THE buzz surrounding the event has remained in the memory far longer than the event and its outcome.
SANJAY RAJANTHE buzz surrounding the event has remained in the memory far longer than the event and its outcome.
From three days prior to the launch of the second edition of the MRF-MAI Formule Mondiale Championship at the MRF-Danny's Karting track in Chennai on July 6, the city went ga ga over the three greats of contemporary cricket who were to compete in the `race of the stars', as a prelude to the competition-proper.
It was only natural. For, two of them are the greatest batsmen of the modern game and the other is the most successful Test skipper of recent times apart from being a legend in his own right.
Throw in pace guru Dennis Lillee in the eight-lap karting showdown with Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Waugh (all brand ambassadors of MRF) and you have a recipe that is a certain success to any event in any corner of the cricketing world.
Lillee, roped in fairly late, had missed practice, but the pro that he is, he arrived at the 670-metre track 90 minutes early on the race day for a long practice session. It was certainly a lesson in discipline for the young karters from a past master in a very different sport.
In the pre-race interactive session, Lillee said he was all set to give his younger rivals a run for their money; Lara said it was his first time on the track and hence a learning experience; Waugh said he expected it to be a close race and Tendulkar, the full-house crowd's favourite, said that with keen competition likely, he had to be on his toes.
And so, to the much-awaited race. Tendulkar, proactive as usual, was off to a good start with Waugh a close second till an engine problem slowed him down. Lillee was hustling Lara, but it was India's favourite son all the way until the penultimate lap when the Little Master slowed down and waited for the other three for a simultaneous finish. The crowd roared in appreciation.
"We are here to grace the occasion. Steve had mechanical problems. Had it not been for that, it would have been different. One has to respect rivals. For us, it is not about winning. What is important is that the four of us are together for the sport," said Tendulkar.
Now to the championship. The showcase event in the six-leg series is the Asia Zone National Karting championship (AZNKC), which had five entries from Malaysia in the Chennai leg. There are only three AZNKC rounds, the others being in Mumbai and Bangalore. The other events are the Indian National Karting Championship (INKC), Kadet-Indian National Karting Championship (K-INKC, for juniors), Karting Champion's Trophy (KCT), apart from side shows in the Manufacturer's Trophy and Privateer's Trophy. The other rounds are in Kolkata (Sept. 20-21), Nagpur (Oct. 4-5), Pune (Nov. 15-16), Mumbai (Nov. 22-23) and Bangalore (Dec. 20-21).
The karts driven are Alphas, imported from France and fitted with Briggs & Stratton engines (15 HP) and CIK-FIA homologated MRF tyres.
S. Vikas of Chennai won the 10-kart grid, 16-lap race for the KCT. "I held pole, lost it at the first corner but regained it by the end of the lap and made no mistake thereafter," said the 18-year-old, a first year student of St. Joseph's College of Engineering.Deepak Paul Chinnappa of Team Kadurs (Bangalore), second on the 10-kart grid, got off to a good start and held through the 20-lap race for the INKC title.
The 16-year-old, a first year Pre-University student at Oxford College, Bangalore, said, "the kart began to slide towards the end of the race. Moreover, I was pretty tense with the experienced Rayomand Banajee hot on my heels." Pole position holder Abbas Ghadially had earlier crashed out in the sixth lap.
Chennai kids held sway in the K-INKC (10-kart grid, 13 laps), with the promising Ashwin Sunder, who held pole, registering a fluent victory. Sunder, 13 years of age and studying in St. John's (Alwarthirunagar), was the defending champion.
Alisha, daughter of well-known rider R. A. Abdullah and the lone girl in the championship, came second.
Mumbai's Jigar Muni clinched the AZNKC, the feature event. The 20-year-old was second on the 12-kart grid for the 25-lapper, but gained the lead by the third lap and maintained it till the end.
The results (finals):Karting Champion's Trophy (16 laps): 1. S. Vikas (Chennai) 9m, 54.664s; 2. Vivek Bhatt (Bangalore) 9:55.556; 3. Sanju Tharappan (Chennai) 9:56.124.
Indian National Karting Championship (20 laps): 1. Deepak Paul Chinnappa (Team Kadurs, Bangalore) 12:49.876; 2. Rayomand Banajee (Pune, Team India Racing) 12:50.166; 3. Jigar Muni (Mumbai, Ace Machines Racing) 12:50.561.
Kadet-Indian National Karting Championship (13 laps): 1. Ashwin Sunder (Chennai, Team India Racing) 7:50.225; 2. Alisha Abdullah (Chennai) 7:56.832; 3. Ajay Kini (Chennai, Team India Racing) 7:57.919.
Asian Zone National Karting Championship (25 laps): 1. Jigar Muni (Mumbai, AMR) 14:33.537; 2. Abbas Ghadially (Mumbai, AMR) 14:41.099; 3. K.V. Prakash (Chennai) 14:41.197.
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