The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : Ashwin-Saran come up trumps

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Sunday, Feb 10, 2008
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Sport - Racing : Motor

Ashwin-Saran come up trumps

CHENNAI: Heavy unseasonal rains did not come as an impediment as day one of the JK Tyre National racing championship 2008 started off on a successful note with the launch of the new Formula LGB Hyundai National enduro race.

What was originally planned as a 90-minute duration race, the enduro event, was curtailed to a 65-minute affair thanks to the rain that delayed proceedings a trifle. Every car had two drivers, each driving for a set period of 15 minutes when a change is made at the pit stop.

Ashwin Sundar and Saran Vikram of Rams Racing started first in the 10-team grid and the two youngsters raced away to a comfortable win by completing 29 laps with a timing of 66:46.09s.

Team Rams Racing’s Narain Shankar and Karthik Shankar who sped off from eighth position in the grid finished second, completing 29 laps in 68:18.391s, while the Rajan brothers Sudanand and Prithveen of Team WSRF with Leela was placed third with 27 laps in 67:06.766. Sudanand and Prithveen had started in the seventh position.

Watching the event was JK Tyre’s Head of Motor Sport, Sanjay Sharma who felt that the race would provide the competitors a feel of the Formula races. “The way you have to deal with pit stops, the ethics of driver change and fuel filling were new to the contestants,” he said.

Ashwin takes pole

Earlier in the qualifying phase of the Formula LGB Swift category, Ashwin took the pole with the fastest lap timing of 02:05.031s. Teammate Karthik Shankar will start in second place.

Sunday’s races will commence at 10.30 a.m. and entry is free for the public.

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