- Dhruv Mohite [Copyright: Volkswagen Motorsport India]

Ameo Cup: Jeet Jhabakh, Dhruv Mohite win Sunday races at MMRT

It was an action packed two races on Sunday in the one-make Volkswagen Ameo Cup.

Darshan Chokhani posted in Motorsport India & World

3y ago

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Saurav Bandyopadhay started Round 2 in the Volkswagen Ameo Cup at Madras Motor Race Track with a win in Race 1 which meant he had to start Race 2 on Sunday from eighth in a Top 8 reverse with Siddharth Mehdiratta on pole.

It wasn’t a straightforward start in Race 2 though after Mehdiratta caused a delay when he signaled the marshals to check if he lined up properly on the grid. He was then forced to start from the pitlane as Tuhid Anwar took the lead from the front-row from Jeet Jhabakh.

Behind, Race 1 winner Bandyopadhay made it up to third fighting with Anmol Singh when Dhruv Mohite encountered car issues. Jhabakh took the race lead after passing Anwar who dropped further as Bandyopadhay and Singh also cleared him.

Jhabakh came under pressure from Bandyopadhay but an off moment for the Mumbaikar allowed Singh to pass him for second. This helped Jhabakh to win comfortably as Singh took second and Bandyopadhay was third when title rival Mohite suffered a retirement.

Anwar lost further places after Pratik Sonawane fought his way up from 15th on the grid to fourth – making up 11 places. Shubhomoy Ball was fifth from Akshay Bhivsheti with Anwar slotting in seventh after leading at one point.

Jay Sandeep Sangharjka finished eighth as Mehdiratta fought his way up to ninth after starting from the pitlane with Shivani Pruthvi completing the Top 10, keeping Amjad Khan at bay.

Positions 11-15: Khan, Anuranjan Velmurugan, Renuka Gajendran, Arefeen Raafi Ahmed, Ayush Tainwala.

Race 3

The final race of the weekend saw Bandyopadhay start from pole alongside rival Mohite at MMRT. However, the Mumbaikar was taken by Mohite in the opening lap which was marred with an incident further back, resulting in a safety car period.

Mohite led the way from Singh who also leapfrogged Bandyopadhay with Jhabakh in fourth followed by Sonawane, Ball, Mehdiratta, Sangharjka, Khan and Tainwala. It was a perfect re-start from Mohite who continued to lead the race.

But it was a fight for second place as Singh, Bandyopadhay, Jhabakh and Sonawane scrambled for track position. Jhabakh was a winner in this fight as he moved to second from fourth, demoting Singh to third.

Sonawane also made a position as he cleared Bandyopadhay with the Mumbaikar slipping from first to fifth in a space of few laps. At the front, it was a comfortable victory for Mohite after the forced retirement from Race 2.

Jhabakah completed a solid day in second after winning Race 2 with Singh rounding out the weekend with his third podium. Bandyopadhay did cleare Sonawane in the end to fourth as the Pune-born driver came under pressure from Ball.

Mehdiratta was seventh from Sangharjka, who led a train of cars with Khan in ninth and Tainwala 10th - the trio separated by 1.654s over the line. Pruthvi missed on a points finish with Bhivshet, Gajendran and Anwar rounding out the finishers.

Velmurugan and Ahmed were the two who collided at the start of the race.

In the Indian National Touring Car Championship, Arjun Narendran was victorious in Race 2 as Varun Anekar won the Super Stock category with Chrys DSouza winning in the IJTC class.