Vishnu Prasad, Ruhaan Alva crowned National Champions

Anish Shetty champion in JK Tyre present Royal Enfield Continental Cup

David Bodapati February 27, 2022

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Ruhaan Alva, JK Tyre Novice Cup 2021 winner, bags his first Indian National Championship in Formula cars. INDIAinF1 file photo

Coimbatore, 27 Feb 2022: Multiple-national champion Vishnu Prasad regained the LGB Formula 4, the coveted JK Tyre National Racing Championship for 2021 while Ruhaan Alva clinched the Novice Cup title in the 24th JK Tyre fmsci National Racing Championship 2021, which concluded with Round 4 at Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday.

Anish Shetty won the 2021 Championship in the maiden JK Tyre present Royal Enfield Continental cup which made its debut along with the JK Tyre 4-wheeler National Racing Championship this year. The delayed 2021 championship calendar was completed only today due to COVID.

In the LGB Formula 4 category, Chennai’s Vishnu Prasad beat Sandeep Kumar, also from Chennai, as the later trailing by two points coming into the final round, crashed out and it hurt his championship. Sandeep recently won the Polo Cup National title.

In a keenly-contested race, the top-four drivers were in the title-hunt with just seven points separating them. Young-gun from Kolkata Arya Singh won the final race beating Ashwin Datta and Vishnu finish to second and third respectively.

Earlier in the first race, Vishnu, the Championship leader in the Feature event, led the race and his closest contender Sandeep crashed out pushing for the title. Meanwhile, Diljith TS, fought back and managed to stave off a fighting Mira Erda to 2nd. Thus, the Championship went go down to the wire with the final race deciding the champion.

In the Continental GT Cup, too, the top-two riders having just seven points between them for the Championship title. Anish D Shetty won the maiden Championship title which presented by JK Tyre along it four-wheeler National Racing Championship. The top-three riders, Meka Vidhuraj, Allwin Xavier and Anish engaged in a tight fight but Anish took the lead after a few laps but could not sustain it. Both Meka and Allwin managed to exploit corners and overtook Anish, to finish first and second in that order.

Leading the table with 98 points in the Novice Cup, Ruhaan Alva was declared the Championship Winner for 2021. On Sunday, Jaden R Pariat scored back-to-back wins. The two karting boys, who were friends off the track had a good day. Ruhaan, the senior of the two, is a gifted driver who tuned his racecraft in Europe before winning National karting championships in India. Jaden, from Guwahati, has shifted from a Delhi school to Bengaluru to improve his racing skills and graduated to open-seat cars this years after just a couple of seasons in karting where he was nurtured by teammate Ruhaan.

Elated with his Championship title, Ruhaan said, “It’s been a tough fight with the competition constantly improving. COVID has had a big impact on my preparation but am happy to finish on the top. My ultimate aim is to get into F1.”

Equally ecstatic with his performance on the last day of the season, Jaden said, “The start was a tough moment so I just focused. With the winner’s cup in hand, I look forward to race in F4 now.”

National Championship Winners for 2021 (provisional standings)

NOVICE CLASS

1. Ruhaan Alva, 98 points, National Champion

2. Jaden R Pariat, 80;

3. Neym Rizvi, 49.

Team Champion: Msport, 202 points

LGB Formula 4

1. Vishnu Prasad, 70 points (National Champion)

2. Diljith TS, 59 points

Joint 3rd: Arya Singh & Sandeep Kumar- 55 points each,

Team Champion: Dark Don Racing- 167 points

Support Class: JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup