Belgium’s Michelangelo Amendola, the championship leader, picked up two crucial points by qualifying for pole position as the third and final round of the MRF Challenge began at the MMRT here on Friday.
He saved his best for the last lap of the session, coming up with his quickest timing of 1:30.856s.
Closely behind
Following him closely was Jordanian Manaf Hijjawi (1:31.128). British teenager Joshua Mason was third quickest with a timing of 1:31.154.
Behind the trio was Aussie veteran Dylan Young (second in the championship), trailing Amendola by 16 points and qualifying fourth (1:31.245).
Earlier, last year’s first runner-up Arjun Balu from Coimbatore, driving the Race Concepts-prepared Honda City Vtec, was in a league of his own.
He clinched the pole in the Indian Touring Cars class of the MRF-MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship (Round-1), clocking a time of 1:49.894s.
The results (qualifying):
MRF F2000: 1. Michelangelo Amendola (Belgium) (1min, 30.856secs); 2. Mannaf Hijjawi (Jordan) (1:31.128); 3. Joshua Mason (GBr) (1:31.154).
National Championship (Indian Touring Cars): 1. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (1:49.894); 2. Keith D’Souza (FB Motorsports) (1:54.001); 3. D. Vidyaprakash (Prime Racing) (1:54.849).
Super Stock: 1. A. Balaprasath (Race Concepts) (1:59.220); 2. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) (1:59.962); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (2:00.338).
Support race: Volkswagen Ameo Super Race: 1. Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Thane) (1:54.222); 2. Anindith Reddy (Hyderabad) (1:54.536); 3. Avik Anwar (1:54.817).
