The Indian Racing Festival is a five-round championship.  Indian Racing League
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Chennai Turbo Riders and Goa Aces dominate Round 4 of the Indian Racing Festival

Jon Lancaster and Raoul Hyman took wins in IRL, while Aqil Alibhai dominated the Formula 4 Indian Open

Mohit Vashisth

The Indian Racing Festival Round 4 at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore delivered a thrilling weekend of motorsport action. With races spanning the Indian Racing League, Formula 4 Indian Open, Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup and the 27th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship, the event featured fierce competition and rising stars making their mark.

Indian Racing League

The Indian Racing League saw veteran Jon Lancaster of Chennai Turbo Riders secure his team’s fourth win of the season in a dramatic race on Day 1. Lancaster, holding off fierce competition from pole-sitter Neel Jani of Hyderabad Blackbirds, displayed his experience on the track. Neel Jani, returning to the championship after missing two rounds, opened a significant lead but was slowed down by gear issues, allowing Lancaster to take the lead. Despite a late charge from Jani, Lancaster held on to claim the victory, with Sohil Shah of Goa Aces finishing in third.

On Day 2, Raoul Hyman of Goa Aces JA Racing delivered a dominant start-to-end victory, marking the second podium for the team in Round 4. Starting from pole, Hyman controlled the race and earned maximum points, including for the fastest lap. Behind him, Ruhaan Alva of Shrachi Rarh Royal Bengal Tigers recovered from a bad start to secure P2, while Alvaro Parante of Speed Demons Delhi claimed the final podium spot.

The weekend’s results saw both Chennai Turbo Riders and Goa Aces consolidating their positions as top contenders in the Indian Racing League standings, with the final round promising more drama and close racing.

Jon Lancaster won Race 1 in Round 4.

Formula 4 Indian Open

The Formula 4 Indian Open was dominated by South African teenager Aqil Alibhai, who secured three wins over the weekend, earning himself a triple crown and extending his lead in the championship standings. On Day 1, Alibhai overtook pole-sitter Ruhaan Alva at Turn-1 on the very first lap, cruising to victory in a race that was interrupted twice by Safety Car deployments.

Day 2 saw more of the same from Alibhai, as he won two back-to-back races to complete his hat-trick. In the first race, despite starting P6 on the reverse grid, Alibhai stormed through the field to take the lead with Pariat and Alva following behind to finish on the podium. Race 3 had a repeat podium of Race 1 with Alibhai in P1, Alva in P2 and Pariat in P3.

JK Tyre-FMSCI National Racing Championship

The LGB Formula 4 races witnessed intense battles. On Day 1, Diljith TS of Dark Don Racing took the victory after race leader Tijil Rao made a mistake while navigating backmarkers in the closing stages. Rao eventually finished in third behind Dhruvh Goswami of MSport.

Day 2 saw a stunning performance from Bengaluru racers, as Abhay Mohan (MSport), Tijil Rao (Dark Don Racing), and Chetan Surineni (Ahura Racing) locked out the podium spots. Mohan, starting from pole on the reverse grid, executed a flawless race, while Rao and Surineni fought their way through the pack to complete the Bengaluru trio’s sweep of the podium. Surineni, in particular, showcased a brilliant comeback, starting from P23 and finishing in third.

JK Tyre NRC Round 4 Race 1 podium: Diljith TS (Dark Don Racing, centre), Dhruvh Goswami (MSport, left), and Tijil Rao (Dark Don Racing).

Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup

The Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup saw exciting two-wheeled action with close battles throughout the weekend. On Day 1, Bengaluru’s Yogesh P claimed victory in the opening race, holding off a challenge from Johring Warisa and Johnson Saldanha. On Day 2, the races were even more thrilling, as Rohan R from Coimbatore and Navaneeth Kumar from Puducherry each took a win. In the first race, Rohan emerged victorious after a tense battle where Kayan Patel and Navaneeth Kumar S followed behind, but Navaneeth came back strongly in the second race of the day, snatching the win with Rohan finishing in P2 and Jagadeesh Nagaraj in third.