Thrills, talent and tight finishes
Round 2 of the JK Tyre Racing Season 2025 delivered an action-packed weekend of racing at the Kari Motor Speedway on the outskirts of Coimbatore, bringing together India’s best young drivers, seasoned professionals, and emerging talent under one electrifying motorsport spectacle. Across categories — from the debut of the JK Tyre Levitas Cup to the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup and the JK Tyre Novice Cup — Round 2 reaffirmed JK Tyre’s role for nurturing racing talent and growing motorsport from the grassroots up.
Coimbatore’s Jai Prakash Venkat showed he could handle the Maruti Ignis with confidence, topping the charts in the final race of the Levitas Cup, introduced this year in JK Tyre’s racing calendar. The weekend was demanding, with cloud, rain, and strong breeze making it a true test of skill and nerve. By Sunday afternoon, Jai Prakash had timed 14:38.492 over 10 laps of the 2.3 km circuit.
For Nihal, Saturday was a memorable start, as he combined speed with skill to win the first race. Mechanical issues later slowed him down, but racing against experienced drivers was a valuable lesson. Still in school, Nihal will take away plenty from this weekend.
The highlight of Sunday afternoon was Jai Prakash’s duel with Mira Erda, competing as a guest driver, in the fourth race. Mira, a seasoned professional, finished on the podium in all four races, proof that her competitive spirit remains strong. “I am thrilled I could go strong. This car is a delight, even though it is new. There are enough safety features in it, including a roll cage, which makes it good,” she said. Mira has been in the sport for over 15 years.
The single-make Levitas Cup races, spread across two days, showed the potential of the machine in promoting grassroots talent. Jai Prakash peaked in the fourth race, clocking his best lap at 1:26.100. “I am very happy, it has been a good Sunday,” he said.
Sunday’s bike races added to the thrill. On the heavy Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup machines, two Kari Motor Speedway regulars turned up the heat. Navaneeth Kumar and Anish D Shetty battled fiercely, their rivalry peaking in the final lap of the third race. In a dramatic finish, Navaneeth edged past Anish by just 2/1000th of a second. Navaneeth clocked 13:21.934, while Anish posted a best lap of 1:16.898. “I am thrilled, but must admit I was lucky to win such a close race,” Navaneeth said. Already a proven racer, he finds this season particularly exciting.
The ‘Street to Circuit’ theme of the bike races is about scouting fresh talent from cities across India. Some rookies had never raced on a circuit before. Among them, Johring Warisa from Umrangso, Assam, gained invaluable experience competing alongside veterans like Navaneeth and Anish. His timing and speed showed steady improvement through the weekend.
The JK Tyre Novice Cup added another layer of excitement to the weekend, offering a crucial platform for emerging racers to showcase their talent and gain competitive experience. Across three closely contested races, Bhuvan Bonu of MSPORT impressed with two victories (Race 1 – 16:06.951 and Race 3 – 16:26.624), while Abhijit Vadavalli of Momentum Motorsports clinched the win in Race 2 with a commanding time of 14:23.860. Vinith Kumar M and Lokithlingeash Ravi also featured prominently on the podium, underlining the depth of young talent in the field. The Novice Cup once again highlighted JK Tyre Motorsport’s commitment to building the next generation of Indian racing stars from the grassroots level.
