CHENNAI, India – Local driver Sandeep Kumar enjoyed a perfect weekend, winning all three MRF Formula 1600 races during the final rounds of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship at the Madras Motor Race Track, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Hyderabad racer Anindith Reddy from securing the championship spoils.



After being separated by mere fractions of a second during practice and qualifying, Kumar took advantage of his pole position to take the lead at the start of the opening race on Saturday. He was further assisted when Chetan Korada inadvertently ran into the back of championship leader Reddy in the early stages. Both combatants continued further down the order, although Reddy later was forced to retire with extensive rear wing damage.



Kumar nevertheless had to work hard for the win, with single-seater debutant Kevin Desouza chasing him all the way to the finish and teenager Arya Singh also close behind in third.



A fourth-place finish in the opening race earned Ishaan Dodhiwala the opportunity to start on pole for the position for the second, reverse-grid race on Sunday morning, although by the end of the opening lap it was Singh who found himself in the lead ahead of Kumar. Reddy also moved up quickly to ensure a three-way battle for the lead.



Singh, who had earlier secured the Formula LGB 1300 Championship, soaked up the pressure until the penultimate lap when both of his more experienced rivals found a way past. Kumar claimed the victory by a scant 0.191s over Reddy, with Singh just 0.642s further back in third.



Kumar completed his weekend sweep later in the day, leading all the way from the pole. Korada and Reddy were embroiled in a spirited scrap for second place until both of them spun, leaving the way clear for Singh to move up into second place and free to chase after Kumar. The youngster drove another fine race but it was Kumar who held on by just 0.281 to secure his sixth win of the season.



Desouza also impressed again on his way to third ahead of the recovering Reddy.



Kumar’s perfect end to the season drew him level with Reddy on six wins, despite not contesting the opening two races at MMRT in January. Reddy already had done enough to clinch the championship by a comfortable margin, although since he is over the age limit for an invitation to the Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout, Kumar will be hoping for an at-large bid to the event which will be held in December at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Chandler, Arizona.



About Madras Motor Sports Club

The Madras Motor Sports Club has been the pioneer in developing and promoting motorsport in India since 1953, and we look to further improve in the years to come. It is the club’s endeavor to provide more opportunities for competitors and to this end, it has chalked out a progressive program for 2016. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2015, making it the only club which owns such a facility. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the Asian 2-wheeler racing championships besides a host of other motorsport events over the years. The club also has active participation for its events from vehicle manufacturers who also use the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) extensively for testing their products.