Greater Noida: Akhil Khushlani and Aditya Patel gave the Indian fans a perfect reason to break into celebration at the SIDVIN Festival of Speed with podium finishes, while Ashton Hare claimed the top honours of the JK Racing Asia Series (JKRAS) here today.
Khushlani, racing as a guest driver in the JKRAS began the race from third spot on the grid in round 13 but took the lead in the fourth lap. He held on to his lead but a slight problem cost him the advantage to Hare. The South African driver set a timing of 20:23.383 seconds.
Khushlani trailed him by 0.188 seconds while Malaysian Afiq Ikhwan sealed the final place on the podium with a timing of 20:29.089 seconds.
The Indian driver was well poised for a win on his home soil but a problem with his tyres cost him the first place finish.
“I was quite quick up there at the middle of the race but my tyres started graining so I had lot of over-steer. Aston caught up and I didn’t want to overdrive and risk his Championship so I played it safe,” the Hyderabadi told the reporters after the race.
In round 14 of the race, it was Patel who kept India’s flag fluttering high after he took the finished the race in third place.
The race was eventful from the first lap itself with Afiq Ikhwan of Malaysia leader Nabil Jeffri to take the second position, with Hare leading the race.
However a drive-through penalty to Jeffri saw him slipping down the ordder and Patel seized the opportunity to take the third position.
Khushani threatened Patel during the dying moments of the race but the latter held on to his nerve to finish third.
Hare clocked 20:16.541seconds while Ikhwan was second at 20:18.914 seconds.
Hare, who won the rookie championship already is on course of his driver’s championship as his two wins now, sees him trailing by 12 points from leader Jeffri.
In the MRF challenge Jordan King dominated both the races of the day.
The second event of the MRF series was the most with the race staying unpredictable till the last moments of the race.
Indian racer Parth Ghorpade started number one on the grid but he dropped to 11th in the first lap itself. The race saw lot of overtakings before King emerged as the winner. Luciano Bacheta finished second, while Alice Powell trailed her to third.
Earlier the race had to be stopped for some 10 odd minutes after Japanese Yuudai Jinkawa’s car crashed with Tom Gladdis’s. Both the drivers escaped unhurt.
By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
By Indian Sports News Network