Raoul Hyman, Alister Yoong Triumph as The Indian Racing Festival Goa debut delivers thrills

The heat and dust at the Manohar International Airport didn’t deter the race enthusiasts from being a part of the inaugural Goa round of the Indian Racing Festival. The races which began after a delay of couple of hours delivered edge-of-the-seat excitement as Raoul Hyman and Alister Yoong claimed victories in Round 4 at the Manohar International Airport Street Circuit.

The tight 2.064 km, 12-turn street circuit; with limited run-off and heavy braking zones; proved unforgiving and unpredictable for the racers. With identical machinery across the grid, the Goa round underlined that driver skill and racecraft remain decisive.

The tight circuit and limited run off is what gave drivers an edge over the other. There was a slight Oh! moment in the first leg of the race, this is where the driver’s timing and concentration played a big role in saving the moment. And when they powered ahead, all seemed to be well. 

Representing Goa Aces JA Racing, Raoul Hyman powered to win Race 1 in 24:03.490, giving the home team a memorable triumph on debut at the Goa street circuit.

Aqil Alibhai from Chennai Turbo Riders put on an incredible performance, finishing just a thrilling 3.310 seconds behind Raoul Hyman! Alibhai crossed the finish line in second place with a time of 24:06.800! Followed by Ishaan Madesh from Speed Demons Delhi, who clinched the podium with an impressive time of 21:44.818! Although the race was red flagged in the final moments of the 25-minute showdown, the excitement was palpable as the results were reclassified based on the drivers’ positions on the track. What a day for racing.

To keep the crowd engaged between races; bike and car stunts were brought in. The stuntmen swerved, braked, did wheelies and a few circus tricks like standing on a moving two wheeler etc. These tricks were thoroughly enjoyed by the children and adults alike. 

At certain point the cops also rushed to watch the stunts armed with their phones on video shooting mode. 

Race 2 was owned by Alister Yoong of Speed Demons Delhi. He took the lead and secured victory in 27:50.811. Sohil Shah of Kolkata Royal Tigers deliivered one of the drives of the weekend, slicing through the field to finish second in 27:51.119, just 0.308 seconds behind Yoong. Ruhan Alva of Kichcha’s Kings Bangalore completed the podium in 28:23.984.

Early on, pole-position Gabriela Jilkova ran wide under pressure, allowing Shah to make a decisive move and trigger a reshuffle at the front. Despite Shah closing rapidly in the final laps, a late safety car neutralised the race and locked the order.

“When I saw Sohil in my mirrors, I knew I had to find a few extra tenths,” said Yoong. “Luckily, it was just enough to hold on.”

With a Race 1 podium via Madesh and a Race 2 win through Yoong, Speed Demons Delhi emerged as the biggest winners of the weekend and now lead the championship standings.