The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) has elected the chairman and managing director of the Raymond Group, Gautam Singhania to represent India at the FIA's World Motor Sport Council (WMSC). Mr. Singhania confirmed this through twitter on October 15, 2017 and he was elected with 7 out 8 members voting in his favour. 

Singhania replaces Vijay Mallya who was asked to step down from the post earlier this year. The owner of the Force India F1 team and Kingfisher Airlines is wanted on charges of tax evasion and fraud. He had resigned in July 2017. Following Mallya's resignation, former FMSCI president Vicky Chandhok was deputed for the job.

Meanwhile, Akbar Ebrahim has been nominated for the deputy post. Both Singhania and Ebrahim now need to get elected for the positions in WMSC. Elections for positions in WMSC are scheduled to be held in Paris in December 2017. 

Source: Deccan Chronicle 

In a move that could give a much needed impetus to Indian Motor Sports, the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) is in talks with private entities to build tracks at Hosur, Hyderabad and somewhere between Mumbai and Pune.

FMSCI will be giving support for specifications and homologation. Depending on the investment at each track, it could either be an international level or a national level circuit. Race tracks are classified according to grades - 1, 2, and so on. The Grade 1 circuits are the best, and can host Formula 1 races. Currently, the only Grade 1 track in India is the Buddh International Circuit. The Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) near Chennai is a Grade 2 circuit.

FMSCI President Akbar Ebrahim has confirmed that they are discussing the construction of these tracks with interested parties. It will be a private corporate investment and the government will not be involved in any way. However, he declined to give further details till everything is decided and the actual construction begins.

Currently, India has a handful of tracks including MMRT, Buddh, Kari Speedway in Coimbatore and international karting tracks in Bangalore and Hyderabad. The other tracks are mostly smaller karting tracks or national level circuits.

Source - Motorsport.com

Vijay Mallya has resigned from the position of Federation of Motor Sports Club of India (FMSCI) representative to the FIA. He submitted his resignation ahead of FIA's World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) meeting in June following an intervention by the Sports Ministry.

The owner of Force India F1 Team and the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines is wanted on charges of fraud and tax evasion and is facing extradition.

Mallya's replacement will be appointed in December when the current tenure is over. In the meantime, former FMSCI president Vicky Chandhok has been deputed for the job.

Earlier, Vijay Mallya was removed from the FMSCI honorary chairman's post.

Source: LiveMint

Former racer and multiple National championship winner, Akbar Ebrahim has been elected as the new President of FMSCI. FMSCI (Federation of Motor Sports Club of India) is the chief motorsport governing body of the country. Ebrahim was elected as the President at the 43rd Annual General Meeting of the club, and will be replacing Zayn Khan, who has been leading FMSCI since September 2015.

Akbar Ebrahim has been a part of the FMSCI council for the past four years. He is also the Chairman of the four-wheel racing commission. FMSCI also had elections for the eight-member FMSCI council, in which Akbar will be the councillor for the Meco Motorsports Club. Meanwhile, J. Prithviraj has been elected as the Vice President of FMSCI. He will be representing the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC) in the FMSCI council.

FMSCI has also decided to discuss the fate of Vijay Mallya, who is currently the honorary chairman of FMSCI and also serves as India’s representative in the World Motor Sport Council, which is FIA’s decision making body. The club will be taking a call on the future role of Mallya in its next meeting.

Source: The Hindu

Gautam Hari Singhania raced in the Ferrari Challenge Europe Championship 2015 and secured second position in overall standing in the Coppa Shell category with 171 points after he managed to secure first position in the Final Race 1 at Mugello. However, in Race 2 he managed 7th position, thus his overall position was 4th on the leaderboard.

With 34 cars battling it out on the track for the world championship trophy, drivers from Europe, Asia Pacific and North America secured a podium finish, while Mr. Singhania finished fourth at the world finals. He represented India and was endorsed by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).

Gautam Hari Singhania raced with Kessel Racing, a Swiss Team, which has registered numerous wins to its name. Former F1 driver and current GT driver Andrea Motermini has been his coach for the entire season.

The entire season comprised of 15 races, spread over six weekends mainly at Monza, Imola & Mugello in Italy, Le Castellet in France, Valencia in Spain and Budapest in Hungary.

Thank you to BHPian shyn for sending in this information. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts!

Yash Motor Sports is hosting a workshop in Hyderabad to conduct discussions on all matters relating to Indian and international motorsports. Topics that will be brought to the table include the racing scenario in Hyderabad, career opportunities in India & abroad, drag racing, an overview of the NHRA (National Hot-Rod Association), an overview of motorsport and its development at the ground level.

The company will also elaborate on its plan to set up a race track in Hyderabad in association with the NHRA - USA. The company is hosting the event on September 29th.

Speakers at the event will include:

- Mark Hughes : NHRA Executive

- Vicky Chandok : Managing partner - wallace sports

- Zayn Khan : President - FMSCI

- Mr. Raj : Founder - Yash Motor Sports

Event details:

Date: September 29 (Tuesday)

Time: 4:30 -7:30 PM

Venue: Raddison, Gachibowli, Hyderabad.

For details, contact: Nagaraja (9573712582) / Email: raj@yashmotorsports.com

Facebook / Event Brochure

Mr. R. Bharath Raj, the President of The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) passed away on August 15, 2015. He was 56 and is survived by his wife.

A mine owner by profession, Bharath Raj had a passion for motorsport. He was also the Chairman of the Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC). His company, IMG Sports, has been sponsoring the K-1000 for some time now. Last year, the KMSC conducted the 40th edition of the K-1000.

IMG Sports was the promoter of the Indian National Rally Championship for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Bharath Raj was also making efforts to get the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and World Rally Championship to India.

Motorsports in India have often been victimized to the step-motherly treatment of the administration. However, backed by private sector investment and the support of petrol heads, the recognition for motorsports in India has gradually improved. In a move that will add to the positive sentiment, the government has just added the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) to the list of sports ministry-recognized National Sports Federations (NSF).

FMSCI has been included under the 'others' section of the NSF and will not receive any financial assistance from the government. The government’s recognition will prove to be a boost for the sports category, but may not prove to be of much help in getting India back on the F1 map - given that any international motorsport event mainly depends on its commercial backing.

FMSCI governing committee member and former Formula 3 racer Akbar Ebrahim, states that the government’s recognition can help motorsports in multiple ways, including the easier acquisition of clearances to conduct championships. Additionally, the government’s recognition could also mean greater interest from schools and colleges.

The government’s recognition of motorsports will prove to be a landmark achievement for the people and associations that have worked tirelessly towards its expansion and promotion.

Source: IBN Live

The month of October is loaded with motorsports action. Events include the final round of the MMSC-FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Championship for Group C & Group D, the grand finale of the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Rotax Max Karting Championship and the Rally de Bengal, Round 4 of the premier FMSCI Indian Rally Championship.

Here's a quick look at the events that have been lined up for the month:

1. The 16th edition of the Raid de Himalaya will be held between October 3 and 11. The Raid comprises of four categories – 4W Extreme, 2W Extreme and the Adventure Trail (TSD) for 4W and 2W. According to the organisers, more than 150 teams are taking part in the Raid this year. The ceremonial flag off will be held in Shimla.
2. The fifth and final round of the MMSC-FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Championship for Group C & Group D will be held at the Madras Motor Race Track on the outskirts of Chennai between October 3 and 5. The final round of the MMSC-FMSCI National Racing Championship for Formula LGB 1300 cars will be staged along with the motorcycle championship.  The MMSC One-Make Championship of TVS, Honda and Yamaha motorcycles will be held alongside.
3. The fifth and final round of the exciting JK Tyre-FMSCI National Rotax Max Karting Championship will be held in Visakhapatnam between October 17 and 19. The championship winners will get an opportunity to participate in the Rotax Grand Finals in the United States.
4. Rally de Bengal, the fourth round of the six-round FMSCI Indian Rally Championship, will be held on gravel on the outskirts of Kolkata between October 31 and November 2.

Other FMSCI-sanctioned events during the period:

1. The Scope International Car Rally for the Blind will be held in Chennai on October 11 and 12.
2. The South Lake TSD Rally (4W) will be held in Bengaluru on October 18 and 19.
3. The Rally de Bengaluru (2W) will be held in Bengaluru on October 25 and 26.

The 2014 season of the FMSCI Indian Rally Championship will be kicked off this weekend. The opening round will be held on June 13-15 at Nasik. Dubbed Mahindra Adventure Rally of Nasik, it will be run on tarmac.

The championship will feature sedans and SUVs which have been classified into four categories - Indian Rally Championship (IRC - Saloon cars / SUVs up to 3500 cc), IRC 2000 cc (Group N, 2WD), IRC 1600 cc (Group N, 2WD) and the FMSCI 1600 cc Cup (for cars homologated prior to December 31, 2007. Participants in the IRC 2000 cc, IRC 1600 cc and FMSCI 1600 cc Cup categories can also compete for the overall championship (IRC).

A total of twenty vehicles have registered so far for the national championship. Among the contestants taking part is 2013 Asia Pacific Rally champion, Gaurav Gill.

National titles will be given to the best driver, co-driver (navigator) and team in all four categories.

There will be five more rounds of the Indian Rally Championship which will be held over the coming months:

• July 13-15 at Coimbatore
• July 25-27 (Chennai)
• October 31 - November 2 (Kolkata)
• November 21-23 (Bangalore)
• December 5-7 (Chikmangalur)