Motorsports: MRF Challenge set for thrilling finale

The third and concluding round of the Formula 2000 MRF Challenge will headline the 2015 MMSC-FMSCI National Racing Championship to be held here this weekend with four drivers in the hunt for the top prize of Rs.65 lakh.

British drivers Toby Sowery and Ryan Cullen, each with two wins over the previous two rounds, are separated by 15 points while Indian Raj Bharath and South Africa's Kyle Mitchell are a further 14 points adrift.

Sowery, still only 18, is on 141 points while Cullen has 126 with Bharath and Mitchell tied on 112 ahead of the four races that would be run this weekend with plenty of points still up for grabs in the stand-alone series that will see two-litre Renault engine powered single-seater cars, among the fastest in Asia.

The FIA inscribed MRF Challenge 2014, which became the first India-based motorsport series to go international last year, will look to end on a high.

While Sowery and Cullen have won two races apiece in the previous two rounds held in Qatar and Bahrain last winter, Raj Bharath and teenager Tarun Reddy marked their presence by winning one race each as also Mathias Lauda and Struan Moore.

While the MRF Challenge will no doubt hog the limelight, the opening round of the 2015 National Racing championship promises to be a thrilling affair with MRF Formula Ford 1600 and the Saloon Cars (Superstock, ITC and IJTC) in action.

The MRF FF1600 series will see former Indian Junior Touring Cars champion Feroze Khan and 2014 Volkswagen Polo Cup winner Karthik Tharani Singh on the grid along with defending Indian Touring Car champion Arjun Narendran.

The series will also feature several young drivers including Tejas Ram, Mahatru Krishnamurthi, and Anshul Shah. However, the biggest crowd puller will be leading South Indian cinema star, Jai who will make his debut in single-seaters with the MRF FF1600 series.

In the ITC category, Arjun Narendran will be back to defend his title against regular rivals Ashish Ramaswamy and B Vijaykumar. Also in the mix is last year's IJTC winner Dr VJ Senthil whose presence will certainly add spice to the proceedings.

The Free Practice and qualifying sessions are scheduled for Friday while the races will be run on the following two days.