Veteran Rajini bags 10th National crown

Though he finished third in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category Race 2 following a crash, Rajini did just enough to emerge victorious. The 41-year-old achieved championship success on the concluding day of the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 at the MMRT here.

Rajini, who made his National-level debut in 2003, topped the chart with 183 points and six wins. He was followed by Anish Shetty (164 points) of Race Concepts and Gusto Racing’s Rahil Shetty (156 points). Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Alwin Sundar (12 minutes, 54.438 seconds) from AS Motorsports won the overall crown in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category despite finishing second behind Sparks Racing’s Allwin Xavier (12:53.797) in the third race.

Jinendra Kiran Sangave (13:03.099) of Sparks Racing took the final spot on the podium. In the Girls (Stock 165cc) category, Ryhana Bee (10:53.980) from RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate, who had sealed the championship with a round to spare, closed the season on a winning note. After assuring his 10th National title on Friday, TVS Racing’s Jagan Kumar finished fourth in the Pro-Stock 165cc category Race 2.

Race winner KY Ahamed (15:41.370) and Deepak Ravikumar (15:41.461) ensured a 1-2 finish for TVS Racing while Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu (15:42.251) completed the podium. In the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category, Rajini needed just four points in the final round to clinch the championship.

He had a roller-coaster weekend, where he was involved in crashes in both the races. After failing to earn a point with his 12th-place finish on Friday, the experienced rider started from P12. He moved to second, but hit an oil patch on the final lap. However, Rajini (15:31.119) jumped back on to finish third behind race winner Rahil (15:12.661) and Anish (15:17.595). Anish crossed the finish line first but dropped to second following a five-second penalty for an infringement.