MOTORSPORTS | Rajiv Sethu crowned champion in premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category

Rajiv Sethu won Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open, Vignesh Goud Novice-Stock 165cc & Lani Zena Fernandez Girls-Stock 165cc in MRF MMSC fmsci Indian Nat'l Motorcycle Racing Championship. Sarthak Chavan, 16, scripted stirring win from P17. Pro-Stock 165cc Open results pending enquiry. Chiranth Vishwanath, Savion Sabu, Kavin Quintal & Joel Kolathoor Raju also won.

Though he was denied a ninth-straight win, the 25-year-old Rajiv Sethu won the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category in the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the Madras International Circuit (MIC) here on Sunday.

Also clinching the National titles were Vignesh Goud of Race’ists Motorcycle Club (Novice-Stock 165cc) and Lani Zena Fernandez of RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate (Girls-Stock 165cc).

The championship standings in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open category were not declared pending settlement of a disputed result in the fourth round.

Even as Sethu, nursing an injured left shoulder, delivered a third-straight rider championship to his team RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate, it was young Sarthak Chavan, the 16-year-old from the Petronas TVS Racing stable, who scripted a stirring win after starting from P17. He passed a flagging Sethu on the last lap for the biggest victory of his blossoming National championship career.

Provisional results (all 8 laps unless mentioned): National Championship: Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open: Race-2: 1. Sarthak Chavan (Petronas TVS Racing) 14:59.041s; 2. Rahil Pillarisetty (KTM Gusto Racing) 14:59.566; 3. Rajiv Sethu (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) 14:59.656.

Pro-Stock 165cc Open: Race-2 (5 laps): 1. Rajiv 9:55.075; 2. Sarthak 9:56.286; 3. Chiranth Vishwanath (Petronas TVS Racing) 9:57.533; Rider champion: Not declared pending enquiry; Team champion: Not declared pending enquiry.

Novice (Stock 165cc): Race-2 (6 laps): 1. Savion Sabu (Axor Sparks Racing) 12:56.237; 2. Kaushik Subbiah Ganesan (AS Motorsports) 12:56.400; 3. Aadit Shah (Axor Sparks Racing) 12:56.667.