The Hindu : Vijayakumar-Vishwanath duo dominates

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 14, 2002

Sport

Sport - Racing : Motor

Vijayakumar-Vishwanath duo dominates

By Our Sports Reporter

PANJIM OCT. 13. Overnight showers turned the track laid out at the Campal Parade ground into a complex one. Nevertheless, it helped enhance the reputation of a few riders, especially the cousins from Bangalore, C. Vijayakumar and T.K. Vishwanath of Team TVS Racing. The duo dominated the second of the five-round MRF National Motocross Championship here on Sunday.

Nipender Jassy's seasoned technique saw the Pacer Yamaha rider, on an imported YZ 125, win the first moto of the foreign bikes Group A open class in grand style, taking in his stride the relatively new Vijayakumar and Vishwanath who had won the top two slots in the opening leg in Pune last week.

The track was slushy, thus making tackling the woop-de-doos and the double jumps tricky business.

``This is my kind of terrain, complex and technical,'' said Delhi's Jassy. "The landings here are on a slope, and mind you, wet ones at that. It asks for control. My tactic was to go slow on the corners and bounce over the jumps, cause you can't carry speed on the slush,'' said the former National champion who had failed to make the podium in Pune.

Jassy was leading the pack in the second moto too when, in the second of the 12-lap race, he misjudged a corner and slipped. Five riders went by.

Vijayakumar and Vishwanath on an imported Suzuki RM 125s, who finished second and third in the first moto, did a 1-2 here while Jassy recovered to emerge third.

The cousins, who displayed impressive control, said competing in the other classes helped them understand the track better.

``It was a relatively dry course that we practiced on yesterday. The first moto of the foreign bikes class, being the first race of the day, we didn't have time to get a hold of the situation. But once we rode in the other classes, winning a few along the way, we were ready,'' said Vijayakumar, who emerged the foreign bikes class overall winner of the second leg on points.

He was also adjudged the best rider of this meet.

TVS Racing dominated yet another event while the versatile Vishwanath went on to win the title in three categories, including the highly interesting experts Gr. B, two-stroke (above 80cc up to 150cc) class.

The results: Experts, foreign bikes Gr. A, open: Moto 1: 1. Nipender Jassy (Delhi, Yamaha YZ 125); 2. C. Vijayakumar (Bangalore, Suzuki RM 125); 3. T.K. Vishwanath (Bangalore, RM 125). Moto 2: Vijayakumar; 2. Vishwanath; 3. Jassy.

Novice, Gr. D two-stroke (above 80cc up to 150cc): 1. Sri Harsha (Bangalore, RX 135); 2. Suresh Kurangari (Pune, Shogun); 3. N. Sridhar (Bangalore, RX 135).

Experts, Gr. D, four-stroke (above 110cc up to 180cc): 1. T.K. Vishwanath (Fiero); 2. C.D. Jinan (Bangalore, Fiero); 3. Rustom Patel (Bangalore, Fiero).

Experts, Gr. B, two-stroke (above 80cc up to 150cc): 1. T.K. Vishwanath (Shaolin); 2. C. Vijayakumar (Shaolin); 3. C.D. Jinan (Shaolin).

Novice, Gr. D, four-stroke (above 80cc up to 110cc): 1. T.K. Vishwanath (Victor); 2. C.D. Jinan (Victor); 3. Rustom Patel (Victor).

Experts, Gr. B. four-stroke (above 110cc up to 250cc): 1. G. Prasad (Bangalore, Fiero); 2. C. Vijayakumar (Fiero); 3. Rustom Patel (Fiero).

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