Chennai: The MRF MMSC-FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 resumes this weekend after a three-month break with the second round scheduled for January 6-8 at the Madras International Circuit at Irungattukottai, about 40 km from here.
Monsoon rains and Cyclone Mandous led to an enforced break, but despite the long interval, over 60 entries have been received for the second round which will commence tomorrow with free practice sessions, followed by qualifying and 13 races spread over Saturday and Sunday.
It will be a busy month for the competitors as the third and fourth (concluding)rounds are scheduled for January 20-22 and January 27-29, also at the MIC, to complete the 2022 championship.
Meanwhile, in a major initiative, promoters Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC), celebrating their 70th anniversary, have taken another step forward by going digital with event information, including results, via the infoboard application “SPORTITY”. Users can access the information with the password “MRFCARS2022”.
Chairman of the Meet and MMSC Vice-President Vicky Chandhok said “by opting for the Sportity application, we enable racing enthusiasts and fans to access information about the event, including result sheets, from their mobile phones. This will supplement our live streaming of the races. It is another initiative by the MMSC as we endeavour to keep up with the changing times and embrace technology.”
Undoubtedly, the MRF Formula 2000, among the quickest racing cars in the region, will highlight the weekend card with a bouquet of four races, including one held over from the previous round in October that was truncated due to rains.
The other categories – Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars, Super Stock, MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) and the Formula LGB 1300 – will all have three races apiece.
As for the competition on track, the races are expected to be close and exciting as was the case in the first round in October. Salem lad Sai Sanjay and Bengaluru’s Chirag Ghorapde won a race apiece in the MRF F2000 where both outings in the first round witnessed wheel- to-wheel competition.
In the premier Indian Touring Cars category, defending champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) from Coimbatore, piloting the modified Honda City VTec, was in a league of his own, taking the flag in the only race run in this class.
