Hyderabad, Sep 2 (IANS) Close contests are on cards in the fifth and final round of the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Rotax Max Karting Championship beginning at the Meco Ministry of Sports track here Saturday.
The original six rounds have been reduced to five, but the race for the championship titles in the Micro Max, Junior Max and Senior Max categories is closer than ever before.
The CIK/FIA-approved championship, promoted by Meco Motorsports, serves as an entry-level platform for aspiring young racers with the championship winners in all three categories becoming eligible to represent India in the World Championship scheduled for later this year.
As such, the final round has attracted 34 entries among whom the Maini brothers from Bangalore, Kush and Arjun, representing the Maini Racing team head the Micro and Junior Max categories with 222.5 and 325 points, respectively, while Kolhapur?s Chittesh Mandody of Mohite?s Racing Academy, tops the Senior Max class with 342 points.
Due to restructuring of the programme that will include two Pre Finals and two Finals, a maximum of 178 points are up for grabs in each of the three categories and the championship leaders can ill-afford to be complacent with other contenders not far behind.
Kush Maini is ahead of Kolhapur?s Pradyumna Danigond of Mohite?s Racing by 21.5 points while Bangalore?s Akash Gowda of Meco Racing is only another point adrift, at 220 with Kevin Vinay Lazarus of Mohite?s Racing filling the frame at 197.
Similarly, just 24 points separate the top five in Junior Max. Krishnaraj Mahadik (Mohite?s Racing) at 323 has leader Arjun Maini in his sights, followed by team-mate Dhruv Shivaji Mohite (317), Arya Gandhi of Rayo Racing (306) and Tarun Reddy of Meco Racing (301).
However, the front-runners in Junior Max have to be wary of Jehan Daruvala (Rayo Racing) who slipped from first to sixth in the championship standings with 289 after being stripped of his points in the fourth round following a disqualification after post-event scrutiny of his kart.
In the Senior Max, Mandody has to contend with Sandeep Kumar (Meco Racing) who is 30 points adrift on 312, ahead of Raj Ganatra of Rayo Racing (308), Vishnu Prasad of Meco Racing and Mithun Ganatra of Rayo Racing, 305 each.
The Rotax Max series was introduced in India in 2004 by Meco Motorsports with JK Tyre as the title sponsors. It was subsequently accorded National Championship status in 2009.
