Feeder Series News
CHENNAI, India – Raghul Rangasamy, hailing from the nearby temple town of Mahabalipuram, emerged champion in the coveted MRF Formula 1600 category as the 2018 MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship concluded at the MMRT (Madras Motor RaceTrack) on Sunday. The title earned Rangasamy a ticket to this year’s Mazda Road To Indy shootout in the United States, a dream that the 25-year-old pursued through the season.
With three podium finishes this weekend, Rangasamy, who led Goutham Parekh, from Chennai, by 11 points at the start of the final round, did just enough to clinch the championship. Rangasamy’s final tally was 182 points (two wins, seven podiums) to Parekh’s 174 (two wins, six podiums). Mumbai’s Nayan Chatterjee completed a double, winning Races One and Three, while 16-year-old schoolboy from Bengaluru, Yash Aradhya (pictured, leading Parekh and Rangasamy), topped Race Two for his second success in his debut season in the category.
The opening race on Saturday saw Chatterjee off to a good start from the pole and gradually pulling away from the chasing pack throughout the eight-lap race. Chatterjee maintained a consistent pace to win by a handsome margin, while Rangasamy, with an eye on the championship, was content to finish second ahead of his arch-rival Parekh.
Aradhya made full use of the reverse grid pole on Sunday morning by holding the lead from the start. Parekh and Rangasamy jumped to third and fourth on the opening lap, then soon found a way past Nirmal Umashankar to latch onto Aradhya’s tail. A spectacular accident involving title contender Sandeep Kumar and Karminder Singh brought out the Safety Car and led to a two-lap dash to the finish with Aradhya narrowly fending off both Parekh and Rangasamy.
An exciting season finale saw Chatterjee lead from pole to checkered flag, despite intense pressure along the way. First to challenge was points leader Rangasamy, who must have breathed a sigh of relief when a clash between Parekh and Kumar dropped his main title rival to eighth.
However, Parekh fought back to third by half-distance, then took over second when Rangasamy’s attempt to make a pass for lead instead cost him momentum. Parekh continued to charge but couldn’t quite find a way past Chatterjee, who held on for his second win of the weekend. Third place for Rangasamy was enough for him to clinch the crown by a scant eight-point margin.
MRF Formula 1600 Results (Provisional):
Race One (8 laps): 1. Nayan Chatterjee, 13:33.003; 2. Raghul Rangasamy, 13:36.349; 3. Goutham Parekh, 13:39.932.
Race Two (8 laps): 1. Yash Aradhya, 16mins, 54.672; 2. Parekh, 16:55.296; 3. Rangaswamy, 16:55.543.
Race Three (8 laps): 1. Chatterjee, 13:35.208; 2. Parekh, 13:35.776; 3. Rangasamy, 13:36.359.
Provisional final points: 1. Rangasamy, 182; 2. Parekh, 174; 3. Sandeep Kumar, 133.
About Madras Motor Sports Club:
The Madras Motor Sports Club has been the pioneer in developing and promoting motorsport in India since 1953, and we look to further improve in the years to come. It is the club’s endeavor to provide more opportunities for competitors, and to this end, it has chalked out various progressive programmes. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2014, making it the only club which owns such a facility that has been further upgraded with international-standard Paddock, complete with VIP hospitality suites, 20 spacious garages and a separate Paddock on the western side with its own circuit. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championships (two-wheelers) besides a host of other motorsport events over the years. The club also has active participation for its events from vehicle manufacturers who also use the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) extensively for testing their products.