MALAYSIA: KARAMJIT WINS THIRD EVENT KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 (Bernama)
Malaysia’s reigning rally champion Karamjit Singh Sunday won the fourth round of Malaysian Rally Championship (MRC) in Desaru, Johor, thus registering his third successive wins in this year’s six-round championship.
Taking advantage of his comfortable five-minute lead in the first leg held on Saturday, Karamjit, known also as “The Flying Singh” representating GSR Pennzoil Team, drove cautiously to preserve his machine on the rough and unforgiving terrains in Felda Kledang and Adela in today’s final leg.
Despite complaining about the tricky conditions, Karamjit, in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, extended his lead to more than 19 minutes over his nearest rival Kan Chee Hong and co-driver Wayne Cheah who drove a Perodua Myvi 4WD turbo. Karamjit and his co-driver Musa Sherif, an Indian nationality, completed the 141.72km leg clocking a time of 1:36:58s to win the race, while Kan clocked 1:56:04s for the runner-up, Gunaseelan Rajoo and Jayaselan Rajoo ended in third placing with a time of 1:57:53s.
Meanwhile, Gunaseelan Rajoo who is also the manager of the GSR Pennzoil Team, said Karamjit had strengthened his leading position in the rally after his third consecutive wins. Despite finishing second place in the first round in Bahau, Negeri Sembilan (March), he had made a sterling comeback winning the second round in Kangar, Perlis (May) and third round in Kuantan, Pahang (June), he added.
The fifth round will be staged in Johor Baharu on Oct 11 and 12, and the final round in Perak on Nov 22 and 23.
Results:
1. Karamjit Singh (driver)/Jagdev Singh (co-driver), Mitsubishi Evo 8, 01:36:58s
2. Kan Chee Hong/Wayne Cheah, Perodua Myvi, 01:56:04
3. Gunaseelan Rajoo/Jayaselan Rajoo, Mitsubishi Evo 9, 01:57:53
4. Arjun Rao/Jagdev Singh, Proton Putra 4WD, 02:04:21
5. Ariokiasamy Ratnam/Kelvin Loi, Proton Wira, 02:06:17
INDIA: MAI REGAINS SPORTING POWER By C. Santhosh Kumar, Jyvaskyla, Finland
Aug. 1: In a dramatic turnaround, the FIA’s international court has declared the World Motor Sports Council’s decision to transfer the sporting power in India from MAI to the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India to be null and void. At the last week of June, WMSC announced that FMSCI will be the controlling body effective from July 1. However the MAI appealed against the verdict and the hearing was held in Paris on July 29.
MAI president Nazir Hoosein, who is here as the chief steward of the World Rally Championship, said the general body meeting will be convened in short time to discuss future plans. “We have argued that MAI was not given sufficient notice of the decision and sufficient opportunity to be heard. If the WMSC did have a valid mandate, any decision taken by the WMSC to transfer the sporting power would have to be taken by an absolute majority, which was not obtained in this case. Now all the doors are closed for the FMSCI as there will be no more appealing in this case,” he said.
The FMSCI, chaired by founder-member Hoosein, was the Indian ASN in FIA from 1979. But Hoosein broke away from FMSCI to form the MAI. Earlier this year, the Indian National Rally Championship ran into trouble when MRF pulled out of the event citing “lack of transparency”. Hoosein was confident that the INRC will go ahead as per schedule. “Whatever happens the INRC will go on. We are already in talks with Bangalore-based Sidvin who sponsored the first leg of the rally,” he said
