FMSCI National Racing Championship: Anish Shetty and Bhuvan Bonu dominate Round 1 in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE — For connoisseurs of motorsport, the Kari Motor Speedway on the outskirts of Coimbatore, the thrill and speed of cars and bikes pushing the limits was on full view as the Royal Enfield Continental Cup presented by JK Tyre and JK Tyre Novice Cup brought nail-biting action to life.

Part of the 28th JK Tyre Racing Championship, the weekend saw exciting races in its two categories as Anish Shetty and Bhuvan Bonu came out all guns blazing in Round 1 which concluded over the weekend.

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Anish dominated the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup. To win a hat-trick of races spread over Saturday and Sunday was a sight to watch. If competition in the two-wheeler category was made to look woefully one-sided by Anish, born in Hubli and settled in Bengaluru, he had slogged hard for it. These bikes, weighing close to 200 kg are not easy to tease on the track. Anish showcased fitness and form and above all speed to catch the attention of one and all. The weather pattern over two days was different.

Saturday was sunny and bright where Anish showed that the rich field belonged to him. He has been racing bikes since age 15. Now, at 30, he is the seasoned master who is reaping the rewards for working hard and pushing his bike. The GT Cup grid is a mix between the seasoned riders and novices who have emerged from a trial of sorts from the street to circuit. Perhaps, one more boy who could match Anish in terms of challenge was Kayan Zubin Patel from Mumbai. Kayan was not as fast as Anish, but the third race of the weekend saw defending champion Navaneeth Kumar from the previous season bouncing back to second place.

Overall, in the standings, Anish Shetty is way ahead with 30 points. Kayan is at 19 points and Navaneeth at 12 points. “It has been a fruitful weekend and all the hard work paid off,” said Anish Shetty. For the young drivers who were also part of the grid as novices, watching Anish was a learning experience. He showcased speed and style with his bike. Among the amateurs, Bryan Nicholas from Pondicherry was just too good as he won all three races (36 points). Behind him was Johring Warisa (27 points) from Umrangso. Kabir Sahoch from Vadodara was third in overall standing with 18 points.