Salem boy Sai Sanjay and Chirag Ghorapde of Bengaluru will continue their battle for the top spot in the F2000 class as India’s MRF MMSC fmsci National Motor Racing Championship resumes this weekend after a three-month break.
The second round of the competition is scheduled for January 6-8 at the Madras International Circuit.
Monsoon rains and Cyclone Mandous led to an enforced break, but despite the rather long interval, more than 60 entries were received for the second round which begins on Friday with free practice sessions, followed by qualifying and 13 races spread over Saturday and Sunday.
It will be a busy month for competitors as rounds three and four (finals) are scheduled for January 20-22 and January 27-29, also at MIC, to complete the 2022 championship.
Undoubtedly, the Formula 2000 MRF, among the fastest racing cars in the region, will highlight the weekend card with a bouquet of four races, including one carried over from the previous round in October which had been truncated due to the rains.
The other categories – Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars, Super Stock, MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) and Formula LGB 1300 – will each have three races.
As for the competition on the track, the races promise to be tight and exciting as was the case during the first round in October. Salem lad Sai Sanjay and Chirag Ghorapde of Bengaluru each won a race in the MRF F2000 where both first-lap outings saw wheel-to-wheel competition.
In the premier Indian Touring Cars class, defending champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) of Coimbatore, driving the modified Honda City VTec, was in a league of his own, taking the flag in the only race contested in that class.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)