With 13 national titles in his pocket, ace rider Hemanth Muddappa gunning for more
Ace Indian rider, Hemanth Muddappa of Mantra Racing, who bagged his 12th National title last year, has sealed one more championship title this year with a round to spare, and is gunning for more in the fourth and final round of the MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship at the Madras International Circuit (MIC), near here, on Sunday.
With an unbeatable lead of 29 points, the Bengaluru rider sealed the title in the 4-storke 1051 to 1650cc Super Sport class for his 13th title and he is taking part in three more classes, with a chance to bulge his kitty.
He is also leading the 4-Stroke 851 to 1050cc Super Sport class by 22 points over compatriot Niranjan Kumar, and the 4-stroke Unrestricted class by 10 points over Mujahid Baig of the Fast Track team.
However, he is behind Hyderabad ace Mohammed Riyaz, also of Fast Track, by 10 points in the 4-stroke 551 to 850cc Super Sport class.
Despite being the most decorated drag rider in the country with many records across different tracks in the country, the combination of Muddappa and Mantra Racing are hungry for more and are pushing the machines to reach the magic mark of 15 National titles.
“We worked hard and put in sustained efforts to reach this far. We are well-prepared and going all out to make history on Sunday,” said Muddappa, who is nicknamed "LightningR1", for his super fast runs. No rider has ever won more than a dozen FMSCI National titles in the history of Indian motorsports.