Bengaluru boys lead the way on Day 1 of 24th JK Tyre-FMSCI National Racing Championship
Coimbatore, October 23, 2021: The rich talent from the city of Bengaluru came to the fore as Sohil Shah and Ruhaan Alva dominated proceedings in the LGB4 and JK Tyre Novice Cup categories in the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship.
Saturday was a day when there were thrills and spills in the races among cars and bikes as well as the brand-new Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup was making its debut.
The LGB Formula 4 category race was one which tested man and machine with the Safety Car being pressed into action twice making it that much harder for the drivers. In what turned out to be almost a final shoot-out, Sohil Shah, who has rich experience in his veins, turned on the heat. On Saturday, the boy used his nerves and waited for the right opportunity to step on the pedal to win the race by a difference of 0.165 seconds ahead of Arya Singh from Kolkata.
“I am happy to start the season with a win, though it was not easy. I was in the lead but once the safety cars came out, there was a lot of bunching. The net effect is the lead which you had in time and distance gets shrunk. I waited for the right moment in the final lap and won,” said Sohil.
The JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup maiden race, too, turned out to be full of action. A first look at the bike is quite deceptive. Once on track, for man and machine it’s a challenge to get the best out. On Saturday, the riders were a bit apprehensive. Having tested the bikes at the start of the week it was a good experience.
But to go finally flat out on the bikes weighing 180kg is quite demanding. Anish Damodara Shetty from Hubli eventually emerged winner in the 10-lap race, timing 1:18.325, ahead of Allwin Xavier from Thrissur by just 0.117 seconds.
‘”It was a great challenge to win the maiden race and the last lap was electrifying,” said Anish. Speaking about the close second spot, Allwin took it philosophically. “It’s a new race in a new bike. There is speed and also your legs feel tired handling the weight. I am happy to come second,” said Allwin.
Teen sensation Ruhaan Alva from Bengaluru, well known for his exploits since the age of seven, began the proceedings with dominance. Competing for MSport in the JK Tyre Novice Cup, Ruhaan showed poise and purpose after the first race was red flagged.
It had to be restarted. Ruhaan was fully focussed, not letting the brief stoppage affect him. On a pleasant and sunny afternoon, the young lad raced without any glitch, virtually, as he timed 14 minutes 22.061 seconds in the 10-lap race. His best lap time was 1:18.001, which was quite good considering this was the first race of the season.
“I am happy to have begun with a win. Once a race is red-flagged, it’s very important to remain focussed. I was happy with my start to the championship,” said Ruhaan, who took to karting at the age of seven. He idolises legend Ayrton Senna, which speaks a lot about how much he has followed the sport of Formula One racing.
Later in the evening, there was a dramatic twist as Jaden R Pariat from Guwahati, who was trailing by two laps in the first race eventually, staged a superb comeback in the second race. Jaden won the second race much against the turn of events ahead of the favourites..
Provisional Results:
Formula LGB 4:
Race 1:
Sohil Shah (Bangalore)- 23:26.923
Arya Singh (Kolkata)- 23:27.088
Diljith TS (Thirssur)- 23:27.186
JK Tyre Novice Cup
Race 1:
Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) – 14:22.061
Aadithya Parasuram (Chennai)- 14:25.202
Gaurav Kochar (Coonoor)- 14:34.275
Race 2:
Ruhaan Alva –15:06.124
Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati)-15:07.429
Aasthiya Parasuram -15:09.109
JK Tyre presents RE Continental GT Cup:
Race 1:
Anish Damodara Shetty (Hubli) – 14:07.754
Allwin Xavier (Thrissur)- 14.07.859
Jayanth Prathipati (Hyderabad)- 14:08.859
About JK Tyre Motorsport:
JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades back. The company laid down a long term plan to popularise and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport.
The company then endeavored to spot, nurture and sharpen the drivers to turn them into world champions. With this goal in mind, we conceptualized the JK Tyre National Racing Champion in 1997. Our efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others.
Before all this, JK Tyre had a successful stint in rallying too, conquering the scene in the early 90s. At the same time, gradually, we moved on to various disciplines, including cross-country rallying and off-roading, leaving a mark in each of them with their unique and innovative ways.
JK Tyre Motorsports is also very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, we also gave them opportunities in various national championships. Last year was particularly rewarding for us as an All-Women Racing team was introduced for the first time in the LGB 4 category. In addition, the company also undertook various other initiatives to encourage them to try motorsports, even if for fun to begin with.
To supplement JK Tyre’s entry into the two-wheeler market, the JKNRC hosted the Suzuki Gixxer Cup and the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup categories and saw enthusiastic participation from across the country.
Today, the company is synonymous with motorsports, and even more so with racing, creating a lot of goodwill for the brand. Right from budding racers to accomplished drivers in the country, everybody owes their rise and success to JK Tyre.
