THE OPENING ROUND of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2025 is set to get underway at the Kari Motor Speedway on 19 July, featuring 75 entries across multiple categories.
The compact 2.3 km circuit, with its 16 turns, will host a mix of single-seaters — including the MRF F2000, F1600, and Formula LGB 1300 — as well as saloon cars such as the popular Indian Touring Cars (ITC), the newly introduced ITC1625, Super Stock, and the Indian Junior Touring Cars (IJTC) besides the Volkswagen Polo Cup.
One of the major highlights of the weekend is expected to be the touring cars, led by local favourite and multiple-time national champion Arjun Balu. Returning after a year’s break, Balu will compete in the super-quick race concepts-prepared Honda City IVTEC. He will face strong competition from defending champion Biren Pithawalla (Team N1) from Mumbai, who will be behind the wheel of a VW Polo.
MMSC president Ajit Thomas said welcoming the participants, “We have a lot to look forward to this season, considering that there is a marked increase in the number of youngsters taking part, many of them still in their teens, and it augurs well for the championship while also reflecting its popularity. A special mention must be made of our long-time sponsors, MRF Tyres, who have been associated with us for several decades, and we thank their continued support. While the competitors are integral part of the championship, so is the Media who have unfailingly accorded substantial coverage to our events.”
Additional details:
* The two MRF Formula categories feature several familiar names. Veteran Chetan Korada from Chennai returns to the MRF F2000 grid, joined by a few young guns — most notably 16-year-old Ishaan Madesh from Bengaluru, who has been making a mark in the karting circuit.
* In the MRF F1600 class, Pune’s promising teenager Saishiva Sankaran who made his debut last season, where he claimed three podiums from six races, having joined in the final two rounds. Also lining up is Mumbai’s Zahan Commissariat, the championship’s first runner-up last year, and Bengaluru’s Priyanka Vijay — the lone female driver in the category — who graduates from Formula LGB 1300 to the next level.
* The Formula LGB 1300, known for its exciting and entertaining races, has attracted 38 entries across the Open and Junior classes, featuring a mix of seasoned racers and enthusiastic rookies.
* The ITC1625 class will witness the championship’s oldest driver, Vidyaprakash Damodaran from Coimbatore, who turns 80 in August, alongside another local ace, Suprej Venkat.
* The other two touring car categories, Super Stock and IJTC, remain among the most competitive, also comprise well-known names besides a lone woman driver, 27-year-old Deepa John from Thiruvananthapuram.
