Santosh and Shabir up against stiff challenge

Chennai, Jul 12 (UNI) Defending champion C S Santosh of Team TVS Racing in Group A, Foreign Motorcycles Upto 250cc category, and Syed Shabbir in Novice championship -- Motorcycles Upto 160cc Group D - 4 Stroke, -- will be up against stiff challenge from C Vijaykumar and Hafeeur Rehman in the Gulf Dirt Track National Championship to be held here on July 22 and 23.

Announcing this at a press conference here, Shrikanth Karani of ''Sportscraft'', the event manager said in the first round held at Mangalore on April 15 and 16, Santhosh had accumulated 40 points and Hafeeur 20 points in the Indian Expert Championship - motorcycles above 250cc Group B Class - 2 and 4 strokes and novice class above 80cc Upto 150cc Group D- 2 stroke classes.

Rustom Patel of Mumbai will be hoping to retain his lead in the Private Expert Championship -Motorcycles Above 80cc Upto 150cc, Group B Class - 2 Strokes. But he will also be up against tough competition. Other significant names will be from Nasik, Pune and Jaipur.

Gulf Oil Corporation Ltd, the sponsor is bringing the championship to Chennai for the first time.

A total of five rounds are held in a year. As per the position of the participants they are awarded points. At the end of the last round, the points accumulated will be added and the National Champion will be declared.

The third, fourth and fifth rounds will be held at Raipur, Nasik and Jaipur on September 16 17, November 11 and 12 December 9 and 10.

The event is being held under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).

The following are the events: Indian Expert Class: Motorcycles upto 150cc 2-stroke, Group 'B' and Motorcycles upto 250cc 4-stroke, Group 'B'; Foreign Motorcycles upto 250cc 2&4-stroke, Group 'A'.

Private Expert class: Motorcycles above 80cc upto 150cc 2-stroke Group 'B', Foreign Motorcycles upto 250cc 2&4-stroke Group 'A'.

There are special Championship classes for the Novice rider.

Motorcycles above 80cc upto 150cc 2-stroke Group 'D' Motorcycles upto 125cc 4-Stroke Group 'D Motorcycles above 125cc upto 160cc 4-stroke Group ' D' A maximum of 25 entries per classification - modified and unmodified vehicles in various classes will be accepted on first come basis.

There will be cas awards for the first three places in each category of races.

UNI VV AY PM1412