Bengaluru’s Hemanth Muddappa wins National Drag Racing title for third year in a row

Chennai: Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing) from Bengaluru dominated the 2019 MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship as he annexed the title for the third year in a row with a grand double while also equalling the course record at the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT), in Chennai.

Attributing his success to team work in preparing his BMW S1000RR bike in the top-end Unrestricted Supersport class, Muddappa won both rounds three and four for a clean sweep. He clocked 8.070 seconds in Round 3 on Saturday (December 28) and then, in the next round on Sunday (December 29), he did 7.976 seconds to equal the record he had set in the second round in October.

Also scoring a double and claiming the National titles were Chennai’s Nivetha Jessica in the Girls category and Bengaluru’s Aiyaz in the 361-550cc Supersport Indian class, while local challenger Yogeshwaran, though failing to win a race over the weekend, still garnered enough points to claim the title in the 226-360 Supersport Indian category with 67 points, just two ahead of fellow-Chennai rider AS Alexander.

Bengaluru’s Mohammed Rafiq topped both the 2-Stroke categories (up to 130cc and 131-165cc) and bagged the National title in both classes.

Round 3 of the championship was held on December 28 and Round 4 the next day.

The results (All 4-stroke unless mentioned)

Unrestricted Supersport (Round 3): 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (08.070secs); 2. Zubair Ali Jung (Bengaluru) (08.315); 3. Harish Naik (Bengaluru) (08.676). Round-4: 1. Muddappa (07.976, equals course record); 2. Hafizulla Khan (Bengaluru) (08.411); 3. Naik (08.554). National champion: Hemant Muddappa (100 points).

361-550cc Supersport Indian (Round 3): 1. Aiyaz (Bengaluru) (12.503); 2. Attaulla Baig (Bengaluru) (12.522); 3. Anandhu KK (12.583). Round-4: 1. Aiyaz (12.230); 2. Baig (12.337); 3. Anandhu (12.443). National champion: Aiyaz (90 points).

226-360cc Supersport Indian (Round 3): 1. AS Alexander (Chennai) (13.123); 2. Bharath (Chennai) (13.192); 3. Ashish Rungta (Chennai) (13.413). Round-4: 1. Shankar Guru (Bengaluru) (12.896); 2. Rungta (12.986); 3. Alexander (13.009). National champion: Yogeshwaran (Chennai) (67 points).

166-225cc Supersport Indian (Round 3): 1. N Deepak (Chennai) (13.655); 2. Aiyaz (Bengaluru) (14.194); 3. S Ahamed Vasin (Chennai) (14.883). Round-4: Deepak (13.366); 2. Venu SMD (Bengaluru) (13.835); 3. Mohammed Imran (Bengaluru) (14.251). National champion: N Deepak (83 points).

Up to 165cc Supersport Indian (Round 3): 1. Sooriya PM (Chennai) (14.352); 2. Anand R (Chennai) (14.468); 3. Bharath (Chennai) (14.501). Round-4: 1. Anand R (14.373); 2. Sooriya (14.472); 3. Bharath (14.586). National champion: Sooriya PM (68 points).

Girls (Up to 165cc, Round 3): Nivetha Jessica (Speed Up Racing, Chennai) (16.075); 2. Czimkhy (Kerala) (16.438); 3. Ann Jennifer (Chennai) (16.450). Round-4: 1. Nivetha Jessica (15.954); 2. Soundari Ananth Raj (Speed Up Racing, Chennai) (16.328); 3. Ann Jennifer (16.387). National champion: Nivetha Jessica (93 points).

2-Stroke Up to 130cc Supersport (Round 3): 1. Mohammed Rafiq (Bengaluru) (13.183); 2. Hussain Khan (Mumbai) (13.376); 3. Syed Nayeem (Bengaluru) (13.549). Round-4: 1. Mohammed Rafiq (12.990); 2. Hussain Khan (13.499); 3. R Madhan Kumar (Chennai) (13:590). National champion: Mohammed Rafiq (100 points).

2-Stroke 131-165cc Supersport (Round 3): 1. Aiyaz (Bengaluru) (13.042); 2. K Mohan (Chennai) (13.055); 3. Mohd Rafiq (Bengaluru) (13.059). Round-4: 1. Mohd Rafiq (12.356); 2. Salman Khan (Bengaluru) (12.815); 3. Syed Nayeem (Bengaluru) (12.918). National champion: Mohammed Rafiq (90 points).

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