Hyderabad racers shine at MRF National Racing Challenge in Chennai
By Praharsha Majeti
Chennai: Hyderabad’s motorsport talent had a strong outing at Round 3 of the MRF MMSC Indian National Racing Challenge 2W 2026, held at the Madras International Circuit (MIC) from October 30 to November 1.
The event saw 130 entries across various categories, with 16 racers from Telangana, including one woman, representing Hyderabad-based Motorsports Academy India (MAI Racing) and Racehouse Motorsports.
Akarsh Jangam and Pothu Vignesh of MAI Racing competed in the Petronas TVS Apache RTR 200 Rookie category. Akarsh qualified fourth with a lap time of 2 minutes 10.784 seconds, while Vignesh secured second place with a time of 2 minutes 10.183 seconds.
In Race 1, both riders made strong starts and quickly moved into the top two positions. They were involved in an intense battle for the lead, alongside Dev Agastya of Bengaluru. The trio exchanged positions several times, displaying their racing skills until the final lap. Vignesh made contact with Akarsh while attempting an overtake on the last lap and crashed out. Akarsh continued his battle with Dev, making crucial moves in the closing corners to win the race.
In Race 2, Akarsh and Vignesh again made strong starts and moved into the top two positions. They maintained a fast pace, while Dev and Godwin joined the contest, making it a four-rider battle. Akarsh crashed out in the penultimate lap after his front tyre clipped Dev’s bike. Vignesh regained the lead from Dev and went on to win the race.
Yashwanth Varma of Sparks Racing and Akarsh Jangam of MAI Racing also competed in the Stock 130-165cc Novice category. They qualified fourth and fifth, respectively, with lap times of 2 minutes 9.382 seconds and 2 minutes 7.440 seconds.
In Race 1, Yashwanth made a good start and moved up the field with a series of clean overtakes. By the end of the first lap, he had joined Surya and Dev in the battle for the lead. The three riders exchanged positions repeatedly, with Yashwanth eventually winning the race. Akarsh, who started from the back of the grid, made several clean overtakes to finish 10th.
In Race 2, Yashwanth continued his battle with Surya, while local rider Hariharan joined the contest. The trio fought until the final lap, when Yashwanth crashed, prompting a red flag. The race was restarted over three laps, and Akarsh capitalised on the opportunity to finish second.
Hannah Akkineni, the only woman racer from Hyderabad, competed in the Petronas TVS Apache RTR 200 Women’s category. She qualified third with a lap time of 2 minutes 16.660 seconds on the 3.7-km circuit. Hannah made a strong start to move into second place and battled Drishya Nair of Pune for the position before finishing third.
Peddu Sri Harsha, founder and owner of MAI, competed in the Superstock 400cc Open category for Gusto Racing India. He qualified third with a lap time of 1 minute 54.199 seconds.
In Race 1, Sri Harsha was involved in a close contest with Chennai riders Kabilesh and Kamal Navas. The trio exchanged positions several times, and Sri Harsha finished fifth.
In Race 2, Harsha made a good start and again battled Kamal and Kabilesh. He made several clean overtakes and capitalised on errors and technical issues faced by other riders to finish third. Returning to racing after a break of several years, he put up a commendable performance.
Rajender Beedani, the 2025 National Champion in the Novice category, competed in the Prostock 200cc Open and Petronas TVS Apache RR 310 Expert categories. Representing MAI, he secured pole position in both, clocking 1 minute 57.336 seconds and 1 minute 53.745 seconds, respectively.
In Race 1 of the Prostock 200cc Open category, Rajender made a strong start but crashed before completing the first lap. The incident triggered a chain reaction involving three other riders, and the race was red-flagged. Rajender could not restart because of damage to his motorcycle.
Starting from the back of the grid in Race 2 following the crash, Rajender made a strong launch and steadily worked his way through the field with clean overtakes to finish fourth.
In Race 1 of the Petronas TVS Apache RR 310 Expert category, Rajender had an intense battle with Hariharan of Coimbatore. Still affected by the earlier crash, he fought on to finish second.
Rajender dominated Race 2, setting the fastest laps and pulling away from the rest of the field to secure victory.
Lupin Takkallapalli of MAI Racing also deserves a mention for finishing fifth in Race 2 of the Superstock 400cc Open category.