Rajini, Jagan reign supreme
Veteran riders Rajini Krishnan (RACR) and Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) posted brilliant but contrasting victories in their respective categories to light up the second round of the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the MMRT, here on Saturday.
Rajini, 41, stamped his authority and class while winning the first race in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category after starting from P6. The 31-year-old Jagan exchanged leads with arch-rival and pole-sitter Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) before clinching the Pro-Stock 165cc cliff-hanger with a last-lap overtake.
Both Rajini and Jagan thus notched up their third consecutive wins in the championship, having scored a double apiece in Round 1 last month. Also scoring maximum points was 20-year-old Anfal Akdhar (Rockstar Racing) in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category.
Rajini, riding his Yamaha R3 with craft and guile, bided his time before making a decision – to move to the front of the pack. The local rider stayed on top with ease to finish ahead of Rockers Racing’s PM Soorya, the pole-sitter, and Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing).
Later in the day, Jagan and Sethu battled hard but fair in the Pro-Stock 165cc category. Starting from pole position, Sethu yielded ground to Jagan but regained the lead midway through the six-lapper.
The pair took the last corner of the final lap in tandem and raced side-by-side to the finish line, where Jagan just about got his nose in front. KY Ahamed completed the podium after a close fight with his TVS Racing teammate Deepak Ravikumar.
Starting the six-lap race from P3, Anfal had to fight hard for his victory as he received close attention from pole-sitter Allwin Sundar (AS Motorsports) and Alwin Xavier (Sparks Racing). In the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, Kavin Quintal (NSF 250R) and Kevin Kannan (Honda Hornet 2.0) posted their third victory apiece.
Results: Second round: Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Race 1): 1. Rajini Krishnan (RACR) 11 minutes, 21.868 seconds; 2. PM Soorya (Rockers Racing) 11:23.279; 3. Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing) 11:23.414
Pro-Stock 165cc (Race 1): 1. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) 11:46.731; 2. Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) 11:46.778; 3. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) 11:47.691
Novice (Stock 165cc) (Race 1): 1. Anfal Akdhar (Rockstar Racing) 13:05.852; 2. Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing) 13:05.980; 3. Sarvesh Balappa (Sparks Racing) 13:17.967