Tio Ellinas emerges MRF Challenge champion

Cook slips to overall second on a revision of results after protest

Rupert Svendsen-Cook (right) greets Tio Ellinas who clinched the MRF Challenge overall championship on Sunday. Photo: R. Ragu

Cyprus driver Tio Ellinas emerged the MRF Challenge 2013 champion as the season came to an end at the Madras Motor Race Track near here on Sunday.

Going into the final race on Sunday, nothing separated the title contenders Ellinas and Rupert Svendsen-Cook in terms of points.

Cook finished the 15-lap race ahead of Ellinas. However, the Brit’s joy was shortlived as the stewards declared Ellinas as the provisional champion after the latter protested over Cook forcing him off the track on the first lap during the final race.

Cook was slapped with a 30-second penalty for pushing Ellinas off the track and as a result he was demoted to 12th position in the race classification.

He has also subsequently appealed against the stewards’ decision.

Dejonghe on top

The shake-up elevated Belgian Sam Dejonghe to the top step of the podium with Ellinas and Dylan Young taking second and third spots respectively.

Earlier in the day, Narain Karthikeyan enthralled the packed holiday crowd as he won the first race of the day. Sam Dejonghe went on to win the second race.

In the last race of the day, Svendsen-Cook had a good start was on third position on Lap 2 with Ellinas still stuck in 5th place.

The Safety Car had to be employed with eight laps to go after Karthikeyan was hit by Harry Tincknell.

Karthikeyan recovered to get back on track. Sam Dejonghe took the lead when leader Ben Anderson (on reverse grid) was given a drive-thru penalty with Svendsen-Cook in second and Ellinas in third. They finished the race in the same order, thereby, handing Cook the title ahead of Ellinas.

The results:MRF Challenge:F2000:Rd 4: Race 4: 1. Narain Karthikeyan 00:26:47.015, 2. Tio Ellinas (Cyp) 00:26:48.706, 3. Rupert Svendsen-Cook (UK) 00:26:49.071. Race 5: 1. Sam Dejonghe (Bel) 00:26:57.825, 2. Tio Ellinas 00:27:09.499, 3. Dylan Young (Aus) 00:27:12.207.

Final placings: 1. Tio Ellinas (215 pts), 2. Rupert Svendsen-Cook (203), 3. Sam Dejonghe (142).

MRF FF1600cc: Rd 4: Race 2: 1. Tarun Reddy, 2. Vikash Anand, 3. Advait Deodhar.

Two-wheeler National championship: Rd6: Race 2: Group C 165cc Open: 1. K. Jagan, 2. Mathana Kumar, 3. Harry Sylcvester; Group D 165c Open: 1. Ankit Gupta, 2. Rajiv, 3. U. Deva.