Mohammed Riyaz bags National crown, Unbeaten Shah Rukh Khan, Jagathishree annex National titles, as Arfath, Fazil, Madhan Kumar crowned champions
Bengaluru businessman Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing) confirmed his status as the 'king of superbikes' by winning two titles – Unrestricted and 1051-1650cc Super Sport - in the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2023 which concluded here on Sunday at the Madras International Circuit.
Muddappa, a 10-times National champion, clinched the crowns in both Unrestricted and 1051-1650cc (Super Sport) categories winning all the four rounds while Hyderabad’s Mohammed Riyaz annexed the championship in the 551-850cc (Super Sport) class, also with an unbeaten record.
Astride a Suzuki Hayabusa in the ‘Unrestricted’ category, Muddappa touched a top speed of 268Kms while winning the sprint in just 07.706 seconds in Round-4, bettering his previous round run earlier in the day when he clocked 07.746.
Muddappa extended his dominance in the 1051-1650cc (Super Sport) category by clocking winning times of 07.718 in Round-4 and 07.737 in Round-3.
Similarly, Riyaz was in a league of his own in the 551-850cc (Super Sport) category where he timed 08.544 in Round-4 and 08.476 in the previous round this morning to extend his unbeaten run in this class, winning four races from as many starts.
In view of the backlog of races due to the rain-affected Round-1 in September, the remaining three rounds were held back-to-back this weekend to complete the championship.
Notching four wins in as many starts, Mumbai’s Shah Rukh Khan (Mantra Racing) and Jagathishree Kumaresan from Chennai (One Racing) annexed the titles in the 4-Stroke 361-550cc and Girls (4S 165cc, Novice) categories, respectively,
Meanwhile, two Bengalureans, Mohammed Arfath (2-Stroke 131-165cc Super Sport), Mohammed Fazil (2S 165cc Super Sport India), and Chennai’s Madhan Kumar R (2S Up to 130cc Super Sport) also topped the championship in their respective categories.
It was hectic action at the MIC as the backlog of races from Round 2 in September that was affected by rains, were conducted along with the third and fourth rounds. The championship will conclude tomorrow (Sunday) when races of Rounds 3 and 4 in the remaining categories will be run.
While the championships were being decided, the attention was on the “big boys” of drag racing. Bengaluru’s Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing) notched a double by topping the Round-2 races in the Unrestricted and 1051-1650cc (Super Sport) categories ahead of his main rivals, Hyderabad’s Mohammed Riyaz and Mirza Jahangir, and fellow-Bengalurean Sugan Prasad.
ROUND-4
Unrestricted: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.706secs); 2. Alimon (Bengaluru) (07.740); 3. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (07.894). National champion: Hemanth Muddappa. Team championship: Mantra Racing.
1051-1650cc (Super Sport): 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.718); 2. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.053); 3. Mirza Jahangir Baig (Hyderabad) (08.077). National champion: Hemanth Muddappa. Team championship: Mantra Racing.
551-850cc (Super Sport): 1. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.544); 2. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (08.913); 3. Mirza Jahangir Baig (Hyderabad) (09.079). National champion: Mohammed Riyaz. Team championship: Mantra Racing.
ROUND 3
Unrestricted: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.746); 2. Alimon (Bengaluru) (07.867); 3. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.064).
1051-1650cc (Super Sport): 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.737); 2. Alimon (Bengaluru) (08.101); 3. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.146).
551-850cc (Super Sport): 1. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.476); 2. Mirza Jahangir Baig (Hyderabad) (08.541); 3. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (08.579).
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ROUND-4
361-550CC: 1. Sharukh Khan (Mumbai, Mantra Racing) (11.380secs); 2. Jason D’Souza (Mumbai, Mantra Racing) (11.869); 3. Mohammed Fazil (Bengaluru) (12.044). National champion: Shah Rukh Khan. Team champions: Mantra Racing.
165cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Saravanan E (Chennai) 13.806); 2. Shainsha R (Chennai) 13.953); 3. Bharathraj Jayaraman (Chennai, Gulf Rockers Racing) (14.016). National champion: Mohammed Fazil (Bengaluru). Team champions: Gulf Rockers Racing.
Girls (165cc, Novice): 1. Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai, One Racing) (16.131); 2. Soundari A (Chennai, AS Motorsports) (16.641); 3. Elakkiya (Coimbatore, AS Motorsports) (16.705). National champion: Jagathishree Kumaresan. Team champions: One Racing.
2-Stroke 131-165cc (Super Sport): 1. Mohammed Arfath (Bengaluru) (12.828); 2. Abdul Shaikh (Bengaluru) (12.890); 3. Ashok S (Bengaluru) (13.017). National champion: Mohammed Arfath.
2-Stroke Up to 130cc (Super Sport): 1. Aravind Ganesh (Chennai, ACCSYS India Rookies Racing) (13.221); 2. Madhan Kumar R (Chennai) (13.318); 3. Suresh Kumar R (Chennai) (14.508). National champion: Madhan Kumar R. Team champions: ACCSYS India Rookies Racing.
Support Race (166-225cc): 1. Balasubramaniam R (Chennai) (13.757); 2. Badhusha M (Chennai) (14.079); 3. Madhan Kumar R (Chennai) (14.683).
ROUND-3
361-550cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Shah Rukh Khan (Mumbai, Mantra Racing) (11.409); 2. Jason D’Souza (Mumbai, Mantra Racing) (11.929); 3. Abdul Shaikh (Bengaluru) (12.229).
165cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Shahinsha R (Chennai) (14.088); 2. Mohammed Fazil (Bengaluru) (14.181); 3. Bharathraj Jayaraman (Chennai, Gulf Rockers Racing) (14.187).
Girls (165cc, Novice): 1. Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai) (16.089); 2. Soundari A (Chennai) (16.676); 3. Lani Fernandez (Puducherry) (16.722).
2-Stroke 135-165cc (Super Sport): 1. Mohammed Arfath (Bengaluru) (12.933); 2. Mustafa Siraj Khan (Bengaluru) (12.988); 3. Ashok S (Bengaluru) (13.046).
2-Stroke 130cc (Super Sport): 1. Madhan Kumar R (Chennai) (13.118); 2. Aravind Ganesh R (Chennai, Accsys India Rookies Racing) (13.426); 3. Mohammed Arfath (Bengaluru) (13.523).
Support Race (166-225cc): 1. Balasubramaniam R (Chennai) (13.603); 2. Badhusha M (Chennai) (13.813); 3. Madhan Kumar R (Chennai) (14.510).
ROUND-2
Unrestricted: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.808); 2. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (07.972); 3. Sugan Prasad SP (Bengaluru) (08.239).
1051-1650cc (Super Sport): 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.779); 2. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.012); 3. Mirza Jahangir (Hyderabad) (08.210).
551-850cc (Super Sport): 1. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.504); 2. Mirza Jahangir (Hyderabad) (08.748); 3. Mehanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) 08.850).
361-550cc (Super Sport): 1. Shahrukh Khan (Mumbai, Mantra Racing) (11.505); 2. Mohammed Fazil (Bengaluru) (11.937); 3. Altaf Khan (Hyderabad) (12.134).