Saleem, Raguram and Phaneesh bag honours in first round of 3rd JK Tyre-MMS Rotax Rookie Cup

HYDERABAD, India, April 29, 2012: Bangalore's Rubeel M Saleem, Chennai lad Surya Raguram, both from Meco Racing, and Mysore boy H.B. Phaneesh of Mohite's Racing emerged champions in their respective classes in the first round of the third JK Tyre-MMS Rotax Rookie Cup at the 810 metre MMS Kartainment Track on Sunday.
Phaneesh won the remaining three races on Sunday for a clean sweep of the five races over the weekend in the Micro Max category (7-12 years). However, the sixth standard student of JCS Public School (JC Campus) was disqualified from Sunday's opening race (Race 3) owing to a technical infringement.

Phaneesh, nevertheless, won the honors in his category with 100 points, three more than Bangalore boy Yash Aradhya of Meco Racing. Raguram won two out of three races on Sunday to take his tally to 110 points in the Junior Max category (13-16 years), finishing even with Mumbai's Arya Gandhi of Rayo Racing, who won the final race.
A class 9 student of Billabong School in Chennai, Raguram got off to a poor start in the fifth and final race to finish third. Raguram, however, was adjudged champion of his category in the first round owing to more first-place finishes. "I got off to a poor start in the last race thereafter I was playing catch up to Arya," Raguram said. "I am happy that I showed consistency to emerge champion."

Saleem finished second behind Mumbai boy Anshuman Chatterjee of Rayo Racing in four of the five races over the weekend before winning the final race of this round to emerge champion in the Senior Max (15 years and above) with 105 points after a mechanical problem put Chatterjee (100 points) out of the last race. "It was a disappointing finish for me, to have to finish second after winning four of the five races," said 16-year-old Chatterjee, a class XI student of R.N. Podar at Santa Cruz in Mumbai.

Young motorsports enthusiasts from across the country have registered themselves in the 10-race series being held over two rounds in Hyderabad, The final round comprising the remaining five races will be held in Hyderabad from May 18 to 20.

JK Tyre-MMS Rotax Rookie Cup is a prelude to the JK Tyre National Rotax Max Karting Championship (JKNRMKC) in June and provides an opportunity to rookie drivers to step up speed before they compete in the JKNRMKC.

The winners of the 3 Classes in the Rookie Cup will be rewarded with free scholarship Training Programs under former ace driver Akbar Ebrahim, President of Meco Motorsports.
JK Tyre is credited with introducing the concept of Karting in India and has patronized karting circuits in seven cities of the country. JK Tyre together with MECO Motorsports introduced the professional level of karting in 2004 with the introduction of the Rotax 2 Stroke Kart Engines. It was then the JK Tyre Rotax Max National Karting Championship came into being and today it is the only National karting championship of the country. The winners of the JK Tyre Rotax Max National Karting Championship are selected to represent the country in the Rotax Max World Finals held every year. Narain Karthikeyan, Karun Chandhok, Armaan Ebrahim have all graduated from these karting championships to becoming international motorsport icons.

The Results:
Micro Max (age-group of 7-12 years):
Race 3 (9 laps): 1. Yash Aradhya (Bangalore, Meco Racing) 7:33.362; 2. Kahran Vorha (Haryana, Meco Racing) 8:10.618; 3. Thanish (Delhi, Meco Racing)
(diff.1 lap) 7:36.461.
Race 4 (10 laps): 1. H.B. Phaneesh (Mysore, Mohite's Racing) 8:12.246; 2. Yash Aradhya 8:22.546; 3. Kahran Vorha 8:22.909.
Race 5 (10 laps): 1. Phaneesh (Mysore, Mohite's Racing) 8:15.964; 2. Yash Aradhya (Bangalore, Meco Racing) 8:25.837; 3. Kahran Vorha (Haryana, Meco Racing)
(diff. 1 lap) 8:19.511

Junior Max (13-16 age-group):
Race 3 (12 laps): 1. Surya Raguram (Chennai, Meco Racing) 8:47.160; 2. Arya Gandhi (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) 8:47.425; 3. Akash Gowda (Bangalore, Meco Racing) 8:49.304.
Race 4 (11 laps): 1. Surya Raguram 8:04.166; 2. Arya Gandhi 8:04.539; 3. Ananth Shanmugam (Bangalore, Meco Racing) 8:08.052.
Race 5 (11 laps): 1. Arya Gandhi 8:04.980; 2. Akash Gowda 8:11.464; 3. Surya Raguram 8:12.003

Senior Max (15 years and above):
Race 3 (15 laps): 1. Anshuman Chatterjee (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) 10:59.281; 2. Rubeel M. Saleem (Bangalore, Meco Racing) 11:01.695; 3. Keith G. D'Souza (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) 11:07.668.
Race 4 (15 laps): 1. Anshuman Chatterjee 10:57.460; 2. Rubeel Saleem 11:05.933; 3. Keith D'Souza 11:11.365.
Race 5 (15 laps): 1. Rubeel Saleem 11:05.384; 2. Pranav Thakkar (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) 11:08.951; 3. Keith D'Souza 11:16.417

Points standings (Top Three, Round 1):
Micro Max: 1. H.B. Phaneesh 100 points; 2. Yash Aradhya 97 points; 3. Kahran Vorha 85 points.
Junior Max : 1. Surya Raguram & Arya Gandhi 110 points; 3. Akash Gowda 68 points.
Senior Max: 1. Rubeel Saleem 105 points; 2. Anshuman Chatterjee 100 points; 3. Keith D'Souza 75