The last and final Round 5 of the Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2024 kicked off with an electrifying qualifying day at the Madras International Circuit on Friday, October 4. TVS Racing’s young stars once again stole the show, as Bengaluru’s Chiranth Vishwanath and Pune’s Sarthak Chavan dominated the premier Pro-Stock classes, continuing their fierce rivalry.
In the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category, it was Chiranth Vishwanath who put in a late flying lap to secure pole position with a time of 01:48.546, edging out his teammate Sarthak Chavan, who clocked in at 01:48.991. Close behind them was Hyderabad’s Rahil Pillarisetty from KTM Gusto Racing India. However, Chavan, the current championship leader, holds a 51-point lead as the final round unfolds over the weekend.
Things are much tighter in the lower Pro-Stock class. The leaders, Jagan Kumar, KY Ahamed and Sarthak Chavan, all from TVS Racing, are separated by just four points. In today's qualifying, Sarthak Chavan took pole with a blistering lap time of 01:53.938, just ahead of Chiranth’s 01:54.099. KY Ahamed completed the front row.
In the Stock classes, Chennai’s Abdul Basim (Rockers Racing) and Kaushik Subbiah Ganesan (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) continued their strong form by taking pole positions in the Novice categories. Basim’s dominant season in the Stock 165cc class sees him well-positioned to secure the championship, while Kaushik leads the Stock 301-400cc Novice category by 23 points with his closest rival being Raj Kumar of RDX Torque Racing.
The Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup also delivered close competition, with Mohsin Paramban of Mamallapuram topping the NSF 250R class. Paramban, who has virtually sealed the championship, will look to finish the season on a high. Bengaluru’s Savion Sabu and Kolhapur’s Siddesh Sawant rounded out the top three.
In the TVS One-Make Championship, Coimbatore’s Senthilkumar C, who leads the standings by seven points over Manoj Yesuadiyan, secured pole in the Apache RR 310 Open category, while Pune’s Saimah Ajaz Baig dominated the Girls’ RTR 200 class while holding an 11 point lead in the standings over SP Shuria.
As the weekend promises intense title fights across the board, the tension is palpable. With titles on the line, Round 5 is set to deliver high-octane racing that will keep fans on the edge of their seats.