Chennai, Mar 26 (FN Agency) Excitement and high expectations pervade the iconic MMRT circuit which will play host to the TVS Eurogrip MMSC Motorcycle Endurance Race on March 28 with a record 48 team entries and a clutch of country’s top riders in the fray. The two-hour Endurance race which will have a Le Mans (running) start, an unique feature of this format, will be contested in three categories–Pro-stock 301-400cc, Stock 165cc (restricted to under-25 riders) and Girls (TVS Apache RTR 200). Each team will have two riders.
All the bikes will be run on TVS Eurogrip tyres. As per the format, each team comprising two riders will race for two hours with a minimum of one compulsory fuel stop. Further, each rider is allowed a maximum of 45 minutes per outing with a mandatory 20-minute rest between sessions. Thus, the format puts as much premium on team strategy as race pace. The final positions are decided by the number of laps completed in the specified period. The Pro-Stock category, largely populated by KTM 390 and Yamaha R3 machines, will be headlined by the team of veteran international riders, Rajini Krishan and Sarath Kumar who will be up against skilled pairings like Karthik Mateti-Yashas RL and Abhimanyu Gautam-Anand R. The 2020 National champion in the Novice class, Mohan Babu along with Uday Prakash, will be the pair to watch in the Stock 165cc category, while the talented Lani Zena Fernandez, runner-up in the 2020 National championship, and her team-mate Arpitha Bhat are expected to dominate the Girls category.
MMSC Vice-president Vicky Chandhok said “We are absolutely delighted that TVS Eurogrip have made an entry into racing, and the MMSC is truly grateful for their involvement. We are also overwhelmed by the response from the riders despite the challenging conditions dictated by the pandemic.” ”Back in 2019, we had received 32 entries, but this time, the number has exceeded our expectations”, he said. Mr P Madhavan, EVP–Sales and Marketing, TVS Srichakra Limited, said: “We are proud to partner with MMSC Motorcycle Endurance Race, and equip the bikes with our tyres.” ”The Endurance Race will be the perfect opportunity for both aspiring and seasoned bikers. Given the challenging nature of the circuit, it will be an unique platform to showcase our products and demonstrate performance”, he said.