananthraj (AS Motorsports) who finished a distant sixth today.

Lani Zena Fernandez of Puducherry made a brilliant comeback to win the Girls title.

Mumbai’s Saurabh Parab, with two wins and four podiums, picked up the National crown in the 551-850cc category. Bengaluru’s Abdul Shaikh of G1 Motors Racing finished second behind Chennai’s Madhan Kumar in the 2-stroke upto 130cc class, but that was enough for the 29-year rider to clinch the National title.

Bharath Raj of Team Rockers Racing bags his fifth National title from two different classes.

Round-4 – Provisional results:

Unrestricted: 1. Alimon Saidalavi (Bengaluru) (07.732secs); 2. Attaulla Baig (Bengaluru) (07.956); 3. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.968). National champion: Alimon Saidalavi (Bengaluru). Team champions: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.

4-Stroke Super Sport 1051-1650cc: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.866); 2. Mujahid Pasha (Bengaluru) (07.877); 3. Attaulla Baig (Bengaluru) (08.038). National champion: Hemanth Muddappa. Team champions: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.

851-1050cc (Support race): 1. Saurabh Parabh (Mumbai) (07.827); 2. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.861); 3. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.029).

551-850cc 4-Stroke Super Sport: 1. Saurabh Parab (Mumbai) (08.476); 2. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.510); Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Matra Racing) (08.664). National champion: Saurabh Parabh. Team champions: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.

361-550cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Nadeem Pasha (Bengaluru) (12.003); 2. Anish Shetty (Bengaluru, PRN Motorsports) (12.020); 3. Bharath Raj (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (12.029). National champion: Bharath Raj. Team champions: Rockers Racing, Chennai.

166-225cc (Support race); 1. Badhusha M (Chennai) (13.438); 2. Srikantha P (Bengaluru) (13.647); 3. Aiyaz Rem (Bengaluru) (14.297).

Upto 165cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Mohammed Fazil (Bengaluru) (14.095); 2. Mohammed Arfath (Bengaluru) (14.214); 3. Yogeshwaran (Chennai) (14.654). National champion: Bharath Raj. Team champions: Rockers Racing, Chennai.

2-Stroke 131-165cc: 1. Prashanth (Bengaluru) (12.822); 2. Ashok S (Bengaluru) (12.995); 3. Abdul Shaikh (Bengaluru) (13.115). National champion: Prashanth. Team champions: Rockers Racing, Chennai.

2-Stroke Upto 130cc: 1. Madhan Kumar R (Chennai) (13.517); 2. Abdul Shaikh (Bengaluru) (13.551); 3. Arvind Ganesh (Chennai, AP Motorsports) (13.611). National champion: Abdul Shaikh. Team champions: AP Motorsports, Chennai.

GIRLS (165cc, Novice): 1. Lani Zena Fernandez (Puducherry, RACR Castrol Power Ultimate 1) (16.461); 2. Nivetha Jessica (Chennai) (16.601); 3. Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru) (16.619). National champion: Lani Zena Fernandez. Team champions: Axor Sparks Racing, Chennai.