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Round one of the 2024 Indian Racing Festival held at the Madras International Circuit on the weekend of August 23-25 was marked by intense drama and unexpected outcomes. Jon Lancaster, a veteran racer from Leeds, England, and Jaden Rahaman Pariat, a 17-year-old from Shillong, emerged victorious in the Indian Racing League (IRL) and Formula 4 Indian Championship categories, respectively.
It was a challenging day for the Hyderabad Blackbirds team. Hugh Barter, who seemed poised for a comfortable win in the F4 Championship, retired, allowing Pariat of the Bangalore Speedsters to take the lead. Similarly, Neel Jani, a Swiss driver for the Hyderabad Blackbirds, also saw his potential victory slip away due to a retirement, which handed Lancaster, of the Chennai Turbo Riders, the win.
Despite the triumphs of Lancaster and Pariat, Ruhaan Alva, a young talent from Bengaluru racing for Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, was lauded for his consistent performance, securing podium finishes in both races. Alva, who initially led from pole position in the IRL Race-1 for A Drivers, experienced a setback after going off-track but managed a remarkable recovery to finish third. Lancaster capitalized on Jani's retirement late in the race to claim first place, while Portugal’s Alvaro Parante of Speed Demons Delhi took second.
Reflecting on his victory, Lancaster said, "That is racing for you. I took my chances." Alva's efforts were recognized with bonus points for the fastest lap and securing pole position.
In the F4 main race, Pariat showcased his skill by advancing from the start, eventually overtaking Barter and Alibhai after both faced issues. Pariat's win marked a strong start to his campaign, with Alibhai managing to fend off Alva to secure second place, leaving Alva in third once again. “I just don’t know what to say. When I saw Barter parked on the back loop, I knew I had the chance to win, and I told myself to just bring the car home safely and I did. I must thank God for this win. There is no other way to describe my win,” said Jaden.
The race day's events set a thrilling tone for the remainder of the Indian Racing Festival, highlighting the unpredictable nature of motorsport and the emergence of young talent alongside experienced veterans.
Round two of the Indian Racing Festival is scheduled for the weekend of August 31 to September 1 and it's going to be the championship's first-ever night race, on the streets on Chennai.
The Indian Racing League was held alongside the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship as a part of the Indian Racing Festival. Here's everything else that unfolded at the event.
Coimbatore's Bala Prasath secured an exhilarating victory in the Formula LGB4 class of the National Racing Championship, with the top three racers finishing within a second of each other. During the intense eight-lap race, Prasath faced significant pressure from MSPORT teammates, the young Abhay Mohan and the seasoned Raghul Rangasamy. Despite starting in pole position, Viswas Vijayaraj of Dark Don Racing from Nellore finished in a disappointing 16th place, far behind the leaders.
Bengaluru's Anish Shetty clinched victory in the Professionals class of the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup after starting from the second position on the grid. Pole-sitter Abhishek Vasudev, also from Bengaluru, finished 10th due to a puncture, which significantly impacted his performance. Shetty secured a comfortable win in the first race of the double-header, finishing over four seconds ahead of Puducherry’s Navaneeth Kumar, while Bengaluru's Jagadeesh Nagaraj took the third spot on the podium.
In the Amateur class, Yogesh P, another racer from Bengaluru, came out on top, followed by Johring Waris from Umrangso, Assam, with a time of 12min:30.745sec, and Nijin A from Pathanamthitta, Kerala, who completed the top three.
