Chennai, September 14 – In a race filled with tension and unexpected turns, UK driver Jon Lancaster of Chennai Turbo Riders claimed his second victory at the Indian Racing Festival’s third round on Day 1, hosted at the Madras International Circuit. Lancaster’s win was handed to him in dramatic fashion after front-runner Ruhaan Alva from Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers faced a late-race mechanical failure.
Alva, who led most of the race, looked set for a decisive victory after starting from pole position. However, with just a few corners left, a gearbox malfunction dropped the 18-year-old Bengal Tiger driver from first to third, opening the door for Lancaster to snatch the win. Czech driver Gabriela Jilkova (Goa Aces JA Racing) capitalized on Alva’s misfortune as well, finishing second.
In a display of consistent pace, Lancaster, 35, closed the gap from four seconds behind Alva, poised to capitalize on any slip-up. “You’ve got to take the opportunities,” Lancaster said after the race, acknowledging that luck had played a part in his victory.
Earlier, Alva had built a commanding lead, but disaster struck when his car’s engine stuttered and his gearbox became stuck in third gear after avoiding a spun car. This allowed both Lancaster and Jilkova to overtake him. Alva eventually limped home to secure a bittersweet third-place finish.
The race, part of the Indian Racing League, is one of five rounds sponsored by Kingfisher Soda, JK Tyres, Mobil 1, and Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Limited.
Formula 4 Indian Championship: Jaden Pariat Dominates with Lights-to-Flag Victory
In the Formula 4 Indian Championship, Jaden Pariat of Bangalore Speedsters stormed to victory, claiming his second win of the season. The 17-year-old from Shillong dominated the race, leading from start to finish after an impeccable start from pole position. Pariat, who also set the fastest lap, never faced serious threats from the pack and finished comfortably ahead of South African Aqil Alibhai (Black Birds Hyderabad) and his teammate, 16-year-old Abhay Mohan from Bengaluru, who completed the podium in third place.
Further down the field, fierce battles unfolded for track positions. Notably, Abhay Mohan climbed from fifth on the grid to secure his podium spot, passing fellow Bengaluru driver Ruhaan Alva, who ultimately finished fifth.
JK Tyre-FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship: Bala Prasath Steals the Show
In the JK Tyre-FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship, Coimbatore’s Bala Prasath led a 1-2 finish for Dark Don Racing in Race 1, after starting from third position on the 24-car grid. His teammate, Tijil Rao, finished close behind in second, while Ahura Racing’s Chetan Surineni from Bengaluru took third in a race punctuated by two Safety Car periods.
Bala’s second win of the season came after pole-sitter Viswas Vijayaraj (Dark Don Racing) lost his lead following the race’s first Safety Car deployment. The final laps saw a reshuffling of positions as Surineni made a late move to claim third before the second Safety Car period ended the race.
Race 2, which was shortened due to two red flags, saw Surineni take top honors, with Bala Prasath and Viswas Vijayaraj rounding out the top three. In the Rookie class, Bengaluru’s Dhruv Goswami continued his strong form, finishing first ahead of Hyderabad’s Abhinav Reddy and Pune’s Neythan McPherson.
The Indian Racing Festival continues to deliver thrilling action as drivers battle for supremacy in one of India’s premier motorsport events.
