FMSCI two-wheeler sprint rally in Bengaluru: Sinan Francis dominates dual classes

The FMSCI Indian National Rally Sprint Championship 2024 South Zone 2W Qualifiers held at the Stella 23 Farms in Sarjapur near Bengaluru on Sunday (July 21), saw stand-out performances from the likes of Sinan Francis, Suhail Ahmad, Asad Khan, Naresh VS, and Sanjay Somashekar. The marquee competition saw over 140 entries registered to participate and featured an unprecedented one-make EV category with the Ather 450X.

In the Open Class Up to 550cc, Bengaluru’s Asad Khan (7:36.500) achieved the top position, showcasing exceptional skill and speed. Suhail Ahmad (7:44.500) followed closely, securing a strong second place, while Nataraj R (7:45.600) completed the podium with a commendable performance.

In the upto 550 cc class (Privateer only), Francis was the quickest to cross the finish line, clocking 7:37:500, in close pursuit were Nataraj R (7:39:800) and Suhail Ahmad (7:44:900) who came in second and third respectively.

The 131cc upto 165 cc class saw Yogesh P lead the category with a timing of 8:07:900, followed by Abdul Rahman (8:09:000) and Abdur Pasha (8:17:400). The 160 cc to 260 cc class unfolded as Karan Kumar (7:47:800) bag the first place while the experienced Bengaluru racer Sachin D (7:48:300) and Uday Kumar (7:54:200) finished behind him.

In another class, that mandated 260 cc upto 400 cc entries, Donesh Deepak Joshi, Hemant Gowda and Venu Rameshkumar secured the top three places.

In their second triumph of the day, Francis (8:00:500) and Ahmad (8:08:600) finished first and second respectively in the upto 550 class (Bullet). The third placed Naresh VS (8:14:100) would finish nearly 14 seconds behind Francis.

The upto 210 cc class (scooter) was dominated by N Karthik (9:04:800) while Gautham N (9:08:700) and G Ganapathy (12:45:000) made up the podium

In the upto 260 cc category, clinched first place with a time of Yogesh P (8:13.400) followed closely by the seasoned Khan (8:15.600) and Sanjay Somashekar (8:16.300) while the 261 cc to 450 cc category saw Sharath Kumar (8:24.800) secure first place with an impressive performance. Naresh (8:31.700) came in second, followed by Ahmad (8:32.300) in third.

For the first time in Indian Motorsport, the off-road sprint featured an EV category – with the Ather 450X. Mohammed Zaheer (9:16.500) took the lead, followed by Subramanya T (9:19.900) in second place. Varun Kumar (9:23.500) secured third, with Ahmad (9:26.300) narrowly missing another podium and finishing in fourth.

The 'Star of Karnataka' category featured Sanjay Somashekar (7:54.000) who led the field with a standout performance. Bharath L (8:13.400) followed in second place, while Abrar Ahmed (8:14.000) took third.

The Veterans class, a new addition this season, saw Jose AJ (9:09.400) lead the field, with Venu Rameshkumar (9:11.600) finishing soon after. In the Ladies Class Up to 260 cc, Panchami LS (9:56.600) secured the lead, with Tanaya Singh (10:12.400) in second place. Lani Zena Fernandes (10:39.800) and Vandyashree (10:50.800) completed the lineup.