X1 Racing League comes to Chennai

Chennai, December 7: The cream of Indian racing talent, along with their foreign counterparts, including three former Formula One drivers, will re-assemble at the MMRT, here on Sunday for the second round of the path-breaking, franchise-based X1 Racing League, being conducted by the Madras Motor Sports Club.

The three races, scheduled for Sunday, promise high-quality racing with the three ex-F1 drivers, India’s Narain Karthikeyan, Malaysian Alex Yoong and Italian Vitantonio Luizzi, competing against hand-picked racers, both foreign and Indian, with rich international experience, besides domestic talent. Also in the fray is Gaurav Gill, the three-times FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner, WRC2 participant and reigning National rally champion who has also competed in single-seater races in India.

The brain-child of two of India’s finest racers, Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim, and promoted by Racing Promotions Private Limited, the X1 Racing League, comprises six city-based teams – Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Delhi. The first round was held at the Buddh International Circuit, Delhi, last weekend.

The uniqueness of the X1 Racing League lies in its structure that calls for mixed teams of male and female drivers. It also brings together under one umbrella a clutch of Indian racers like the Maini brothers, Arjun and Kush, Akhil Rabindra and Krishnaraaj Mahadik who have been active in various international series with some success.

Also on the grid are drivers with proven track record in Indian championships, such as young guns Yash Aradhya, Sohil Shah, Arjun Datta, Nayan Chatterjee, Anindith Reddy, besides experienced Ameya Walavalkar, Vishnu Prasad, Raghul Rangasamy, Chittesh Mandody, Karthik Tharani, Arjun Narendran and Arjun Balu.

The foreign talent includes England’s Oliver Webb, Mikkel Jensen from Denmark and Australian Mitch Gilbert, all with exposure to Touring car championships and Formula racing.

Headlining the female talent is England’s 36-year old Pippa Mann who has been racing internationally for over a decade, including the iconic Indy series in the United States. She will be up against compatriot Alice Powell who finished third Overall in the inaugural W Series for women earlier this year, Poland’s Gosia Rdest, Denmark’s Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey from Switzerland.

The Delhi round of the X1 Racing League saw Bengaluru Racing Stars, comprising Arjun Maini, Webb, Gatting, Chatterjee and Vishnu Prasad, winning two of the four races, while Mumbai Falcons (Kush Maini, Jensen, Mann, Shah and Tharani) topping the other two.

The teams

Hyderabad Black Birds: Vitantonio Luizzi (Italy), Gosia Rdest (Poland), Akhil Rabindra (IND), Arjun Narendran (IND) and Anindith Reddy (IND).

Bengaluru Racing Stars: Oliver Webb (England), Michelle Gatting (England), Arjun Maini (IND), Nayan Chatterjee (IND) and Vishnu Prasad (IND).

Mumbai Falcons: Mikkel Jensen (Denmark), Pippa Mann (England), Kush Maini (IND), Sohil Shah (IND), Karthik Tharani (IND).

DG Racing Ahmedabad: Alex Yoong (Malaysia), Rahel Frey (Switzerland), Krishna Mahadik (IND), Chittesh Mandody (IND) and Ameya Walavalkar (IND).

AD Racing, Delhi: Gaurav Gill (IND), Raghul Rangaswamy (IND), Ashwin Datta (IND), Mira Erda (IND) and Sandeep Kumar (IND).

Superspeed Racing, Chennai: Narain Karthikeyan (IND), Mitch Gilbert (Australia), Alice Powell (England), Arjun Balu (IND), Yash Aradhya (IND) and Parthiva Sureshwaren (IND).