National 2W Racing C'ship: Double delight for Rajiv, Mathana and Vignesh

Coimbatore: Rajiv Sethu, Mathana Kumar and Vignesh Goud bagged a double each in their respective categories as the Rolon Round of the fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2023 concluded at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday.

Rajiv Sethu (RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate), determined to resurrect a sagging career, swept the honours in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category while Mathana Kumar did much the same in the other top-end class, the Pro-Stock 165cc Open. Both had won Race-1 on Saturday quite comfortably and it was a virtual re-run in the second outing today.

Hyderabad's 19-year-old Vignesh Goud (Race'ists Motorcycle Club) was equally commanding in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category as he won both the races this weekend while Puducherry's Lani Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate) took the honours in the Girls' (Stock 165cc) Class after starting from the fifth spot (P5) on the grid.

Sethu, 24, who moved from Honda to Yamaha this season by joining multiple-time champion Rajini Krishnan's RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate team, immediately made his mark on debut in the 301-400cc category by winning both races.

In fact, Sethu, who started from the pole position, had more than enough straight-line pace as he again held off Pune's upcoming teenager Sarthak Chavan, who joined Petronas TVS Racing team this season, while Hyderabad's Rahil Pillarisetty (KTM Gusto Racing) completed the podium for a repeat of yesterday's Race-1.

"This double means a lot to me. I won just one race last season (in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open category). And now, I have started 2023 with two wins! In a way, this weekend could be a turning point in my career and I hope I will enjoy more success going forward," said Sethu who has had an up-and-down career with forays at the Asian level fetching desired results.

In the Pro-Stock 165cc Open race on Sunday, the Pacer Yamaha duo of Mathana and Prabhu Arunagiri, who had finished in that order in Saturday's Race-1, looked poised for another 1-2 finish.

However, Arunagiri packed up after nine of the 14 laps due to mechanical issues while Sarthak Chavan who was running second, also retired with a clutch problem in the 11th. It left Mathana all on his own in the front as he finished a comfortable winner ahead of Bengaluru youngster Chiranth Vishwanath who did well to hold off his Petronas TVS Racing team-mate and the more experienced KY Ahamed.

Earlier, Vignesh Goud raced to a comprehensive win in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category for a double. He enjoyed a good start from the pole position and quickly opened up a handsome lead that kept increasing as the race progressed. He eventually spared almost four seconds to Mysuru's Tasmai Cariappa (Pacer Yamaha) who was followed home by Savion Sabu (Axor Sparks Racing) from Bengaluru.

The results (Provisional):

National Championship - Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-2, 14 laps): 1. Rajiv Sethu (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate) (17mins, 10.905secs); 2. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, Petronas TVS Racing) (17:15.035); 3. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad, KTM Gusto Racing) (17:18.203).

Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2, 14 laps): 1. Mathana Kumar S (Tiruchi, Pacer Yamaha) (18:16.308); 2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (18:18.409); 3. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (18:18.812).

Novice (Stock 165cc) (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Vignesh Goud (Hyderabad, Race'ists Motorcycle Club) (14:38.296); 2. Tasmai Cariappa PC (Mysuru, Pacer Yamaha) (14:42.038); 3. Savion Sabu (Bengaluru, Axor Sparks Racing) (14:45.305).

Girls' (Stock 165cc) (8 laps):

1. Lani Fernandez (Puducherry, RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate) (11:49.553); 2. Ann Jennifer AS (Chennai, Alpha Racing) (11:52.201); 3. Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai, One Racing) (11:52.295).

Petronas TVS One-Make Championship - Open (Apache RR 310) (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Alwin Sundar A (Chennai) (12:51.163); 2. Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) (12:56.063); 3. Senthil Kumar C (Coimbatore) (12:58.807). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Alwin Sundar (12:55.616); 2. Senthilkumar C (12:56.035); 3. Manoj Yesuadiyan (12:59.942).