11-time national champion Rajini Krishnan has opted to skip this year’s national championship to focus on the Malaysian Superbike series.
The 2023 edition of the MRF MMSC Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship (INMRC) kicked off with the season opener at Coimbatore’s Kari Motor Speedway. Rajiv Sethu enjoyed a strong debut in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category, winning both races over the weekend. Mathana Kumar and Vignesh Goud were the other riders to notched up double wins.
One notable name missing from this year’s grid is 11-time national champion Rajini Krishnan, who also won last year’s title. The superbike racing ace confirmed that he will be sitting out the 2023 season and will instead focus on the Malaysian Superbike Championship. His team, RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate, continues to participate in the national championship.
- Rajiv Sethu, Mathana Kumar win in Pro-Stock categories
- Kavin Quintal dominates Honda Talent Cup races
- Alwin Sundar wins both in TVS one-Make Championship
Pro-Stock 301-400cc
After years of racing in 165cc categories, both in India and on international soil, Sethu has made the step up to the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category this year. The move also sees him switch camps from Honda to Yamaha, as part of the RACR team run by Rajini Krishnan.
He got to speed pretty quickly, bagging pole position and winning both races. He’d initially slipped to fourth place in Race 1 after making a mistake at the start, but he eventually recovered to win ahead of Sarthak Chavan and Rahil Pillarisetty. The same podium repeated in Race 1, with Sethu once again holding off Chavan and Pillarisetty.
“This double means a lot to me. I won just one race last season (in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open category). And now, I have started 2023 with two wins! In a way, this weekend could be a turning point in my career and I hope I will enjoy more success going forward,” said Sethu
Results
Race 1
1. Rajiv Sethu (RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate) – 12mins 19.559secs
2. Sarthak Chavan (Petronas TVS Racing) – 12mins 22.325secs
3. Rahil Pillarisetty (KTM Gusto Racing) – 12mins 26.047secs
Race 2
1. Rajiv Sethu (RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate) – 17mins, 10.905secs
2. Sarthak Chavan (Petronas TVS Racing) – 17mins 15.035secs
3. Rahil Pillarisetty (KTM Gusto Racing) – 17mins 18.203secs
Pro-Stock 165cc Open
Mathana Kumar also scored double wins as the Pro-Stock 165cc category saw plenty of crashes. The Pacer Yamaha team finished 1-2 in the first race, with Kumar winning ahead of teammate Prabhu Arunagiri.
The duo looked poised for another 1-2 finish in the next race, but Arunagiri retired on Lap 9 due to mechanical issues. With Sarthak Chavan also retiring, Kumar enjoyed a comfortable run to victory. Chiranth Vishwanath held off his more experienced TVS teammate KY Ahamed to finish second.
Results
Race 1
1. Mathana Kumar S (Pacer Yamaha) – 13mins 05.237secs
2. Prabhu Arunagiri (Pacer Yamaha) – 13mins 06.150secs
3. Chiranth Vishwanath (Petronas TVS Racing) – 13mins 10.145secs
Race 2
1. Mathana Kumar S (Pacer Yamaha) – 18mins 16.308secs
2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Petronas TVS Racing) – 18mins 18.409secs
3. KY Ahamed (Petronas TVS Racing) – 18mins 18.812secs
Novice Stock 165cc
Vignesh Goud set the pace in the Novice Stock 165cc category, winning both races in dominant fashion. Savion Sabu and Tasmai Cariappaa PC also finished on the podium in both races.
Results
Race 1
1. Vignesh Goud (Race’ists Motorcycle Club) – 14mins 43.414secs
2. Savion Sabu (Axor Sparks Racing) – 14mins 47.233secs
3. Tasmai Cariappa PC (Pacer Yamaha) – 14mins 47.536secs
Race 2
1. Vignesh Goud (Race’ists Motorcycle Club) – 14mins 38.296secs
2. Tasmai Cariappa PC (Pacer Yamaha) – 14mins 42.038secs
3. Savion Sabu (Axor Sparks Racing) – 14mins 45.305sec
Girls Stock 165cc
After starting from P5 on the grid, Lani Fernandez sliced through the field to take victory. Polesitter Ann Jennifer finished second, followed by Jagathishree Kumaresan.
Results
1. Lani Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate) – 11mins 49.553secs
2. Ann Jennifer (Alpha Racing) – 11mins 52.201secs
3. Jagathishree Kumaresan (One Racing) – 11mins 52.295secs
TVS One-Make Championship
Over in the TVS One-Make Championship, Alwin Sundar and Copperam Hareesh Shreyas scored double wins in the Open and Rookie categories, respectively. Nithila Das, among the youngest competitors, won in the Girls category.
Results
Open (Apache RR 310) Race 1
1. Alwin Sundar A – 12mins 51.163secs
2. Manoj Yesuadiyan 12mins 56.063secs
3. Senthil Kumar C – 12mins 58.807secs
Open (Apache RR 310) Race 2
1. Alwin Sundar – 12mins 55.616secs
2. Senthilkumar C – 12mins 56.035secs
3. Manoj Yesuadiyan – 12mins 59.942secs
Girls (Apache RTR 200) Race 1
1. Nithila Das – 11mins 56.833secs
2. Nadine Faith Balaji – 12mins 09.343secs
3. Sarah Khan – 12mins 18.509secs
Rookie (Apache RTR 200) Race 1
1. Copparam Hareesh Shreyas – 13mins 56.152secs
2. Nandanan – 14mins 17.112secs
3. Dev Agastya – 14mins 45.185secs
Rookie (Apache RTR 200) Race 2
1. Copparam Hareesh Shreyas – 13mins 58.187secs
2. Savion Sabu -14mins 02.196secs
3. Nandanan – 14mins 02.500secs
Honda India Talent Cup
Kavin Quintal, who is also competing in the Asia Road Racing Championship for Honda, dominated the two NSF 250 races, winning both with hefty margins. Rakshith S Dave was on the podium for both races, finishing third in Race 1 and second in Race 2.
Results
NSF 250 Race 1
1. Kavin Quintal – 12mins 24.983secs
2. Mohsin Peramban – 12mins 36.156secs
3. Rakshith S Dave 12mins 38.831secs
NSF 250 Race 2
1. Kavin Quintal – 17mins 11.908secs
2. Rakshith S Dave – 17mins 50.057secs
3. Prakash Kamath – 17mins 51.107secs
Also see:
Honda India earns points in 2023 Asia Road Racing Championship Round 1