The highest form of racing in Indian Motorsport is back. Starting from August 24th at the Madras International Circuit, Indian F4 Championship and the Indian Racing League return as a celebration of Indian Motorsport. With new venues, exciting partnerships and a thrilling format, this is shaping up-to be the greatest Indian Racing Festival yet.

The Calendar

Both Indian F4 and the Indian Racing League (IRL) will race the same circuits at the same weekends. This year, there will be five rounds, with Indian F4 racing three, and IRL racing two times each round.

The season begins in the home of Indian Motorsport: the Madras International Circuit. The MIC has hosted both events before, and is also going to be the venue for the Pre Season testing starting August 22nd. The MIC will then host the first round starting August 24th.

The caravan will then make camp at the Chennai Formula Racing Circuit, a street circuit which will host the first ever night race in India. The historical second round starts August 31.

Following the night race, we will race for the first time at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore.

And while the venues of the next two rounds are unannounced, it is strongly implied that the Buddh International Circuit will host one of the rounds.

The Machinery

Both Categories are Spec Series, meaning that each car has the same chassis, engine and components to ensure parity amongst the competition.

The Indian F4 championship will use the standard Mygale M21-F4 chassis manufactured by Mygale for the junior F4 categories. The engine will be provided by Alpine power units. MP Motorsport will be acting as the technical support for the championship. The Dutch organization has had a lot of success in junior categories such as F2, F3 and regional formula championships.

The Indian Racing League will feature the Wolf GB08s. The car has an Aprilia RS-V4 engine that produces 220 bhp with double air intake. It also features FIA homologated components and has aerodynamics that allow for good chasing and closer racing.

The Format

The Indian F4 will feature three races per weekend with two qualifying sessions. The Fastest Laps in the first Qualifying session will decide the grid for Race 1. Race 2 will be reverse grid of the top 6 from Race 1’s final result. The Second Qualifying session will be considered for setting the grid for the final race. This format rewards not only pace, but consistent pace, with a single driver capable of securing both Poles on qualifying.

The Indian Racing League is divided into teams. Each team can run two cars, with two Indian Drivers and two international driver. At-least one of the four drivers must be female to promote equality. Each car gets two drivers, with each driving in one of two competition days. Each day features a practice session, a qualifying session and a 25 minute + 1 Lap race, without mandatory pitstops. Driver A will take the car on Saturday, and B on Sunday. The Pole and the Fastest Lap will provide a single point in both the Drivers’ and Team’s Championships.

Notable Drivers

The Indian Racing Festival has produced a handful of very talented drivers, and has also hosted some very prominent ones.

Akshay Bohra, who placed overall third in the Indian F4 standings last year, has been tearing it up internationally. He went on to win in the Le Castellet round of the Italian Formula 4 championship, while also taking pole position in Mugello.

The biggest draw for IRL will be Neel Jani. The sportscar legend, who has won Le Mans in both GT and Prototype categories, will race for Hyderabad Blackbirds. Partnering Jani in Hyderabad will be Akhil Rabindra, another driver who has proven himself internationally.

Sohail Shah and Raoul Hyman will also continue to race the same car, and defend their title.

Stories to look forward to

The Indian F4 championship introduced a shootout challenge, the winner of which will receive a fully sponsored seat for the season. The winner of the inaugral shootout challenge, Gaincarlo Artho will try to impress and perhaps gather some silverware.

Pressure will be on for the Indian drivers to deliver a championship at home as well. The stakes are high for everyone, because the champion earns a seat in the next season of FRIC free of cost.

In the IRL, focus will be on Bangalore Speedsters to defend their team’s title. Laura Camps (Hyderabad Blackbirds) will look to join Sarah Moore as a female race winner. Sohail Shah and Raoul Hyman of the Goa Aces will also try and defend their title. Neel Jani and Akhil Rabindra will contest their claim to the title as well.

New sponsors, partners and broadcasters

The IRF has joined with Kingfisher as a presenting partner. The Chief Marketing Officer, Vikram Bahl has been vocal about his support for the growth of Motorsport in India.

After streaming the races on youtube for the past seasons, Indian Racing Festival have also struck deals with Star Sports to broadcast on television, along with Fancode as their OTT broadcasters. Fancode already offers F1 broadcasts, along with F1TV in India. The races will be aired on the Star Sports Select 2 channel on televisions, and online on Fancode.

Follow DRC on socials and the DRC website for Live Updates on to Indian Racing Festival.

The weekend in Chennai was expected to be a close competition between youngsters. And with marginal differences between winners and second-finishers, we were not disappointed. Read about the National 2W Racing Championship Round 3 in our weekend review.

Friday – The fight for positions

Friday marked the first day of on track action. For the qualifying session, it was close fight between Saarthak Chavan and Chiranth Vishwanath.

In the Pro Stock (301-400cc) category, Saarthak snatched the pole position from Chiranth by a tenth of a second. A new name at the top of the leaderboard was of Alwin Sundar (KTM Gusto Racing). He had the provisional pole in this category until the final 2 minutes of the session, before Saarthak and Chiranth finished their final laps. He ultimately finished P3 in the qualifying, still a noteworthy feat.

For the Pro Stock 165cc category, the top 2 were reversed. Chiranth took pole from Sarthak by 1.4 seconds! Chennai’s KY Ahamed completed the front row.

In the Stock Novice 165 cc category, Abdul Basim took P1 honors while in the Novice 301-400cc class, Kaushik Subbaiah Ganesan was P1. In the Girls Stock 165cc, Ann Jennifer will be starting from pole.

For the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, Mohsin Paramban from Malappuram was P1. Meanwhile in the TVS One-Make Championship, Senthilkumar topped the RR310 Open grid while Saimah Ajaz Baig was atop the Girls RTR 200 leaderboard.

Saturday – first day of racing action

Saturday marked the first day of racing action and it was nail-biting. Starting from the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category, Sarthak and Chiranth got good starts and soon broke away from the field. They both maitained status quo until the last lap. Chiranth and Sarthak both exchanged leads within a space of two corners. However, when this scrap was over, Sarthak was the leader of the two. Desperate to win, Chiranth sent it around the outside in the last right hander. Unfortunately, he lost his bike and Sarthak crossed the line to win.

The podium was completed by Rahil Pillarisetty (KTM Gusto Racing India), ahead of team-mate Alwin Sundar. Chiranth did manage to get up and crossed the line in P10.

In the Pro-Stock 165cc class, it was redemption for Chiranth Vishwanath as he managed to win the race. However, it was not without a fight. Starting with a wounded leg from the morning’s 301-400cc race’s crash, Chiranth got into contact with Sarthak. This time, it was Sarthak who went down. However, this meant that Vishwanath had fallen behind Jagan Kumar and KY Ahamed. Still, Chiranth made easy work of the two and finished the race to take his maiden win of the 2024 season of National 2W Racing Championship. Sarthak recovered from the fall to finish fifth.

Elsewhere, Abdul Basim went ahead and won again in the Novice Stock 165cc category. Meanwhile in the Girls Stock 165cc category, we had a new winner in the form of Ryhana Bee.

In the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (NSF 250R), Mohsin Paramban converted his pole position into a win. The podium was completed by Kolhapur’s Siddesh Sawant and Prakash Kamath from Bengaluru.

For the TVS One-Make Championship, Manoj Yesuadiyan crossed the finish line first in the Open (RR310) class, while in Rookie (Apache RTR 200) class, Harshith Bogar crossed the finish line first. In the Girls (Apache RTR 200) category, Saimah Baig scored her second win.

Sunday – Final day of racing

As almost by force of habit, Chiranth and Sarthak were again at it. Starting from P10 in Race 2 of Pro Stock 301-400cc class, Chiranth passed multiple time National Champion,  Rajini Krishnan and many more. He even passed 6 riders in the first lap itself. He would later go on to win this race from Rajini Krishnan and Alwin Sundar. Sarthak, meanwhile, stalled his bike in the first lap and finally finished in 8th.

In the Pro Stock 165cc race, Sarthak came home in P1 after starting from P5. This was his second win of the season in this class. Chiranth was starting on pole in this class, but after leading for few laps, he was overtaken by Jagan Kumar and KY Ahamed, and soon by Sarthak as well. Finishing on the podium was Jagan Kumar and Chiranth Vishwanath, who put up a late fight.

Read review from the previous weekend here.

17 Year-old Abdul Basim and 15 year old Rakshitha Dave topped the classes of Stock 165cc (Novice) and Girls (Stock 165cc) races, respectively. Meanwhile, there was a new winner in the Stock 301-400cc class. Bengaluru’s Savion Sabu won that race with a dominating performance.

In the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, Siddesh Sawant scored his maiden win. Savion Sabu and Beedani Rajendar completed the podium.

For the TVS One-Make Championship, Senthilkumar C won his fourth race in this season in Open RR310 class. Meanwhile, CS Kedarnath recorded his first victory in RTR 200 category.

This marked the end of National 2W Racing Championship Round 3. The series will be back from 6th-8th September.

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John Abraham now owns the Goa Aces by JA Racing for the 2024 Indian Racing Festival. Known for his charisma and racing enthusiasm, Abraham will drive the Goa franchise forward. His commitment to advancing motorsports in India adds substance, glamour, and excitement. As the thrilling season approaches, Abraham’s dual passion for the sport and the spotlight guarantees a spectacular event.

From August 24 to November 17, the Indian Racing Festival, organized by Racing Promotions Pvt. Ltd. (RPPL), will roar with the sounds of engines and screeching tires. In its third season, IRF promises unmatched intensity and spectacle, featuring the Indian Racing League (IRL) and the FIA Formula 4 Indian Championship (F4IC). This exhilarating festival will deliver extraordinary racing excitement, making it bigger and better than ever.

John Abraham will amplify his impact in his new role with the Goa Aces by JA Racing. His dedication to safe riding, shown in his personal pursuits and admired by countless fans, will serve as a powerful influence. This dual commitment on and off-screen will inspire a new generation of racing enthusiasts.

“Having John Abraham as the owner of Goa Aces is poised to unlock immense potential for developing Goa into a premier motorsports venue. John’s deep passion for racing and his collection of bikes and cars will amplify interest in the sport, adding to the region’s proud sporting culture. This strategic move promises to also elevate Goa’s status in the motorsports world and expand its appeal beyond traditional racing circles,” said Akhilesh Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director of RPPL.

John Abraham is known for his involvement in football ownership, he will now make a significant impact in motorsports as the owner of Goa Aces by JA Racing. With his deep passion for the sport and commitment to motivating the motorsports community, Abraham aims to enhance the vision of the Indian Racing Festival. His influential presence and strong connection with India’s youth are expected to attract a new generation of fans, elevating the sport’s profile and igniting enthusiasm across the country.

Expressing his enthusiasm about joining the Indian Racing Festival as the owner of Goa Aces by JA Racing, John Abraham remarked, “I’ve always been captivated by fast cars and bikes, and I’ve longed to be part of this thrilling sport as it makes new strides in our country. I am thankful to the IRF team and as owner of Goa Aces, I’m excited about the opportunity to help build a robust motorsports ecosystem in Goa and, with the Indian Racing Festival, uncover new talent that can shine on the global stage in the near future.”

Goa Aces: Reigning Champions of Indian Racing Featival

Goa Aces are the reiging cars champions of the Indian Racing League. The #24 car driven by Sohil Shah and Raoul Hyman won the Cars’ Championship last year. Both drivers last year combined for 3 poles, 2 wins and 3 podiums in 6 races. They lost out in the team’s championship by just 6 points, finishing behind Bangalore Speedsters. This year not only would they be looking to defend their title, but also do the double by winning the Teams’ Championship.

Exciting Star – Studded Season up ahead

Fans are gearing up for three months of thrilling racing weekends. John Abraham joins the lineup, adding excitement. Sourav Ganguly owns the Kolkata Royal Tigers, and Arjun Kapoor owns the Speed Demons Delhi team. This star-studded group highlights the growing popularity of motorsports in India. The Indian Racing Festival attracts achievers from diverse fields who share a passion for cars, creating an electrifying celebration.

The 2024 Indian Racing Festival features eight city-based teams from Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Goa, Kochi, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata. These teams will compete fiercely for the championship from August to November. The event promises a high-octane spectacle, showcasing top motorsport talent from India and beyond. Additionally, the festival will introduce a groundbreaking night race on a street circuit in Chennai, marking a historic first for Indian motorsports and amplifying the thrill and grandeur of the second edition.