JK Tyre-MMS Rotax Max Kart Open 2013: Round 1 Results

The 2013 Karting season kickstarted with the opening round of the JK Tyre-MMS Rotax Max Kart Open 2013 at the Kart Centre at Lahari Resorts in Hyderabad May 4, 2013. Meco Racing team drivers Arjun Shrikanth, Tejas Ram and Paul Francis won in the Seniors, Juniors and Micromax category respectively. The round had 30 participants in three categories which is the Seniors category (16 years and above), Juniors category (13 to 16 years) and Micro Max category (7 to 12 years).

Female biker and Volkswagen Polo Cup driver Alisha Abdullah also participated in the event and was the only female driver on the grid. In the Seniors category Arjun Shrikanth finished the first round with 35 points followed by Brael Dias representing Rayo Racing team and Raghul Raghaswamy from Meco Racing team.  

Meco Racing team driver Tejas Ram finished first and second in the two races on the weekend to win the round, securing 38 points. He was followed by another Meco racing team Mahaveer R, who finished second in one race and won the other securing 36 points in all. The two Meco drivers were followed by Aaroh Ravindra of Rayo Racing team in third spot with 26 points.

In the Micro Max category Bangalore driver Paul Francis secured a win and a third place finish, scoring 40 points in all. He was followed by fellow Meco Racing team driver Shahan Mohsin who secured 30 points and Oorjit Mishra who finished third with 25 points. 

The winner in each of the categories will receive a trophy, a kart training programme, complete karting gear from Alpine Stars, and a fee waiver on the entry fee of the next round in the series. A free training programme in Formula 4 has been promised this year to the Kart Open winners, a new addition to the current booty.  The winners of the championship represent the country at the Rotax Max World Finals every year. The next round will also be held in Hyderabad on May 5, 2013.