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Our boys overseas - Performance of all the drivers and riders in Intrnational races 2008 will be updated shortly.
This page will feature
representations from our region in the world of Motorsport. Some of
them are members, some others children of members, some are
prodigies of members.
Aditya Patel confirmed for 2009 FBMW Pacific Series with Atlantic Racing Team.
The Press Release can be downloaded here.
Motor racing ace Karun Chandhok has become the first Indian to be invited to join the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC).
The BRDC is the world most elite and prestigious club with the members including the only a select few International drivers from outside of Britain.
The Club Secretary of the BRDC Stuart Pringle said "The BRDC is a Club for the very best racing drivers from Great Britain and the Commonwealth. Karun is the first Indian driver to meet the exacting entry requirements of success in international motor sport, but I am quite sure he just the first of many of his countrymen and women. Indeed, Karun doesn’t just meet the entry criteria for the Club, he surpasses them by someway and we are delighted to welcome him as a member of the Club".
Speaking on the occasion, Chandhok was delighted to receive such an exclusive privilege "To be a member of the BRDC is our racing equivalent of becoming a member of the MCC at Lords in Cricket or The All England Lawn Tennis club at Wimbledon. I feel very proud to be the first person from my country to join the BRDC. Racing in the UK has been a huge part of my life and my career and it’s a great feeling to be recognized by the people over here. The BRDC is based at Silverstone which is pretty much my home circuit until we get the Indian Grand Prix in 2011. I used to work here at the racing school during my F3 days and got to know more about the BRDC and appreciate how important and exclusive membership to the club is".
About the BRDC :
The story of the British Racing Drivers’ Club started way back in the days of the famous Bentley team that so effectively, and romantically, dominated the racing scene - Le Mans in particular - during the late 1920s.
The Club was inaugurated early in 1928, with twenty-five members and a clear set of objectives. These were to promote the interests of motor sport generally; to celebrate any specific performance in motor sport; to extend hospitality to racing drivers from overseas; and to further the interests of British drivers competing abroad. The current President of the BRDC is the 1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill.
The entry criteria to the Club remains very strict with Full membership offered only to those ladies and gentlemen who have attained international success over a number of seasons. Associate membership is offered to those persons who have made a significant contribution to the sport and Honorary membership is bestowed upon only a special few, including F1 World Champions who by dint of nationality do not otherwise qualify. Every British or Commonwealth World Champion is, or has been in their lifetime, a Full Member of the Club.
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Here is
an interesting article on the sponsorship of young racing talent in
India. Click
here
2007 saw Aditya
Patel competing in three Championships.The Rotax Max
Mojo Challenge - India, The Rotax Asia Max Mojo Challenge, and The
Formula Rolon National Championship.
The Asia Max Challenge comprised of four rounds, one
in Kota Bahru (Malaysia), Kolhapur (India) ,Surabaya (Indonesia),
and Sepang (Malaysia). Aditya competed all rounds, and finished
third in the Championship, behind Ryan Hariyanto of Indonesia and
Rayoman Banaji of India. This Championship was extremely tough
and hard fought, but the experience gained was
incredible.
Rotax Max India was five rounds, and Aditya won
three rouds, finishing second, in one and fifth in the other. It
was nail biting to the finish as he trailed by 3.5 points in
the last round, behind Amey Walawalkar.It had to be win s in both,
pre final and final.The races were fought very close, and
Aditya finished ahead, winning the championship by half a
point. This win takes him to Dubai for the Rotax World Final, where
winners from 32 countries will compete .
Formula Rolon,
was again fought to the end. Aditya emerged the Champion with one
race to spare.Read an interview with Aditya here
(on IndMotorSport website)
In 2008, he
has made and impressive debut at the
Formula BMW Asia, thanks to support from
Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), JK Tyre, Amara Raja Batteries,
Preeti, A J Worldwide, Raymond, Prince Foundation, Spicenergy, NK Racing, Team
India and MAS Holdings.
Logon to www.adityapatel.in - Aditya’s personal
website, for latest information
Chennai lad and India’s youngest racing
sensation and champion in two classes of the JK Tyre National Racing
Championship 2007, Ashwin Sundar at the age of 17,
has been invited by German racing team - Ma Con Motor Sports for a
three years sponsorship. Ashwin would be racing in German Formula
Volkswagen ADAC Championship 2008.
Ma Con Motor Sports the leading cars racing
team in Europe, conducted testing sessions for the selection of two
out of the 8 drivers from Britain, European Union countries and
Ashwin from India. Ashwin’s sterling effort is duly rewarded as he
is selected out of the eight shortlisted drivers. Ashwin is the
"Reigning Indian National Racing Champion" in Formula LGB Swift
Class and Formula LGB Hyundai Class. He also has raced for
international races like Asia Road Racing Championship - 1st Runner
up - under 21 class - 115cc 4 stroke category. At such a tender age,
Ashwin has also become Indian National Racing Champion in 2 wheelers
category and was declared as ’Champion of Champions' in the year
2006.
Karun Chandhok became the
first Indian driver
to win a GP2 Series
event
in Spa-Francorchamps for Durango, the first
indian ever in the GP2 Series and Durangos first win since Nurburgring 2005. A clearly overwhelmed
Karun wept on the podium as the Indian national anthem rang
out for the first time
at a Grand Prix. Karun won the race with a
stunning pass on Andy Soucek who finished second top take DPRs first
podium of the season, with Lucas di Grassi third for ART Grand
Prix.
This win has pushed the 23-year-old
up five places from 19th to 15th in the standings with 15
points.
Karun
Chandhok has been signed up by the UK based I-Sport
International team to compete in the 2008 GP2 series. In addition,
Karun will also compete in the all new GP2 Asia series as a
pre-cursor to the main championship. I-Sport secured both the
Drivers as well as the Teams Championship in the 2007 GP2 series.
Karuns team-mate for the 2008 season will be the
highly rated Bruno Senna, the nephew of the legendary World Champion
Ayrton Senna.
The 23 year old from Chennai has also been appointed on to
the Red Bull Junior Team program. This will strengthen his links
with the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team for whom Karun had his debut
Formula 1 test in November and will now open up more testing
opportunities with the team in 2008.
2008 is
going to be the biggest challenge of my career. The aim is to have
podiums, win races and to finish in the top 6 of the championship.
The team and I both have the potential to do it and I really have to
thank Red Bull, JK Tyre, Amaron and ICSA logistics for their
incredible backing at this crucial time. - Karun
Chandhok
"I have been guiding and supporting
Karun in his quest to compete in GP2 as he progresses towards
Formula One. This is an exciting time for him and I wish him all the
success for the season ahead , Bernie Ecclestone , F1
Supremo.
Ten
sports will be televising all the 21 races Live on Saturday and
sunday.
18
year old Armaan Ebrahim nailed a
commanding win in the Grand Race of the Formula Renault V6 Asia
Championship at the Autopolis circuit in Japan. The circuit which
had Formula 1 racing in it a decade ago is a drivers circuit with
its fast and winding uphill and downhill corners. The V6 Renault
made its debut in Autopolis this year and Armaan goes down in the
record books as the first winner of the Grand race in the V6 in
Japan
In 2008
Armaan Ebrahim took on GP2 - he put in a
spirited drive in the wet to move up from 25th on the grid to 8th
place on race day one of the GP 2 Asia series at the Sepang Circuit
in Malaysia (March 2008). However with just 5 laps to go, there
was a collision, when Karun Chandhok who was behind Armaan, out
braked himself in the wet side of the track and the 2 cars were out
of the race.
His sponsors are JK Tyres,
Amaron, Elf, Anand Cine. "The Formula Renault V6 Asia is a good and
well presented championship which is part of the Asian Festival of
Speed. The V6 Renault car is a 390 bhp car with an advanced 6 speed
sequential paddle shift gearbox. It is an ideal step up to the World
Series Renault championship or the GP 2 championship", he says.
Armaan did brilliantly in the very competitive Formula Renault
UK Series with 8 podium finishes in the graduate cup where 25
cars are within half a second of each other in lap times.
All races will be aired by Ten Sports
via a "delayed live" telecast.
For Parthiv
Sureshwaren who was last seen at the Australian round of
the A1GP Championship earlier this year it was a last minute
decission to get in to V6. "Yes, It was a last minute deal,
consequently, I missed all the pre-season testing and got into the
car for the first time on Friday and had only two hours of testing
before qualifying on Saturday. Second place in the Grand Race at the
Sepang race track in Malaysia is a fantastic way to start my
championship challenge. I have been out of racing for a while now...
more than 3 years save the one race at A1GP." His team is Eurasia
Motorsport and sponsors The Travel Market from Dubai.
You
can also track the Chennai lads progress through the following
websites
Emmanuel Bros to take
part in Malaysian Super Series
Malaysian Super Series, MSS as is
more popularly known as, is a presitigious 2W National Championship
in Malaysia. This is considered a stepping stone by many Asian
riders before they reach the FIM Asian Grand Prix.
Emmanuel brothers from India would be taking
part in the 2007 Malaysian Super Series.
 Emmanuel
Jebaraj
, the only Indian racing in
the 250cc Aprilia Cup, will be racing the Support race during the upcoming
Polini MotoGP race which is the 4th round of Malaysian Super Series
in Sepang, Malaysia from 19th - 21st Oct, he is now placed 3rd in
the Championship with only 3 points behind the
Runner.
Emmanuel Jebaraj who is all set to keep the Indian flag flying high in the Malaysian
Super Series said "I am really looking forward for this event
as this is going to be special because of the MotoGP,
moreover i am hoping to gather few more points before going into
the final round of the Championship as there is a tough Competition for the
second place with only seven points separating four riders as i
am looking forward to finish First Runner up in the Championship,
apart from that its going to be special race for me as i
will be racing with a new livery of my Sponsors RED ROOSTER
RACING , I would like to thank my sponsors for their support which has
been a real encouragement for me through these
days".
 Emmanuel
Gnanaraj the younger brother
who is lone rider to ride the 150cc Kawasaki cup is taking this as
an year of experience as this is his comeback year for racing after
a big gap. He said "I am looking forward for this experience as its
the first time we are going share the track with the big boys MotoGP
riders, its going to be fun and i am looking for a very exciting
experience during those days". He will be racing in the 150cc
Kawasaki cup Modified class.
Dilip Rogger wins
- calls it a great practice session!
Dilip Rogger is the first
and only Indian to win championships in motorcycle (superbikes) at
international level. He has been racing since he was 16 years
old.
He is participating in ASIAN GP this year and again,
the only Indian in the championship.
 On the weekend of 20th May he had gone to help his
team at the Malaysian super series round 1. On saturday his team
members come to known that there were no factory entries, only
private entries, so they asked him to enter the contest. Event
though he had sent his bike to Indonesia for Asian GP, hea was able
to get his hands on a 2003 year model Kawasaki ZX 636 (which he had
never riden before).
Despite that, he rode the bike staight in qualifying
round and got on the 1st row of the grid and won the race 1, race 2.
He was leading the race for 14 laps of 15 laps race and at last lap
his bike missed a gear and he overshot the circuit to
finished the race in 2 nd position. The gap between him and
the second rider was 6 seconds and the rest ware almost 20 seconds
behind!
"I took this
race as a practice round for my race in the Asian
GP which is on June 1st -3 rd" he says .
At the end of the 2007
Asian GP Championship:
Honored with an award for Best
Privateer Maintenance Team for year 2007 FIM Asian GP
championship.
The 1st privateer standing in
11th position for the year 2007 FIM Asian GP championship.
Selected as one of the top 10
riders in Asia to represent the FIM Asian GP Fans Club.
www.diliprogger.com
 Preetam
Dev Moses creates history
The ace racer from Chennai had earlier received a
wild card entry from FIM for 5 races in the MOTO GP this year. But
lack of sufficient sponsorship and delay in getting enough funds has
restricted his participation to two races
only. For the first time in the annals of Indian
motor sports, a racer from India will be seen action in the two
races of MOTO GP this year. Preetham will be
racing on a 250 cc Aprilia bike in the MOTO GP races to be held in
Malaysia on 19th October and in Valencia, Spain, on 26th
October. Preetham's manager for these two races is Chuck
Akslind who is also the team manager for former MOTO GP world
champion Kenny Roberts Moto GP team.
2nd
December was a red letter day for Indian
motor sports when Chennai bike racer Preetam Dev Moses - several
times champion and currently champion of champions on the national
racing circuit - became the first Indian to finish second overall in
the Malaysian Super Series 600 cc expert category which concluded in
Malaysia last weekend. Preetam missed the championship by just one
point.
10th
June
was a historic day in the annals of Indian motor sports when a young
racer and several times champion on the national racing circuit
Preetam Dev Moses
won
race 2 of the second round in the Malaysian Super Series - 600 cc
expert category - the 1st Indian racer to do so at this high level -
at the Sepang racing circuit - South.
The Chennai racer did well in
the qualifying session to take 2nd place on the grid which had
racers from Italy, Norway, Great Britain, Singapore & Malaysia
in the fray.
The Indian racers 4th
successive podium finish in the current season has placed him
overall second in the championship standings with tally of 41 points
which is just 4 short of the championship leaders tally. Preetam
had finished in 3rd place in both races of the first round which was
held In Malaysia last month.
Preetam is now in search of
full fledged sponsors who will help him achieve his goal. Urgent
financial support is the need of the hour for this promising rider
to achieve more honors for his country at the international bike
level. His employer Airtel has sponsored his vehicle. He is also
receiving support from TVS, VASIHNOVI Engineers and Wilsh
Lubricants.
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