The Indian Automotive Racing Club (IARC) hosted its 2021 Autocross and Gymkhana event over the weekend, welcoming grassroots motorsport back to the city. We’ve already seen circuit racing return a few months ago when the nationwide lockdown restrictions were eased, and even drag racing made a return with the 2021 Valley Run. But this was the first motorsport event to be held in the Mumbai-Thane area since the lockdown was announced almost a year ago.
- Amey Desai sets the fastest lap of the weekend in a Maruti Suzuki Alto
- Kartik Konchady sets fastest Autocross lap in a Honda City
- Team Flying Pistons dominate across both categories
It was evident that enthusiasts were waiting for a chance to show off their skills behind the wheel, and the event – held at the Raymond Drift Track in Thane – saw over 120 entries across both categories. Of course, all the social distancing norms and COVID-19 protocols were followed. The event may have been closed off for spectators, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the action. Here’s a quick recap:
2021 IARC Autocross results
Rather than an outright race, an Autocross can be thought of as a race against the clock. Drivers have to navigate their way through a predetermined obstacle course, with the goal being to complete the course in the fastest possible time.
Participants had to bring their own cars, so a wide array of vehicles took to the track – from a Mahindra XUV300 to a BMW 320d. Driving a Honda City for Team Flying Pistons, Kartik Konchady set the fastest lap in the Autocross, with a time of 1min 25.816sec.
| 2021 IARC Autocross winners | |||||
| Class | Category | Name | Car | Team | Time (mins) |
| C1 | Stock 2WD up to 1400cc | Amey Desai | Maruti Suzuki Alto | Flying Pistons | 01:28.752 |
| C2 | Stock 2WD up to 1650cc | Veer Shah | Honda City | – | 01:34.766 |
| C3 | Stock 2WD over 1650cc | Munjal Savla | BMW 320d | – | 01:28.393 |
| C4 | Open 2WD up to 1400cc | Amey Desai | Maruti Suzuki Alto | Flying Pistons | 01:30.328 |
| C5 | Open 2WD up to 1650cc | Swajit Acharekar | Honda City | – | 01:28.588 |
| C6 | Open 2WD over 1650cc | Ravinder Singh | Hyundai i20 | High Velocity | 01:30.397 |
| C7 | 2WD Unrestricted Open | Kartik Konchady | Honda City | Flying Pistons | 01:25.816 |
| C8 | 4WD Unrestricted Open | Sudesh Karle | Tata Xenon | – | 01:46.902 |
| C9 | Ladies Class | Jhanvi Bhavsar | Maruti Suzuki Swift | – | 01:37.332 |
2021 IARC Gymkhana results
A Gymkhana is quite similar to an Autocross, but it further tests the driver’s skill and ability by requiring participants to perform choreographed manoeuvres, like 360-degree spins, J-Turns, box parking, among other things. This too, is held through a short, timed loop.
With a blistering time of 25.886sec, Amey Desai set the fastest overall time of the entire weekend, driving a Maruti Suzuki Alto in the Stock 2WD (up to 1,400cc) class. He, too, was driving for Team Flying Pistons; the team came all guns blazing and simply dominated the event, taking home trophies in multiple classes.
| 2021 IARC Gymkhana winners | |||||
| Class | Category | Name | Car | Team | Times (secs) |
| C1 | Stock 2WD up to 1400cc | Amey Desai | Maruti Suzuki Alto | Flying Pistons | 25.886 |
| C2 | Stock 2WD up to 1650cc | Amey Desai | Maruti Suzuki Alto | Flying Pistons | 29.044 |
| C3 | Stock 2WD over 1650cc | Jigar Mehta | Hyundai i20 Asta | – | 29.733 |
| C4 | Open 2WD up to 1400cc | Zishaan Khatib | Honda Brio | – | 30.240 |
| C5 | Open 2WD up to 1650cc | Amey Desai | Maruti Suzuki Alto | Flying Pistons | 27.120 |
| C6 | Open 2WD over 1650cc | Arvaan Joshi | Fiat Abarth Punto | Flying Pistons | 29.234 |
| C7 | 2WD Unrestricted Open | Amey Desai | Maruti Suzuki Alto | Flying Pistons | 27.514 |
| C9 | Ladies Class | Shivani Parmar | Maruti Suzuki A-Star Vxi | – | 28.285 |
Commenting on the event, organisers of the 2021 IARC Autocross and Gymkhana said, “Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation and respecting the government norms, we were forced not to allow any spectators for this event, but we were thrilled to see the level of enthusiasm from all the participants who were eagerly waiting for a motorsport event in this post-lockdown era. We had an amazing 120 plus entries across both the categories.”
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