Bengaluru, June 6, 2025: In a landmark moment for Indian motorsports, TVS Motor Company has become the official race machine provider for the National Championship Pro Stock 200 class at the 2025 Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship (INMRC), which is scheduled from 6-8th June at MIC, Chennai. This marks the first time in the history of Indian motorsports that a brand has been entrusted to design, develop, and supply race-tuned motorcycles specifically for the National Championship, reaffirming TVS Motor’s leadership and commitment to racing excellence. This breakthrough paves the way to democratize two-wheeler racing, making it easier and more affordable for independent racers to participate, reflecting FMSCI and MMSC’s vision of expanding competitive motorsport.

The National Championship Pro Stock 200 at INMRC 2025 is a new and exciting format introduced by the MIC to elevate competition and support independent racing teams. As part of this development, TVSM will provide race-tuned TVS Apache GP200R motorcycles to independent teams, who will engage their racers to compete in this championship class. Additionally, PETRONAS TVS Racing team will provide complete technical support and machine service and maintenance to ensure peak performance throughout the season. With 20 years of TVS Apache’s racing heritage behind it, this milestone marks a powerful step forward in Indian motorsports. The selection process for participating teams and racers was recently concluded at the Madras International Circuit on May 28, 2025. Seven teams and twelve racers have been selected for this dynamic new class. 

Vimal Sumbly, Head – Premium Business, TVS Motor Company said, “At TVS Motor Company, our racing DNA drives us to innovate and lead from the front. We are proud to be the first two-wheeler manufacturer in Indian motorsport history to supply race-tuned machines for the National Championship. This landmark development, supported by the vision of the Madras International Circuit makes it easier and more affordable for independent teams to participate and compete at the highest level. This year holds even greater significance as we mark two decades of our flagship performance brand, the TVS Apache – a true embodiment of our ‘Track to Road’ philosophy. As we charge into the new season, we aim not just to race, but to raise the bar for motorsports in India once again.”

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE RACE-TUNED TVS APACHE GP200R

The race-tuned TVS Apache GP200R is engineered for performance and agility, delivering significantly enhanced output and handling. It features:

• • Cubic Capacity: 200 cc
  • Bike Weight: 105 kg
  • Maximum Power: 40% increase over stock engine
  • Top Speed: 155+ kph

Key highlights of the race-tuned TVS Apache GP200R include:

• • Modified cylinder head for higher volumetric efficiency, high lift camshaft, high compression ratio, advanced ECU with closed-loop control, quickshifter and data logging capabilities, fine-tuned induction and exhaust system.
  • Adjustable front and rear suspension, aerodynamic bodywork, lighter racing wheels, aluminum subframe, and higher braking power.

PETRONAS TVS RACING TEAM FOR INMRC 2025 PRO STOCK 300-400CC CLASS

With legendary 11-time national champion Jagan Kumar retired from competitive racing, he will continue to serve as a rider coach for the PETRONAS TVS Racing team. Joining the team this year are two young and skilled racers, Rakshith Dave and Alwin Sundar. They will be joined by ARRC ace rider Sarthak Chavan, along with top performer, Chirant V and the first ever Indian rider to participate as a wildcard entry in world Moto3, KY Ahamed. The team is focused on achieving peak performance and continuing TVS Racing’s legacy of excellence in this competitive class.

BIKE MODIFICATIONS FOR THE 300-400CC CLASS

For the 2025 season, the Pro Stock 300-400cc race bikes will benefit from several enhancements, including engine refinement based on the 2024 season learnings, planned new aerodynamic bodywork from mid-season, and modifications to the rear suspension to enhance handling and performance. 

OVER FOUR DECADES OF RACING DNA

For over 43 years, TVS Racing has been at the forefront of Indian motorsports, continuously pushing the boundaries of racing excellence. This commitment to innovation and performance extends beyond the racetrack into TVS Motor Company’s flagship motorcycle brand—TVS Apache, which celebrates 20 years of engineering excellence this year. The TVS Apache series embodies TVS Racing’s ‘Track to Road’ philosophy, integrating race-derived technology into high-performance motorcycles. Spanning 160cc, 180cc, 200cc, and 310cc models, the lineup features segment-first innovations, from ride-by-wire technology to race-tuned fuel injection. 

With over 400,000 riders in the Apache Owners Group (AOG), TVS Apache has built a passionate global community, bringing the thrill of racing to streets and track enthusiasts alike. As it enters its next chapter, TVS Apache remains dedicated to offering cutting-edge performance, redefining what it means to ride with power and precision. 

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Although rain threatened to interrupt proceedings Friday at the 2.258-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, three IMSA-sanctioned series completed five largely clean practice sessions Friday to kick off the O’Reilly Auto Parts 4 Hours of Mid-Ohio weekend. The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge headlines the weekend with its second four-hour race of the schedule.

Practice Notes

BMW entries went 1-2 in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class practice, with the No. 39 CarBahn with Peregrine racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO of Jeff Westphal ahead of the No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 EVO of Francis Selldorff. Westphal’s best time was 1 minute, 26.471 seconds (94.005 mph) and a full 0.343 of a second clear of Selldorff. The No. 44 Ibiza Farm Motorsports McLaren Artura GT4 was third.

The No. 93 MMG Honda Civic FL5 TCR paced the Touring Car (TCR) class with LP Montour driving. The Honda set a best time of 1 minute, 27.017 seconds (93.416 mph) and ranked seventh among all 38 cars competing this weekend.

One red flag flew for the No. 2 GS class entry in the session, off course at Turn 5. For causing the red flag, that car will lose its fastest lap turned during qualifying on Saturday.

In IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Corey Lewis was fastest in P3 in Practice 1 with Oscar Tunjo leading Practice 2. Lewis, substituting for an injured Matthew Dicken, topped Practice 1 at 1 minute, 19.287 seconds (102.523 mph) in the No. 36 RAFA Racing Ligier JS P320. Tunjo beat that in the No. 31 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08 at a quicker 1 minute, 18.028 seconds (104.177 mph) that stood as the fastest lap of the day.

AJ Muss (No. 66 Af Corse Ferrari 296 GT3) and Jake Walker (No. 6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3) led the two GTDX sessions while Kiko Porto (No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2) topped both GSX sessions.

Grant West (No. 50 Spark Performance) and Tyler Gonzalez (No. 57 BSI Racing) led the two Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin practice sessions.

Ohio’s Hometown Drivers and Teams

The standalone IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge O’Reilly Auto Parts 4 Hours of Mid-Ohio serves as a home race for several drivers in the 38-car field.

In GS, Zach Veach (No. 16 CSM Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS) and Patrick Gallagher (No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 EVO) get to compete not far from their hometowns of Stockdale and Thornville, respectively.

Veach has raced at Mid-Ohio in a plethora of series, from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (he finished second in GTD in a Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 in 2021) to several open-wheel junior series on the way up to the IndyCar series. He’s known CSM team co-owner Stephen Simpson for well over a decade; in fact, Veach made his WeatherTech Championship debut standing in for Simpson at the 2015 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca event, co-driving with Misha Goikhberg in the Prototype Challenge class.

For Gallagher, an Ohio State University graduate with an engineering degree who got to watch his hometown Buckeyes capture the college football national championship in January in Atlanta in-between the Roar Before the Rolex 24 and Rolex 24 At Daytona, it’s an extra special venue to compete at.

“Excited to be racing here at Mid-Ohio, my home race,” Gallagher reflected. “I’m an instructor at The Mid-Ohio School. Have done some teen schools, racing schools and other programs they offer. I have a lot of family and friends from just down the road in Thornville. Grew up and been coming here my whole life. Always love racing at home.”

They’re not alone among Ohio locals racing here. In TCR, the father-daughter duo of Larry and Riley Pegram hail from Hebron, Ohio; they’ll race in the No. 72 Pegram Racing Hyundai Elantra N TCR.

Honda’s manufacturing facility in Marysville, Ohio isn’t far from here either, and this track serves as a home race for longtime competitors HART – or Honda of America Racing Team – and drivers Chad Gilsinger (Marysville) and Tyler Chambers (Columbus). Gilsinger noted more than 20 people from HART will be here this weekend, a handful of whom are experiencing an IMSA weekend for a first time within the team’s internal development ladder.

Wright Motorsports, a multi-time IMSA champion which races this weekend in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, is also based in Batavia, Ohio, a Cincinnati suburb. This marks the first time that Adam Adelson, who acquired the team from John Wright in late 2024 before it was formally announced in April 2025, gets to race a Wright car at the team’s home track since the purchase was announced.

Le Mans-Bound from Mid-Ohio

Five IMSA drivers racing this weekend will head straight from Ohio to Le Mans, France to compete at the Circuit de la Sarthe, although none will be in the 24 Hours of Le Mans itself.

Ford Performance Junior Team drivers Jenson Altzman and Sam Paley will compete as part of the Mustang Invitational, which has a pair of races. Altzman and Paley continue their Michelin Pilot Challenge GS season in the No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing with Aerosport Ford Mustang GT4; Altzman’s year has also included his first two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship starts in Ford’s GT3 car, the No. 66 Gradient Racing Ford Mustang GT3.

As noted a little over a month ago, there’s also a handful of IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge drivers competing in the Michelin Le Mans Cup’s Road to Le Mans race. The Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports duo of Valentino Catalano and Oscar Tunjo will race separately in a pair of Duqueine D08 chassis this weekend (Nos. 30 and 31, respectively), then share the team’s No. 70 Duqueine D09 Toyota in France. Samantha Tan will be in the No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3 in Mid-Ohio, then will race the No. 38 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 in the Road to Le Mans with Gustav Bergstrom.

Saturday Schedule

VP Racing Challenge teams qualify Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m., with GSX out first and then GTDX and P3 combined at 9:50 a.m. Race 1 is at 2 p.m., streaming on Peacock and IMSA’s Official YouTube channel.

Michelin Pilot Challenge teams go out for a one-hour Practice 2 at 10:55 a.m. with Qualifying later Saturday afternoon. TCR is out first at 4:10 p.m. with GS following at 4:30 p.m.

IMSA Wire Service PR

Kyle Busch is on his way to a Hall of Fame career in NASCAR. He has won numerous races at every level, Craftsman Truck, Xfinity and, of course, Cup Series. Wherever Kyle Busch goes his wife Samantha has been seen for years. She is a familiar presence cheering on her husband as he looks to notch victories. Television cameras gravitate to Samantha Busch as she sits atop the box hoping her husband captures checkered flags.

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This article originally appeared on The List Wire: Photos of Samantha Busch, wife of NASCAR champion driver Kyle Busch

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, capping off a weekend of racing at the Brooklyn track and pumping a lot of money into the surrounding communities.

Experience Jackson is the convention and visitors bureau for Jackson County.

President and CEO Ryan Tarrant says NASCAR fans from around the Midwest flock to MIS for the auto racing.

“They’re here, you know, filling hotel rooms. They’re spending money at local restaurants, shops,” said Tarrant. “So, it’s a huge economic impact for the local economy.”

Amber Nace, manager of the Comfort Inn and Suites in Jackson, says her hotel was fully booked for the weekend.

“Everybody goes to NASCAR, everybody loves this,” she said. “We also get really busy even right before the weekend, so we’ve been sold out for a while.”

Tarrant says the weekend event is just part of what Michigan International Speedway brings to the area.

“You’re talking like almost 400,000 annual visitors,” said Tarrant. “That economic impact is well north of $100 million a year.”

This year’s NASCAR weekend at MIS was moved to early June, after several years of holding the event in August.

Seattle — Hall of Fame driver Jimmie Johnson usually travels at 250-300 feet per second, but the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion from El Cajon, Calif., will fulfill a childhood dream and complete a 46-year journey of just 14 feet when he enters the cockpit of the fabled Atlas® Van Lines “Blue Blaster” of Unlimited hydroplane legend Bill Muncey at the Seafair Weekend Festival, August 1st.

Johnson’s journey began in San Diego in September 1979, while celebrating his fourth birthday at the Unlimited hydroplane races on Mission Bay. His favorite boat, the two-time national champion and three-time Gold Cup-winning Blue Blaster, owned by the legendary hometown driver Bill Muncey, broke down mid-race near the Fiesta Island beach.

Twists and Turns
Following Muncey’s death aboard the Blue Blaster two years later at the 1981 UIM World Championships in Acapulco, the boat was cosmetically, but not operationally, restored and presented to the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C. as an early example of a marine surface effects vehicle. 

His widow, Fran, continued the Atlas Van Lines team with a new boat and driver, Chip Hanauer.  They would combine to win the APBA Gold Cup for the next seven consecutive (1982-88) years.  Today, all four — Johnson, Hanauer and Bill and Fran Muncey — are inductees in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) in Daytona Beach.

The Restoration
When the Blue Blaster rotated out of the Smithsonian collection, it headed to the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum in suburban Seattle, where museum director David Williams and their amazing volunteer crew, led by the late Don Mock, undertook a fully operational restoration.

When the stunning restoration was complete, the Muncey family returned to Lake Washington to rechristen the boat with Hanauer driving.

The 40-year Mystery is Solved
A few years later, Hanauer, Williams, and Mock learned from a Johnson crewmember that the driver was a Unlimited hydroplane fan. He provided Johnson’s contacts.

When Hanauer reached out and described the opportunity to possibly drive the Blue Blaster, Johnson got very excited.

Johnson explained that growing up in San Diego, his birthday was the week of the big boat races. The Blue Blaster was his favorite boat!  His dad, Gary, would take him to the pits early in the week and they would watch the races from the beach on Fiesta Island.

Jimmie recalled that one year (1979), the Blue Blaster had broken down in the race and was drifting near the beach. Fans were wading out to the boat. His dad, Gary, carried Jimmie out and, with a nod from Bill Muncey, sat his son on the deck of the boat.

When Hanauer described the call, Mock recalled a photo from that San Diego race with Muncey on the bow and a little kid in a yellow hat near the back. He quickly located the photo. Bingo! For 40 years, no one knew that little kid was Jimmie Johnson!

Johnson was unaware of the photo, but at the Museum’s request had his mom confirm that indeed that was young Jimmie on the boat.  

The Invitation
As part of Johnson’s 2024 induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, the Muncey family and Hanauer told the story of the little boy in the photo and extended a formal invitation on behalf of the Hydroplane Museum for Jimmie to drive the Blue Blaster.

Earlier this year, Johnson cleared his calendar to accept the invitation, and plans are now in place for him to drive the Blue Blaster on Seattle’s Lake Washington on Friday, August 1stas part of the Seafair Festival. On that morning, almost 46 years to the day from when he sat on its rear deck, he’ll travel the roughly 14 feet to its cockpit.

Williams and the Hydroplane Museum team will join the Muncey family, and MSHFA president George Levy to welcome Johnson. Hanauer, a Seattle native and 11-time winner of the APBA Gold Cup and seven-time series champion will serve as Johnson’s Blue Blaster driving coach.

LMC PR

Del Worsham, one of drag racing’s most gifted drivers and tuners of 330 mile per hour nitromethane vehicles, is the 2025 inductee for the prestigious Legends of Thunder Valley, historic Bristol Dragway’s Hall of Fame.

Worsham is one of only three NHRA drivers in history to win world championship crowns in both the Top Fuel (2011) and Funny Car (2015) categories, the top two divisions in the sport. The Southern California native, who in 1990 became the youngest driver to win an NHRA race in Funny Car at age 21, earned 33 career victories in NHRA competition, including 25 in Funny Car and eight in Top Fuel. In IHRA competition, Worsham’s Bristol IHRA victory in a tough final over Whit Bazemore helped him clinch the IHRA crown in the 1992 season.

Worsham, who raced in many competitive races at Bristol Dragway and competed at the track under both NHRA and IHRA sanction, will be inducted during the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, June 6-8.

Worsham, 55, is the 22nd inductee in the Legends of Thunder Valley and joins the exclusive club that also includes Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, NHRA founder Wally Parks, John Force, Don Schumacher, last year’s inductee Shirley Muldowney, Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher and Scotty Cannon, to name a few. He will be presented with the customary Legends of Thunder Valley plaque by Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway president and general manager Jerry Caldwell during pre-race ceremonies, which begin at 11 a.m. The accompanying signage showcasing his name in brilliant red will be installed upon the grandstand suite fascia as part of the ceremony.

In his career, Worsham claimed three victories at Bristol Dragway as a driver, including two in NHRA (2003 and 2009) and one in IHRA (1992). He also scored one win and one runner-up finish as a crew chief at Bristol, tuning Alexis DeJoria to victory in 2021 and a runner-up finish in 2012. He also tuned DeJoria to the No. 1 qualifying position at Bristol in 2021. In 2019, Worsham also had success as a crew chief guiding Funny Car rookie Shawn Langdon to the No. 2 qualifying position and a quarterfinal finish.

Worsham was always fast at Bristol. He set low ET in 2009 and 2014 and top speed in 2008, 2010, 2014 and 2016. He claimed No. 1 qualifying awards in 2013 and 2014 in Funny Car. Both of his No. 1 qualifying performances in 2013 (4.008 seconds) and 2014 (3.992 seconds) were certified official Bristol Dragway Track Records at the time.

In his lone NHRA season in Top Fuel he won the world championship, which included a quarterfinal finish at Bristol to Spencer Massey and leaving the event as the series points leader.

“Del is one of those rare individuals who can do it all in the drag racing arena,” Caldwell said. “In addition to his superlatives on the national stage including world championship titles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, Del really performed great at Bristol Dragway during his career, earning multiple victories, No. 1 qualifying performances and posting track record times and speeds. He did it as both a driver inside the cockpit and a crew chief turning the wrenches in the pits. We are thrilled to induct Del into Bristol Dragway’s Legends of Thunder Valley, in recognition of all that he has accomplished over the years at Thunder Valley and in NHRA competition.”

Guests are invited to come out and celebrate with Worsham June 6-8 at Thunder Valley. He will be featured in several autograph sessions, including Saturday night’s popular Fan Fest in the Pits. Worsham is entered in the race as a team owner and crew chief for the Funny Car being driven by Julie Nataas, the 2023 NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster world champion.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans will get to see plenty of NHRA stars during the weekend, like recent Bristol winners Austin Prock, Ron Capps, Justin Ashley, Doug Kalitta, a three-time Bristol winner, motorsports icon Tony Stewart, who is making his second Bristol Dragway start, four-time Top Fuel champ Steve Torrence, three-time champ Antron Brown,  Virginia cattle rancher and four-time world champ Matt Hagan.

The high-revving Pro Stock category returns to action at Bristol with some new faces leading the way including Dallas Glenn, Aaron Stanfield, Christian Cuadra and Troy Coughlin Jr. Meanwhile, series veterans and multi-time champs Greg Anderson, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Erica Enders are ready to return to their winning ways. Enders and Coughlin are three-time Pro Stock winners at Bristol.

The 200-mph Pro Stock Motorcycle class also returns this season and Bristol has produced three winners in three seasons: Gaige Herrera, Steve Johnson and Angelle Sampey. Matt Smith, Angie Smith, Chase Van Sant and Richard Gadson.

The Congruity Pro Mod Drag Racing Series also will return to Bristol Dragway along with the NHRA Lucas Oil Series, Mountain Motor Pro Stocks and the Factory Stock Showdown.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

There are three major events that fans definitely won’t want to miss, including Friday’s Nitro at Night qualifying session where the Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars “light their candles” and power down the drag strip at more than 330-mph as flames erupt out of their header pipes. That session is scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. A brilliant fireworks show will complete the racing on Friday.

On Saturday, race officials will host the popular Fan Fest in the Pits, where many of the top drivers are available to meet with fans and sign autographs. This event begins 30 minutes after the final pro qualifying session and is held in the large Guest Welcome Center tent in the pro pit area.

The other is the Sealmaster TrackWalk on Sunday morning prior to pre-race ceremonies. Join NHRA drivers and NHRA officials as they walk the famed Bristol Dragway quarter-mile strip before racing begins.

Qualifying for the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals begins Friday, June 6 with a pair of pro sessions, the first at 5 p.m. and the second under the lights at 7:30 p.m. The final two rounds of qualifying are set for Saturday, June 7, at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. and will include the new bonus program Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. Final eliminations are scheduled for noon on Sunday, June 8.

Friday’s two-hour qualifying show will air on FS1 at 7:30 p.m. (ET), and be followed by another 90-minute qualifying show on Saturday at 8 p.m. (ET), also on FS1. Sunday’s three-hour final eliminations show will air at 3 p.m. (ET) on FS1.

Single-day Friday tickets start as low as $35 for adults. Saturday adult tickets start at $52 and Sunday’s tickets start at $42. All grandstand tickets for kids 12 and under are free on Friday and $10 each day on the weekend with a paid adult. Discounted weekend packages and limited premium seating are also available.

To purchase your reserved seats, call Bristol Dragway at (866) 415-4158. Tickets also are available online by visiting the BMS website.

BMS PR