Rajiv Sethu champion in Pro-Stock 301 to 400cc Open category

Girls' title for Lani Zena Fernandez; Vignesh Goud tops Novice class

Though he was denied a ninth-straight win, Rajiv Sethu, the 25-year-old from Chennai, crowned himself champion in the premier ProStock 301-400cc Open category on debut as the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2023 concluded at the Madras International Circuit on October 22.

Also clinching the National titles were Hyderabad's Vignesh Goud of Race'ists Motorcycle Club (Novice - Stock 165cc) and Puducherry's Lani Zena Fernandez of RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate (Girls - Stock 165 cc). The championship standings in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open category were not declared pending settlement of a disputed result in Round 4.

Pro-Stock 301 to 400cc Open class

Sethu from RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate effectively sealed the championship in the very first race with his win spree and extended his lead to 97 points with one more race to be run on the final day and 25 points on offer. Hyderabad's Rahil Pillarisetty from KTM Gusto Racing and TVS Petronas Racing's KY Ahamed finished a distant second and third, respectively, after being outpaced in the four-lapper, reduced from scheduled six following a red-flag stoppage.

Meanwhile, pole-sitter Sarthak Chavan from Petronas TVS Racing retired due to engine issues on the out lap and did not take the start.

Even as Sethu, nursing an injured left shoulder, delivered a third-straight rider championship to his team, RACR Castrol Power 1, it was the young Pune rider Sarthak Chavan, the 16-year-old from the Petronas TVS Racing stable scripted a stirring win after starting from P17. He passed a flagging Sethu on the last lap for the biggest victory of his blossoming National Championship career.