Coimbatore, Dec 17 (IANS): Kyle Kumaran from Chennai showed red hot form to win the first two races in the JK Tyre Novice Cup category in the Final Round of the 25th FMSCI National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway on Saturday.
However, in the third race of the day, Kyle crashed out, which means Vinith Kumar is now the championship leader with 60 points. The two are separated by just two points with Sunday's last race set to be a virtual shootout.
On a sunny day, ideal for racing, where conditions on the 2.3km-long track were perfect, Kyle showed that he was focussed for the grand finale weekend, the fourth round of the championship. This is the 25th year of the JK Racing Championship and assumes added significance.
The JK Tyre Novice Cup races are hard fought with not much difference between the top three, all from Dark Don Racing. Kyle, from Chennai, has proven his calibre in karting and even won events in the United Arab Emirates, where he is based.
On Saturday, in the first two races, he showed great speed and verve at the wheel. "I did not think of any pressure at all on me. I was well prepared mentally for the weekend and did my best," said Kyle. The final day action on Sunday will be high octane, as that will decide the winners in all the categories.
Looking at the timing sheets, the difference between Kyle and Vinith Kumar and Joel Joseph in the first two races was not much. It showed that in these cars, the driver with better skills can do well. Dark Don Racing have done very well this weekend, having been a regular team at the JK Racing Championship at the Kari track on the outskirts of Coimbatore.
Speaking on the 25th year of JKNRC, Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsports, JK Tyre said, "For a Championship to traverse 25 long years is indeed a big feat. A lot of hard work, and commitment from many have gone into the making. It has become an institution in itself, grooming hundreds of young and budding racers to compete at the world stage. We're proud to give the world, champions who are leading by example. As we witness the final round of action unfolding at the silver jubilee edition of JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship, we thank all our partners and competitors for their support in our landmark journey."
In the LGB Formula 4 category, the premier racing event in the JK Tyre Racing Championship, there was thrill and spill. Two incidents resulted in the race being completed under the red flag. Anushriya Gulati from Dehradun was involved in one incident and had to be taken for a preventive check-up afterwards. She was later back at the Kari circuit.
The engines used in the JK Tyre Novice Cup and LGB Formula 4 category are the same, Maruti Swift engine. The LGB Formula chassis has been worked upon though both categories offer drivers an even chance to showcase their skills. Many drivers who have made it to the LGB Formula 4 began from the Novice Cup.