Revelling In The Return: JK Tyre-FMSCI National Karting Championship
Two consecutive rounds in Kolhapur. India’s karters couldn’t have asked for much better in terms of a karting track that looks terrific even when
By Team autoX
Two consecutive rounds in Kolhapur. India’s karters couldn’t have asked for much better in terms of a karting track that looks terrific even when one isn’t sitting in a kart.
The penultimate round of the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Karting Championship went back to the Mohite’s Racing Academy Circuit in South-West Maharashtra.
There was plenty to cheer for local motorsport aficionados as home favourite Chittesh Mandody of Mohite’s Racing won the Senior Max Category. Mandody’s teammate Dhruv Mohite, however, was penalized ten seconds, which saw him relinquish his third place finish to Rayo Racing’s Aryan Gandhi. Rayo Racing’s Ameya Bafna also had a creditable outing, finishing second to maintain his lead at the top of the championship table.
Ricky Donison of BPC Racing won the Junior Max Category, while Meco Racing’s Yash Aradhya, claimed his third podium in four outings, winning the Micro Max category, which was curtailed to eight laps after eight-year-old Kunal Vinod crashed his kart. Thankfully Vinod was unhurt albeit a bit shaken.
The karting rivalry between Bafna and defending champion in the Senior Max category was renewed in Kolhapur as the champion of 2012 managed to emerge from the weekend with the points lead.
After four rounds Bafna continues to lead the points tally with 147, followed by Vishnu Prasad (133) and Dhruv Mohite (130).
The fifth and final round was to be held in Vishakapatnam on the October 17-19 weekend but was put off due to the impact of Cyclone Hudhudh on the city.
Rather than schedule a round at another city, a spokesperson for JK Tyre confirmed that the season finale would be postponed to mid-November.
Not going back to the circuit built at Great India Place mall in Noida is welcome news regardless of the reason in light of the farcical deterioration of the track surface.
It almost seemed like there was more tarmac on the wrong side of the track barriers than on the track itself! Fingers crossed things go better this time.
