MOTORSPORTS | Sarthak Chavan, Savion Sabu top Pro-Stock races

Teenage sensations Sarthak Chavan and Savion Sabu win premier Pro-Stock categories at MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship.

Teenage sensations Sarthak Chavan and Savion Sabu won in the 301-400cc Open and the 165-200cc Open, respectively, in the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the Madras International Circuit here on Saturday.

The 18-year-old Sarthak, of Petronas TVS Racing, got past the pole-sitter Rahil Pillarisetty (RACR Castrol Power1) with a brilliant pass at Turn 11 on the last lap after trailing him throughout the six-lap race, the margin of victory being two-hundredths of a second.

Savion (Mad Rabbit Racing), the 17-year-old who started from pole, made it a lights-to-flag win in the Pro-Stock 165-200cc Open class race. He held off experienced rivals, P.M. Soorya (Chandra LGE Racing) and Mohan Babu (Rockers Racing).

The results (provisional, all 6 laps unless mentioned): Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open: Race-1: 1. Sarthak Chavan (Petronas TVS Racing) 11:00.394s; 2. Rahil Pillarisetty (RACR Castrol Power1) 11:00.421; 3. Alwin Sundar (Petronas TVS Racing) 11:06.699.

Pro-Stock 165-200cc Open: Race-1: 1. Savion Sabu (Mad Rabbit Racing) 11:55.770; 2. P.M. Soorya (Chandra LGE Racing) 11:56.185; 3. Mohan Babu (Rockers Racing) 11:56.393.

Stock 301-400cc (Novice): Race-1: 1. Varun Patil (Mad Rabbit Racing) 12:17.892; 2. Jagadeesh Nagaraj (Motul Sparks Racing) 12:18.263; 3. Kamal Navas (Team Rockers Racing) 12:18.287.

Stock 165cc (Novice): Race-1: 1. Rajender Beedani (MAI Racing) 13:12.791; 2. Kedarnath (Motul KTM Gusto Racing) 13:13.267; 3. Yashwant Varma (Motul Sparks Racing) 13:15.620.