Archive - Xtreme Autocross Championship 2012 - Round 6

KARACHI, Oct 18: The battle for the king of tarmac continued at breakneck pace as top drivers Asad Khuhro, Shamyl, and Ahsan Rasheed went all out to record the fastest time in front of a capacity crowd in the sixth round of Xtreme Autocross Championship 2012.

As the championship neared its final stages with only three rounds to go, competition in every category got more intense as drivers felt the pressure to lap up every point available for the taking.

The course was considered to be the toughest and hardest yet encountered by the drivers this season. The challenging design of the track for this round meant big engines and high-horsepower machines did not have enough space to put the power down.

Round Six was held at the Fountain Parking lot, Clifton, where the track layout was designed and executed by Mansoor Halim, who is also the race director for this season for Xtreme Motorsports.

Mansoor held the drivers' briefing at 7:30pm, after which the 6th round of Xtreme Autocross Championship 2012 was flagged off.

The Ladies category was won by defending 2011 champion Ghazal Beg, who displayed aggression with control to outpoint the rivals. Fizza Anvarali and Ammara finished second and third respectively. Fizza leads the Ladies category with 47 points.

In the D-Stock category, there were seven drivers racing for top honours. But dashing Amir Ali Shah, from his first run, was a driver who looked keen to prove his credentials. Driving his Mercedes C200, Amir showed great precision and control by posting faster laps one after another.

Nauman Saranjam gave Amir some stiff competition and, in doing so, beat Uzair Habib, who took the third position. By virtue of this victory, Amir is now tied with Uzair Habib at 40 points on the championship table.

The C-Stock category, in the absence of the last two-round winner Ayub Khuhro, meant Ghazanfar Agha could have it easier, since the championship is being contested fiercely between him and Ayub.

Ghazanfar, driving his red Honda Beat, celebrated by taking the category with ease. Omer Khuhro took the second position, while the third position was taken by Salik Sajid. Ghazanfar now leads this category by 51 points.

The B-Stock category was out and out a Mazda challenge, with the RX8s and Miata enthralling the spectators. Asif Imam, driving his Mazda Miata with new rubber, showed what he was missing in the earlier rounds, while the Miata showed why it is considered one of the best autocross machines in the business. His nemesis this season, Jam Kamal, also got new rubber for his RX8 but could not challenge Asif's speed. The third position was taken by Raheel Khan, who started out very well on the first lap but then could not hold the pace. Asif Imam leads this category with 51 points.

The C-Prepared category witnessed the magnificent driving skills of Imam Ali Shah — the three-time Xtreme Autocross champion — who drove his Suzuki Swift like a man possessed to win the contest.

Second place was taken by Saleem Tabani, who beat Khawaja Shayan by barely half a second. Saleem Tabani and Imam Ali Shah both have 39 points now in the category.

A lot was at stake in the B-Prepared category, where Mukesh Chawla, after missing the last round, had to win this round to keep his championship chances alive.

And he did just that, in brilliant style.

Mukesh started off a bit rusty but regained his confidence and turned up the heat on his rivals — Zaheer, who finished second, and Samir Feroze, who came third. Zaheer still leads this category.

But it was the heavyweight category of the championship — A-Prepared — that once again stole the limelight, with almost all the top drivers gunning for the title.

Though the absence of prolific Nadir Magsi was felt in the exciting race, it gave a good break to other drivers in this category.

The fabulous Asad Khuhro, driving his silver Toyota MR-S with the top down, proved why he is ranked as one of the best drivers in Pakistan on tarmac when he enthralled the big crowd with his precise racing lines and amazing control on the wheel to win the race.

Another Khuhro, Shamyl, took the second position, struggling a bit on the night to cope with the tight layout of the track in his wide Mazda RX7. Ahsan Rasheed, after having won the last round, had to settle for third place.

After Round 6, both Asad and Shamyl are tied on the points table with 39 points each. The prize distribution ceremony was held right after the runs were finished.

The seventh round of Xtreme Autocross Championship 2012 is scheduled for Nov 4.