Team Suzuki Press Office – November 21. In an exciting finale to the Suzuki GIXXER Cup single-platform championship in India at Buddh International Circuit, Joseph Matthew was crowned the 2017 Champion aboard his Suzuki SF150.
An exciting weekend of racing, that also included the Asia Cup of Road Racing, saw wheel-to-wheel action in the popular series that is sanctioned by the FIM and FMSCI, and for 2017 sponsored by JK Tyre Motorsports.
Matthew, of Coimbatore, warded-off a spirited challenge from the defending champion Sachin Chaudhary, from Ahmedabad and at this final round, the added incentive for the racers was an opportunity to test their mettle against the continent’s best racers on the common grid for two extra races with the Asia Cup of Road Racing riders.
A crowd of 30,000 saw India’s Sai Rahil Pillarisetty take the top spot in both the races, although in Race 2, Japan’s Ms. Miu Nakahara ran him close, finishing just 0.19 seconds in second-place
In the Suzuki Gixxer Cup, having entered Round 4 with 56 out of a possible 60 points, Joseph reaped dividends of his previously consistent performances to stake claim to this year’s championship. Despite Sachin winning both the races, the eight-points earned by Joseph in Race 1 from a second-place finish ensured the championship victory.
Sachin had earlier won Race 1 as well in just 17:30.116 minutes, ahead of Joseph by 0.321 seconds. However, it was his stunning victory in the final race that had made it a Sunday to remember for the audiences that had packed into the iconic Grandstand. Clocking 17:28:492 minutes over his six laps; Sachin edged past Mumbai-rider Sanjeev Mhatre by just 2.903 seconds to romp home. In the process, he took the second spot in the 2017 Gixxer Cup Championship with a total tally of 49-points, while Malsawmdawngliana, from Aizwal, managed a third-place finish with 43 points. Aizwal Lalmawipuia, who finished fifth in the race, ended the championship in fourth-place with 42 points as Sanjeev’s second-place finish at the final race allowed him to end the championship fifth with 32-points.
