Bengaluru ready to host FMSCI rally sprint championship 2024 for two-wheelers

Following an exhilarating opening round in Chennai, the FMSCI Indian National Rally Sprint Championship 2024 for two-wheelers is all set for the second leg of the South Zone qualifiers to be held in Bengaluru on Sunday (July 21) at the Stellar 23 Farms in Sarjapur.

The event promises an action-packed weekend as top riders from the region vie for supremacy.

Promising an action-packed Sunday, the Sprint Championships with a challenging course spanning 7 kms has received a record 140 entries with city’s top riders including Sachin D, Yuva Kumar, and the experienced Asad Khan vying for honours.

Bengaluru’s Suhail Ahmad, who dominated multiple categories, with victories in Group A upto 550cc, Bullet class upto 550cc, and Open Class upto 550cc in the Chennai leg will also be part of Sunday’s races. The event has also received five entries in the women’s category.

Keeping with the competition’s format, the Bengaluru leg will feature 13 classes and the inclusion of new categories like the Veterans’ Class and the Team and Manufacturers Trophy. Furthermore, for the first time in Indian Motorsport, an off-road event will feature a one-make electric vehicle category – with the Ather 450x.

“We are excited this race has moved to Bengaluru and for the first time in the history of the off-road sport, the EV category has been introduced. We are thankful to Ather for the support and we are certain that the legendary Karnataka Motorsports Club will pull off a good event and thanks to FMSCI for giving us the technical and safety regulations for the EV category,” stated Gautam Shantappa, Vice President, FMSCI and President of Karnataka Motorsports Club.

Shedding light on the course dynamics and the event preparedness, Bhaskar Gupta, Vice President, KMSC who will serve as the Clerk of the Course for the event, said, “With a distance of 7.1km, the winding track also features numerous jumps and dips. We are expecting rain and thus the track may be also be slippery. While we are looking forward to an entertaining race, we have undertaken numerous measures to ensure rider safety is paramount.”

Farad Bhathena of FB Motorsports said, “After a great start to the championship, I’m eagerly looking forward to the races in Bengaluru. Tomorrow promises more thrilling action with a record number of participants. We have received a great response for the event and it shows the potential of this format in Motorsport. We hope to encourage more people to take up motorsport through this endeavour.”

Sachin D from TVS Racing, a six-time national champion from Bengaluru who is gearing up to compete on Sunday opined, “I am really excited for the sprint. It is always nice to see Bengaluru host such events. I am just coming back from a shoulder injury, so I am looking forward to making a comeback on my home turf. With the rains around the corner, it will be slippery but it should make for a fun and challenging race.”

Following the Bengaluru leg of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Sprint Championship 2024, the series will continue to unfold across India. The championship will move to Chandigarh for Round 3 on 5-6 October, followed by Round 4 in Guwahati on 23-24 November. Riders will then head to Goa for Round 5 on 7-8 December. The season will culminate with the finals in Pune on 15-16 December, where the top contenders from each zone will compete for the ultimate title.