ROC Stars To Reunite: Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok Team Up!

ROC stars to reunite

India’s first two Formula 1 drivers Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok will team up once again to represent India at the Race of Champions (ROC) on the December 14-15 weekend this year in Thailand. The former F1 drivers teamed up to win the ROC Asia title last year by beating China, Japan and host nation Thailand.

Karthikeyan and Chandhok advanced to the International ROC last year after winning the inaugural Asian edition where they competed, amongst others, against Team Germany which was represented by F1 stars Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. In controversial circumstances, Karthikeyan and Chandhok lost out to the German F1 pairing who were seen – on live television – altering the temporary barriers placed on the tarmac circuit in the infield of the Rajamangala Stadium.

Schumacher, a former seven-time F1 champion, has been scheduled to return to the ROC this year, along with last year’s individual winner (and new World Rally Championship champion) Sebastian Ogier.

Since leaving F1 at the end of the 2012 season, Karthikeyan has raced in the AutoGP World Series this year where he was the most successful driver in the second half of the season.

Final ALMS season comes to a close

The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) drew the curtain on its final ever season after being a major draw on the North American racing scene since 1998. The series featured participation from top marques like Audi as well as drivers like 24 Hours of Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen.

At its season finale at Road Atlanta, for the Petit Le Mans, foemer F1 driver Nick Heidfeld took the win in the P1 category for Rebellion Racing along with Nicolas Prost and Neel Jani.

Despite a non-finish, the Deltawing squad (pictured above) made an appearance on the podium to round off a season that saw the radical looking car briefly lead a race at Road America. From next year the ALMS will merge with the Grand-Am sportscar series to form the new United SportsCar Championship.

Formula E field expands

Indycar squad Dragon Racing will join Andretti Autosport, China Racing and Drayson Racing as participants for the inaugural FIA Formula E championship that is due to be held from September 2014 to June 2015. Dragon Racing is owned by Jay Penske (left, in second picture), a media and publishing entrepreneur who is the son of legendary Indycar and NASCAR team owner Roger Penske. Six more squads are due to join the Formula E field before their entries are sent to the International Automobile Federation’s (FIA) World Motor Sport Council for approval.

Alejandro Agag , the CEO of Formula E Holdings stated that the full Formula E grid is likely to be published by the end of November this year. The car to be used for the Formula E championship, the Spark-Renault SRT_01E was unveiled earlier this month at the Frankfurt Motor Show. For the inaugural season cars have been designed to generate a total of 225 KW (270 bhp), which includes a ‘push-to-pass’ power boost to aid overtaking.

Gill on the brink

Former Indian National Rally champion Gaurav Gill stands on the brink of clinching the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC). With just one round left - China Rally - in early November, Gill holds a 13.5 point lead over compatriot Sanjay Takale. Gill’s highly rated teammate, 22-year-old Esapekka Lappi has won two rallies this year but has retired from the other three he participated in. This allowed Gill to pull away from the Finn after winning two rallies, finishing second once and retiring in the other two. The two have been largely fighting it out amongst themselves in the APRC due to Proton’s absence as Team Skoda MRF’s primary rivals.

Gill last came close to clinching the APRC title in 2010 when he crashed out of the China Rally needing only to finish in order to deny then teammate Katsuhiko Taguchi. Gill has also been competing in the SUV class of the Indian National Rally Championship this year.

Karting champs crowned

On a new purpose-built track at the World of Wonder amusement park in the Great India Place mall in Noida, the champions in the JK Tyre National Karting Championships were crowned on October 20. Although there was a ‘slight’ concern about whether or not there would be a track for the karters to race on by the end of the day.

While the layout of North India’s first ever two-stroke karting track was interesting with its elevation changes and technical turns, the surface was entirely another matter. Spectators unfortunate enough to stand on the outside of the first corner, a right hander, were pelted by bits of tarmac that flew out after the karts flew past.

The season finale saw (from left to right in the picture) Vishnu Prasad, Pradyumna Danigond and Krishnaraj Mahadik crowned champions in the Senior Max, Micro Max and Junior Max categories, respectively.

An added incentive for the Senior and Junior Max champions was a sponsored slot in the Rotax Max World Karting finals in New Orleans in the United States.

Prasad and Mahadik, through their title wins, will get to participate in New Orleans in mid-November where participants from over 60 countries regularly participate.