Coimbatore: Gaining top three spots on pole
proved vital in the second round with podium finishes for the
winners to close the gap on the points table in the first race
of the 14th JK Tyre National Road Racing Championship at Kari
Motor Speedway on Saturday.
With the track and nearby areas facing intermittent rain
since morning, last month's first round winners Deepak Ravi
Kumar (Formula Swift) and veteran Radha Selvarajan (Super
Saloon) failed to grab top three pole spots. This affected the
two, who excelled with double header wins last month.
They finished runners-up in the respective races as both
were in their elements and gradually overtook others to forge
ahead, closing to the 10 lap races.
Top honours in Super Saloon was grabbed by 68-year-old D
Vidya Prakash of Prime Racing, while Radha Selvarajan came
second and pole sitter V Rajvirudhan third.
Vidya Prakash, second on pole and behind pole sitter
Rajvirudhan forged ahead after the first corner and never
looked back. Behind him there was stiff fight between
Rajvirudhan and C Rajaram (both Prime Racing) and Selvarajan.
Though Rajaram drove at a steady pace, Radha Selvarajan
(Rad Racing) never let up and grabbed the first chance to pass
him mid way and then progressed to be behind the leader.
Earlier, in the Formula Swift event, favourite Deepak
Ravi Kumar had to start from eighth having spoiled his chances
of coming on pole in the qualifying.
Mar's Racing's Mumbai driver Ameya Walavalkar on pole had
a dream start and kept up a hot pace to win the race well
ahead of others. Chennai lad Deepak, also of Mar's Racing
replicated his first round performance but had to be satisfied
with a second spot. Wallace Sports' Gautham Parekh finished
third.
In qualifying for Polo Cup two races tomorrow, Mumbai's
Rahil Noorani grabbed pole followed by Ajay Kini (Chennai) and
Oshan Kothadiya of Pune.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, July 16, 2011, 21:49