First ever Continental GT Cup saw entries from 500 participants. It ended with Anish Damodar emerging as the national champion…
Royal Enfield have announced the successful conclusion of India’s first authentic retro racing championship – JK Tyre Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup 2021.
The final race of the season took place at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The racing series made its debut in September of 2021 and saw nearly 500 participants from all across India. By the end, 18 of the fastest riders qualified for the starting grid and were given the privilege of fighting for the championship on the track-ready Continental GT-R650 featuring minimalistic, yet purpose-built modifications.
Royal Enfield iterates that the Continental GT-R650 retained everything mechanically from the stock motorcycle and was minimally modified with a retro fairing, stiffer suspension, a more aggressive riding posture and stainless steel exhausts suited for track racing. This race machine was provided to the 18 selected riders to fight for the championship over four rounds.
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At the end of the thrilling four rounds of racing, Anish Damodar Shetty from Hubli emerged as the National Cup Champion with 64 points, followed by Allwin Xavier with 61 points as the first runner up and Anfal Akdhar with 40 points as the second runner up.
RE further shares that it was a three-way battle between Anish, Allwin and Meka Viduraj where Allwin won the final round followed by Meka Viduraj and Anish in second and third place respectively. However, Anish Damodar Shetty continued to dominate in the first 3 rounds and secured the top spot, securing maximum points to win the overall championship.
Commenting on the successful inaugural season, Mr. B. Govindarajan (Executive Director, Eicher Motors) said –
“The success of the first season of the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup stands as a testimony of our efforts to bring accessible track-racing close to those budding and aspiring racers in the country. The championship aims to inculcate the competitive spirit of these riders and provide an opportunity to learn and improve their riding skills on track”.
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He further adds –
“The impressive performance of the close-to-stock Continental GT-R650 only goes to prove the potential of this brilliant cafe racer. In line with our efforts to nurture passion, skill and the spirit of competition, we shall also introduce track schools to provide professional training access to enthusiasts. Congratulations to the winners and I would also like to express my gratitude to every participant, crew member, and our partners who have contributed to the massive success of this season.”
Motivated by the success of their first season of Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup, RE have announced that they have big plans for next year and aims to offer more exciting opportunities for aspiring racers and take the retro championship experience a notch higher. They further shared their plans to launch track schools in the near future to encourage rider skill development in a safe and controlled environment.
