Nashik, Feb 5 (IANS) Multiple-time National champion, Rajendra RE of Petronas TVS Racing team regained the overall crown for 2022 in the top Super Bikes Pro-Expert class winning the Rally of Nashik while Sarath Mohan clinched his maiden National title in the other premier Expert class, without even shifting a gear, as the sixth and final round of the fmsci National Rally Championship for two-wheelers – 2022 concluded here on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Sarath Mohan from Mallapuram, Kerala, clinched the National crown in the Super Bike Expert Group A Class 1A with two rounds to spare and did not take part in the Rally of Nashik, as the dates clashed with his Rally Raid cross-country training in UAE.
Other champions who clinched the National title with a round to spare are Sasi Kumar K. in the Super Sport 165 Group B Class 3, TVS rider Imran Pasha, in the Super Sport 260 Group B Class 4 and VS Naresh, in the Super Sport 550 Group B Class 6.
On Sunday, Bengaluru’s TVS talent Aishwarya Pissay suffered a shock defeat as rookie local rider Tanya Singh, won the Ladies’ class. The champion took it easy, with one hand on the title, and the second place was enough to clinch her a sixth-straight title. Second, in the championship standings, Kerala rider Fazeela did not take part in the Nashik Rally.
Veteran Venu Ramesh Kumar, a privateer from Coimbatore, clinched the title in Super Sport 400cc Group B Class 5. TVS Racing star Shamim Khan, astride an NTorq, won the Scooter class crown.
The six-round MRF MoGrip fmsci National Rally Championship for two-wheelers, promoted by GodSpeed Racing, concluded with champions decided in eight classes. With time lost due to incidents in Stage 1, the final Special Stage (SS 3) was cancelled. Two other Support classes, including one for Star of Maharashtra, were also held, the organisers informed in a release on Sunday.
Petronas TVS Racing factory rider from Shivamogga, Rajendra, began with a blistering 15min, 58.429 seconds in the first Special Stage (SS) and pelted out another fastest time in SS2 but with his teammate and nearest rival Abdul Wahid Tanveer, pulling out in the very first stage, the 2019 National champion, won the title with ease. Rajendra began with fourth place in the first round and did not start Round 2. Later, he won all four rounds to clinch the National title again.
Going into the final round with 73 points, a third place was enough for Venu Ramesh Kumar to clinch the National title in Class 5 as his closest rival Hansraj Saikia (also 73) from Assam did not take the start as his bike did not arrive. Russell Jossy won the Nashik Rally and Amog Nag finished second.
Shamim Khan (80), who was leading by just three points against Pinkesh Thakkar (77) needed a victory and he did it in style clocking the fastest times in both stages on Sunday. Syed Asif Ali came second and Thakkar finished third.
National Rally Championship (classes 2W) title winners for the year 2022 (Provisional):
Class 1: Super Bike Pro- Expert: Rajendra RE, (TVS, Shivamogga) Points 112;
Class 1A: Super Bike Expert Group A: Sarath Mohan (Mallapuram) 100;
Class 2: Super Sport 130cc Group B: Chalass K Bose (Kottayam) 136;
Class 3: Super Sport 165cc Group B: Sasi Kumar K (Coimbatore) 108;
Class 4: Super Sport 260cc Group B: Imran Pasha J (TVS, Mysuru) 125;
Class 5: Super Sport 400cc Group B: Venu Ramesh Kumar (Coimbatore) 88;
Class 6: Super Sport 550cc Group B: Naresh VS (Bengaluru) 125;
Class 7: Group B Ladies Class: Aishwarya Pissay (TVS, Bengaluru); 118;
Class 8: Group B Scooters up to 210cc: Shamim Khan (Nashik) 105.
–IANS
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