Shyam Shankar secures podium finish in 115 cc

Chennai: Chennai lad Shyam Shankar shone in the Yamaha (115 cc) Underbone vehicle inaugural race with two podium finishes on the opening day of the MRF International Challenge series, here on Saturday.

With 17-brand new vehicles from Hong Kong taking the starters order, Shankar excelled in managing to win the first race and then finished second in the next one. Both races witnessed stiff competitions and front runner Shankar was well paced in the closing stages of the seven-lap second race. In the 165cc category (Group-D 4 stroke), experienced Sriskandarajah displayed great skills in finishing ahead of both Shankar and Sumit Lucas Toppo and in Group B (2 stroke) race K.Umesh Babu came first followed by S.Rajkumar and S.Murali.In the eye-catching Super Saloons (cc to weight) event, Sailesh Bliseti scored a convincing win four seconds ahead of Nithin S Ravindran, while in Race Star Cup (stock engine) B.Balavijay, Deepak Paul Chinnappa and Vignesh Devarajan to the top three spots. Predictably, Ashwin Sundar, India?s youngest driver, who competes in the German Volkswagen championship, triumphed in the all important Formula 1600cc for four wheelers while Welsh Champion, David Jones took the honours in Super Bikes (600cc). Dilip Rogger, one of India?s top notch riders, qualified third on the grid on a 2006-made Honda CBR (108bhp). PTI