Sundar declared national racing champion

CHENNAI - Ashwin Sundar of Speed NK Racing has been declared champion in the Formula Rolon Chevrolet class of the 2009 JK Tyre National Racing Championship after the Chennai-based racer successfully appealed the decision of the stewards to exclude him from the both the races of the concluding round last month.

However, Sundar was awarded a suspended three-race ban for the 2010 season by the Indian Motor Sports Appellate Court (IMSAC) that heard the appeal.

The IMSAC, in its ruling, threw out the exclusion in the first race but upheld the second while imposing the suspended three-race ban, according to a press release from the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) Monday.

In the final round last month, Sundar was involved in incidents in both the races. Fellow-racer and Championship leader Saran Vikram, as the affected party, had protested immediately after the first race in which Sundar had finished third, but the Stewards did not conduct a hearing.

In the next outing, Sundar and Vikram were again involved in a collision leading to retirement of both. Vikram protested again. The Stewards had a sitting on both the protests and decided to exclude Sundar from both the races for dangerous driving.

Sundar appealed the decision and his reinstatement in the first race meant that he tied with Vikram on points, each having 64. But Sundar, with more wins, was declared winner on the basis of number of wins. Gaurav Dalal of Red Rooster Racing was placed third with 63 points.

The final championship points tally is: 1. Ashwin Sundar (Speed NK Racing) 64 points; 2. Saran Vikram (Independent driver) 64; 3. Gaurav Dalal (Red Rooster Racing) 63.