The final 25 racers for season 2 of the JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup have been shortlisted. Approximately 480 aspirants registered for the selection process, out of which 100 made it to the final selection process. Out of the 100, 25 fastest racers have been selected to compete in the cup’s season 2. Previous champion Anish Shetty returns to defend his title against close rivals Allwin Xavier & Anfal Akhdar. The cup will be held in the Pro-Am Series (10+15 format).
The Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup prides itself on its ‘Pure Sport’ philosophy with a unique racing format for India. This format is focused on building & providing an easy entry platform in track racing for new entrants as well as experienced racers.
This year’s 25-racer grid includes ten professionals and 15 amateurs under this year’s Pro-Am Series format. The Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup awaits the winner of this multiple-round competition. The new season saw previously unseen levels of participation from all over India. This shows the country’s passion for motorcycling and motorsport as a whole. 70% of the selected candidate were from South India, and the highest number of final selected participants were from Tamil Nadu. As mentioned below, the participants this year form an extremely exciting atmosphere for the upcoming final rounds of the cup. The reigning champion from season 1, Anish Shetty, returns to compete with Allwin Xavier and the 21-year-old Anfal Akhdar (the youngest racer among the 25).
Other interesting participants include Naresh Kaname & Reddy Manvinth. The great diversity among the finalists is a testament to how motorsport passion cannot be defined by age or background. All 25 riders will compete on a modified version of the Continental GT-R650. These ones have been tuned and enhanced by Harris Performance and come with clip-on aluminium handlebars and rear set foot pegs, among an array of other modifications. Although the Continental GT-R650 is already a race-ready motorcycle that offers a ‘Pure Racing Experience’ these modifications by Harris Performance are bound to add spice to the races. The sports-enhanced soft compound tyres from JK Tyre allow additional grip and control to all racers.
The season consists of 3 rounds, all being hosted at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore. Each round will see two races, with the first round starting on the 15th of September and the second race for the first round being held on the 18th of September. The first race of the second round will be held on the 28th of October and the second one on the 30th of October. The third and final round’s first race will be on the 16th of December and the second one on the 18th of December. More updates about the cup can be found on Royal Enfield’s website.
Words: Sresht Garg
