The third round of the hotly-contested Suzuki Gixxer Cup at the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai, India at the weekend again provided exciting and close racing in both the Open and Novice classes.
The Open Class (over 23-year-olds) upped the game with Ananth Raj taking both the wins and converting his 12 point deficit into an 11 point championship lead over arch rival Abhishek V. Both races were neck-and-neck with the top five riders swapping positions at every corner and providing the most exciting races of the weekend.
To make things even more interesting for the final two rounds, it ended with three riders tied at points for third overall in the championship. The event also saw Vivian Gladwin David post a lap time of 2:10.686, making it one of the best lap times ever by any one-make race manufacturer at the circuit.
The Novice Class (under 23s) did not disappoint either as the top two contenders Vishewadev Muraleedharan and Amarnath Menon took a win each, leaving Antony Peter and Sreejith PR to battle it out for the final podium position. Both races were closely fought with the top-three riders locked in a fierce competition.
At the end of the day, Vishwadev holds a narrow two-point lead from Amarnath, making for an equally-exciting race at round four next month.
Team Suzuki received positive feedback and appreciation not only from the riders and teams but from officials and spectators as well. There was plenty of praise for the Suzuki Gixxer SF and its excellent handling and performance on the racetrack.
Although it sets a very high level of expectation, the team at Suzuki India is confident about meeting and surpassing it in the final round of the brand-new race championship.
The fourth and penultimate round of the 2015 Suzuki Gixxer Cup takes place again at Chennai on September 4-6th.
For more information about the Gixxer Cup, check-out the following links:
Open Race 1 (6 laps):
1. Ananth Raj 13:19.429,
2. Sathish Kumar 13:20.313,
3. Abhishek V 13:20.505.
Best Lap: Vivian Gladwin David 2:10.686 (102.4 kmph).
Open Race 2 (6 laps):
1. Ananth Raj 13:24.292,
2. Meka Vidhuraj 13:25.318,
3. Vivian Gladwin David 13:25.928.
Best Lap: Ananth Raj 2:11.716 (101.6 kmph).
Novice Race 1 (6 short laps):
1. Vishwadev Muraleedharan 7:48.692,
2. Antony Peter 7:55.826,
3. Sreejith PR 7:56.170.
Best Lap: Amarnath Menon 1:16.541 (98.8 kmph).
Novice Race 2 (6 short laps):
1. Amarnath Menon 7:49.736,
2. Vishwadev Muraleedharan 7:50.205,
3. Antony Peter 7:50.328.
Best Lap: Vishwadev Muraleedharan 1:16.633 (98.7 kmph).
