Coimbatore: Two-and-a-half months after Goa kick-started the National Supercross, riders from across the spectrum have congregated in the auto-parts capital of India to yet again prove their mettle in the second round of the 18th MRF MoGrip FMSCI National Supercross Championship, at Codessia on Avanashi Road here on Sunday.
Even as top riders Aravind KP and Abdul Waheed Tanveer are busy with their international commitments, Team TVS Racing remains the top contender Goa champion Harith Noah, Yash Pawar and Rugved Barguje spearheading their challenge.
“Coimbatore has been a fantastic destination as it offers some of the best racing terrain and soil in India that makes it extremely popular with the riders,” said Shyam Kothari, Director, Godspeed Racing, the organisers of the championship.
“Besides the riders giving thumbs up to the venue, Coimbatore attracts best crowds, which makes the whole package worth hosting,” said Kothari as he inspected over the final touches being given to the specially made supercross track at Codessia.
The Coimbatore track has been given a twist apart from steep jumps and obstacles that are part and parcel of supercross racing.
The track has been prepared by Kamal Kannan, a rider and a huge motorsport supporter, and Kothari himself, the seven-time National two-wheeler champion.
Joker Lane
An exciting concept of Joker Lane has been added in this round for the first time in India. The Joker Lane is a slightly tricky segment that can slow down a rider and cost him precious seconds as well.
“The Joker Lane, which is roughly about 150 metres, has obstacles such as whoop-de-doos, a series of bumps, double jump and a single jump. It upsets the whole rhythm of the race. The riders will have to go compulsorily through this lane once during the laps. It adds drama to the whole event,” said Kothari.
“Since it is for the first time, we have decided to have a joker placed at the start of the lane. He will be pointing to the section and reminding them to go through it,” he added.
Besides the Joker Lane, the other new introduction is the cut table top. “In fact, we have changed the whole set-up this year. We have increased the jumps to 32, ten more than last year, and we will also have a big table top of 70 feet in length,” said Kothari.
Huge response
More than 100 riders across eight categories have registered for the second round of National Supercross.
Besides the TVS Racing riders, the privateers too provide a challenge worth competing for. Jignesh Patel and Jatin Jain from Nagpur, Harshal Kadbane of Nasik and Delhi’s MS Prince are all primed to enthrall the spectators with their daredevil style. Desert Storm champion and leader in the National two-wheel rally championship, R Natraj will be the force in Group C.
Tannika Shanbag, who has returned with loads of experience from the World GP in Malaysia, will be out to challenge her classmates Yuvaraj Konde Deshmukh and Karan Karle in the Junior SX category.
The technically demanding track is 700 meters in length, which includes 10 jumps, a tabletop, whoops and berms. The organisers have created a very demanding track, which will separate the boys from the men.
The championship will next move to Cochin, Jaipur, Bangaluru and culminate in Pune. The last two rounds will be international as foreign riders will also join in and compete, in a separate Foreign Class.
The categories:
SX 1: Foreign Open, Group A, 2/4 Stroke, up to 250cc 2-Stroke and 500cc.
SX 2: Foreign Open, Group A, 2/4 Stroke, up to 250cc 2-Stroke and 500cc.
Junior SX: Open to Group A/B/C/D up to 260cc
Indian Expert Class: Group B, 2/4 Stroke, up to 260cc.
Indian Expert Class: Group C 2/4 Stroke, up to 260cc.
Expert Class: Group C 2/4 Stroke, up to 260cc.
Novice Class: Group C 2/4 Stroke, up to 260cc.
Locals Class: Group B 2/4 Stroke, up to 260cc.
