Chennai: Bengaluru businessman Hemanth Muddappa of Mantra Racing underlined his status as the “Drag King” by notching a triple crown in the fourth and final round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday.
The triple delight on Sunday helped 34-year-old Muddappa to add three more National titles to the 12 he had won in the past, thus making him the most decorated motorsport athlete in the country with a tally of 15. He finished the season by winning races in all three categories he took part in today.
Despite nursing a fractured right thumb that he suffered in a crash during a recent competition in Amby Valley, Muddappa, aided by painkillers, managed to race in the final round after securing medical clearance.
“I have no words to express my feelings. It is surreal that I have so far won 15 National titles. However, much of the credit goes to my team, Mantra Racing, who worked hard to prepare a winning bike for me. I was in a lot of pain due to the injury to my thumb, but I was able to ride after taking painkillers and securing medical clearance. Due to rains, the track was cold and so the timings were slower,” said Muddappa.
However, Hyderabad’s Mohammed Riyaz of Fast Track Racing team denied Muddappa a clean sweep of titles in the super bikes categories by clinching the crown despite finishing second in the 551cc-850cc class. Riyaz and Muddappa clocked the same timing (08.275 seconds) which was a national record, but the latter was declared winner based on faster “Reaction Time”. Riyaz also helped Fast Track Racing to annex the team championship in this category.
Jagathishree Kumaresan from Chennai, the 2024 National motorcycle racing champion, comfortably beat her One Racing team-mate Shuria SP (Bengaluru) and clinched the championship in the Girls (Stock 165cc) category. One Racing also took the team championship title.
The results (Provisional – all 4-Stroke unless mentioned):
Unrestricted: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.837secs); 2. Sugan Prasad SP (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.970); 3. Khaja Awais Ahmed (Hyderabad, Pvt) (08.060s). Rider champion: Hemanth Muddappa. Champion Team: Mantra Racing.
1051cc – 1650cc (Super Sport): 1. Mujahid Pasha (Bengaluru, Fast Track Racing) (7.950s); 2. Ayman Baig (Bengaluru, Pvt) (08.169s); 3. Alimon (Bengaluru, Fast Track Racing) (08.288s). Rider champion: Hemanth Muddappa. Champion Team: Fast Track Racing.
851cc – 1050cc (SS): 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.926s); 2. Khaja Awais Ahmed (Hyderabad, Pvt) (08.126s); 3. Sugan Prasad SP (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (08.196s). Rider Champion: Hemanth Muddappa. Champion Team: Mantra Racing.
551cc – 850cc (SS): 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (08.275s); 2. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad, Fast Track Racing) (08.275s); 3. Altaf Khan (Hyderabad, Fast Track Racing) (08.306s). Note: Muddappa and Riyaz tied with same timing. Muddappa with a faster “Reaction Time” was placed first. Rider champion: Mohammed Riyaz. Champion Team: Fast Track Racing.
361cc – 550cc (SS Indian): 1. Iqbal Sheik (Bengaluru, Pvt) (11.281s); 2. Shahrukh Khan (Mumbai, Mantra Racing) (11.599s); 3. Naveed Ahmed (Bengaluru, Pvt) (11.991s). Rider champion: Shahrukh Khan. Team champion: Mantra Racing.
166cc – 225cc (SS): 1. Prashanth S (Bengaluru) (13.075s); 2. Prashanth K (Chennai) (13.395s); 3. Shahinsha R (Chennai) (13.582). Rider Champion: Prashanth S.
Up to 165cc (SS Indian): 1. Mohan Babu (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (13.541s); 2. Iqbal Sheikh (Bengaluru, Pvt) (13.656s); 3. Bharathraj J (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (13.743s). Rider Champion: Bharathraj J. Champion Team: Rockers Racing.
GIRLS (Stock Up to 165cc): 1. Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai, One Racing) (16.463s); 2. Shuria SP (Bengaluru, One Racing) (16.886s). Rider Champion: Jagathishree Kumaresan. Champion Team: One Racing.
2-Stroke 131cc – 165cc (SS): 1. Syed Imran (Bengaluru, Fast Track Racing) (12.307s); 2. Prashanth S (Bengaluru, Pvt) (12.538s); 3. Balasubramanian R (Chennai, ACCSYS India Rookies Racing) (12.767s). Rider Champion: Syed Imran. Champion Team: Fast Track Racing.
2S Up to 130cc (SS): 1. Syed Imran (Bengaluru, Fast Track Racing) (12.781s); 2. Shahrukh Khan (Mumbai, Pvt) (12.826s); 3. Shaikh Sabitullah (Bengaluru, Fast Track Racing) (13.178s). Rider Champion: Shahrukh Khan. Champion Team: Big Boys Racing Team.