The Madras International Karting Arena (MIKA) buzzed with excitement this weekend as it hosted the fifth and final round of the MECO-FMSCI National Karting Championship Rotax Max Classes 2024. The event saw the crowning of India’s national champions in the Micro Max, Junior Max, and Senior Max categories.
Rivaan Dev Preetham (MSPORT) dominated the Micro Max category, retaining his title with a commanding performance. In the Senior Max class, Ruhaan Alva (MSPORT) emerged victorious, while Pune’s 12-year-old Arafath Sheikh (Crest Motorsports) secured the Junior Max title, narrowly edging out Chennai’s Eshanth Vengatesan (MSPORT). These three national champions earned the honor of representing India at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Sarno, Italy, from October 19 to 26.
Meanwhile, across the globe, the world of motorsports witnessed thrilling action. Ross Chastain, driving the No. 1 Trackhouse Chevrolet, delivered a dramatic victory in the NASCAR Playoffs Round of 12 opener at the Kansas Speedway. Chastain snatched the win from title contenders, taking the lead from Martin Truex Jr. just after the final restart. This victory marked Chastain’s first of the season and injected excitement into the Playoffs.
William Byron, who finished second, missed out on an automatic advancement to the Round of 8. Championship leader Kyle Larson faced a significant setback, dropping to fourth after a tire cut and crash that forced him to a 26th-place finish. Larson is now only 18 points above the cut-line. After this round, Byron moved to the top of the standings, with Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell trailing by six points.
In the MotoGP world, Jorge Martin continued his dominant form, claiming his third race win of the season in Mandalika, Indonesia. Starting from pole position, Martin led from start to finish, extending his lead in the Drivers’ Championship. The Pramac Racing driver now sits 21 points ahead of reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia.
Martin’s victory wasn’t without a challenge, as 20-year-old rookie Pedro Acosta pushed the championship leader hard. Bagnaia, who won Saturday’s sprint race, finished third, but the crash-filled race on Sunday prevented him from making further gains in the championship standings.
The Indian driver Arjun Maini also made headlines in the DTM series at the Red Bull Ring. After securing pole position in qualifying, he finished third in the first race, becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat in the sports car series. However, he faced some struggles with radio issues during the race. Despite a less impressive eighth-place finish in qualifying 2, Maini recovered in Race 2 to secure another third-place finish, concluding his campaign at the Red Bull Ring with a strong performance.
