If you are a two-wheeler racing freak you should have been at the Godrej grounds in Vikhroli, Mumbai, for the Sportscraft Cup Autocross on Sunday, August 31. It was an event Sportscraft should have held long ago, to enable Mumbai’s speed merchants test their skills in a safe environment rather than on the roads.
After reading about the success of the first round, held a couple of weeks earlier, two-wheeler riders turned out in numbers for the second of the three-round competition, The event was organized and promoted by Sportscraft to bring back the grass root level 2- wheeler event back in Mumbai which the boys were missing. The event was supported by Godrej, Zodiac, Overdrive and Bisleri.
And despite the rain staying away for most of the contest all had a whale of a time negotiating the zig-zag, dirt track specially laid out for the event.
While the hairpin bends needed the finesse of an experienced rider to negotiate, riding through the bog areas along the course too proved as challenging.
There were many experienced riders, some of whom regularly participate in the National Dirt Track championship, but they were all undone by the tough course and a young Pune rider named Snehal Chavan, who claimed the day’s honours.
Chavan went through the motions with the efficiency of a professional rider to clock the best timings and win two of the five classes for which competition was held.
In winning the classes for motorcycles above 130cc upto 165cc Group C – 2 stroke and motorcycles upto 130cc Group C – 4 stroke, he stole the limelight from riders like Rustom Patel, Badal Doshi and Amir Dalvi.
Riding a Yamaha RX, he won the class for morotcycles above 130cc upto 165cc, Badal Doshi had to settle for second place and Rustom third.
If that was not enough, he confirmed his class when riding a Yamaha YBX he topped the class for bikes upto 130cc too. Rustom and Badal failed to finish even among the top three as the second and third places went to Jagjit Singh and Malcolm Elavia respectively.
However, Rustom, riding a Honda CRF, did have his moment in the sun as he emerged the fastest rider of the day while winning the class for Foreign Motorcycles upto 260cc Group A – 2 & 4 stroke bikes. He zipped around the course with the finesse of the champion dirt track rider he is to post the best time of the day. Badal Doshi was second in the category and Pinkesh Thakkar third.
Percy Billiardmarker got the day’s proceeding to a rousing start, winning the first event, the scooter class upto 80cc upto 160cc 2 & 4 stroke. Vineeth Kurup and Tarak Daiya placed second and third respectively.
Ganesh Lokhande won the class for motorcycles above 130 cc upto 165cc, narrowly clocking a better time than second-placed Amul Satpude and Pinkesh Thakkar respectively.
Indeed, Sportscraft needs to be complemented for reviving autocross for two-wheelers. If has given young riders a change to put themselves and their speed machines to the test in a safe environment. Instead of speeding on the roads in traffic this autocross is the best ground for them to show off and let the world too take notice of their talents.
While all had an enjoyable time, the goodly crowd that turned up to watch an event like this perhaps for the first time also had much to cheer about.
Race Results
