The Kari Motor Speedway, located in the outskirts of Coimbatore gears up to host the third and final round of India’s premium motor racing event- the 23rd JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship.

Six races in each category of Formula LGB 4 and Novice Cup will be held during the finale weekend, from Jan 21-24. Chennai's very own Ashwin Datta of Dark Don Racing stole the show in December with his consistent racing in the Formula LGB4 category. The unlikely underdog Amir Sayed from Kottayam of team- MSport, displayed expert skills in the Novice category.

The action was not any less exciting with female racers as Mira Erda of MSport received the best female racer allocate. Meanwhile, in the Novice category, Anushriya Gulati of Ahura Racing emerged as the noticeable winner.

In the Formula LGB4 category, Ashwin Datta leads with 39 points. Chennai-based Raghul Rangasamy of MSport, inches behind at 32 points, while his teammate, Vishnu Prasad comes in at 30 points. In the overall team category, Dark Don Racing heads the standings with 80 points, followed by MSport at 74 & Ahura Racing at 29.  

In the Novice Cup category, Amir leads comfortably with 60 points. DTS Racing’s Dhruvin Gajjar pursues him from Rajasthan with 34 points. Coming in third place is Kolkata racer- Aman Chaudhary representing DTS Racing with 24 points. Team MSport leads the points table with 77 points with DTS Racing and Momentum Motorsport in the second and third place with 59 & 50 points respectively.

In Formula LGB 4, Viswas Jayaraj from Nellore representing Avalanche Racing is the leader with 44 points. At 35 points, Anushriya- Gulati from Dehradun is placed second. With just one point behind, Chirag Ghorpade of Bangalore from Team Momentum Motorsport is placed third at 34 points. The weekend will determine if Anushriya can maintain her lead over Chirag.

Speaking about the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship, Sanjay Sharma, Head, Motorsports, JK Tyre said, “We feel proud that despite the pandemic, which put the world at a halt, we at JK Tyre were able to maintain the continuity of India’s longest-running racing championship without compromising on the safety protocols set by the Government and State authorities. And this is all with the support of our participants, patrons, officials, technicians who worked together to make this happen.”

“With some seasoned racers on the track, it would be a sight to watch the final round go down to the wire as we will get our National Champions for 2020,” he further added.

Nexen Tire, a global leader in tyre manufacturing, has received approval from Škoda for its N'FERA Sport ultra-high-performance (UHP) flagship summer tyre to be used as original equipment for the new Škoda Karoq SUV.

The Karoq is ideally matched with N'FERA Sport in size 215/50R18 W XL tire, which was created especially for the European market and made in Europe. It offers improved handling and stability even at high speeds. The N'Fera Sport (size 225/40R18) is already recognised by the ADAC Summer test 2025 and earns a strong overall rating for driving safety, comfort and environmental performance. The ADAC rates it as having a very good rating among competitors due to its short braking distance from 100 kmph. It also outperforms the norm in aquaplaning and wet braking.

Edwin van der Stad, Vice President Europe Original Equipment at Nexen Tire, said, “We are thrilled to receive this homologation for the N’FERA Sport on the Škoda Karoq. As our flagship summer product, the N'FERA Sport represents the peak of our tyre technology, designed to deliver outstanding performance and safety. Achieving the most homologations among our products, it is a true testament to the tyre's quality and our dedication to excellence. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with Škoda, enhancing the driving experience for their customers worldwide.”

Toyota Motor Corporation has selected Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd’s DUNLOP GRANDTREK H/T31 tyre as original equipment (OE) in Japan for its recently launched LEXUS GX550 SUV.

In addition to the dependability and durability that the GRANDTREK series has established, the GRANDTREK H/T31 aims for on-road performance. The product uses new tread rubber and a H/T (Highway Terrain) pattern to provide a high level of anti-wear performance, good fuel efficiency and quiet operation. In order to increase visibility and create a more opulent overall design appeal, the tyres also employ the Nano Black design method, which colours brand insignia on tyre sidewalls a darker shade of black.

With its powerful but economical engine and sturdy construction, the new GX550 offers exceptional driving performance. With its unique design, cutting-edge suspension and driving support system, and 18-inch tyres, the OVERTRAIL+ delivers both off-road and on-road performance. Toyota SUVs have long been equipped with DUNLOP's GRANDTREK line of tyres as standard equipment.

Lucid Motors has selected Hankook Tire’s EV-exclusive all-season tyre, the iON evo AS SUV, as original equipment (OE) for its all-new electric SUV, the Lucid Gravity, designed for the North American Market.

Through its partnership with Lucid Motors, Hankook Tire has unveiled the iON evo AS SUV as a high-performance all-season tyre designed especially for big electric SUVs. The tyre's next-generation compound design combines high-performance polymers, environmentally friendly components, and high-concentration silica to provide outstanding grip and improved mileage performance in a variety of driving circumstances throughout the year. Notably, the tyre's stiffness profile has been tuned to support the heavier EV battery packs while maintaining a consistent road contact pressure to improve driving stability.

Its tread shape also permits even wear, increasing the tyre's longevity. The tyres greatly reduce rolling resistance and efficiently reduce noise by carefully balancing the size and quantity of tread blocks. Drivers who want a dynamic driving experience may retain great energy economy thanks to this design's improvements.

The Lucid Gravity, a full-size, three-row SUV and Lucid Motors' second all-electric vehicle model, was just introduced in the US. The Lucid Gravity has a sleek body and an elegant interior. It has a range of more than 700 kilometres on a single charge, can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in only 3.5 seconds and produces up to 828 horsepower in Grand Touring configuration. Actual results will vary depending on temperature, driving behaviour, battery state and charging.

Firestone, a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone), has launched the Firestone Affinity AS tyre, its latest touring tyre designed for mainstream sedans.

The Firestone Affinity AS tyre features a tread compound that safeguards against uneven and premature wear and comes with a limited warranty of up to 65,000 miles (approx. 104,607 km). It also helps limit road noise and vibration, while the unique tread pattern with diagonal and lateral sipes is designed to improve wet-weather traction and handling. Noise-silencing grooves in the tread pattern further help reduce noise and harshness while enhancing drivability.

An important addition to the Firestone touring collection, the Affinity AS tyre is positioned between the Firestone WeatherGrip and the entry-level all-season tyres. With no winter-specific certification, the Affinity AS tyre adds to Firestone's lineup and gives drivers who value consistent all-season performance another choice. Popular automobiles with rim widths ranging from 15 to 19 inches are designed to fit the Affinity AS tyre. At launch, there are nine fitments available. Throughout 2025, the 28 total fitments will be made available in a phased rollout. The Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus and Chevrolet Impala SEL are among the vehicles whose Affinity AS tyres fit the best.

Brad Robison, Director – Consumer Product Strategy, Bridgestone Americas, said, "Our new touring offering, the Affinity AS tyre, is designed to deliver confident handling, a quiet ride and long wear life for mainstream sedans. With impressive wet-weather grip and longevity, the Affinity AS tyre is built for the drivers who appreciate strong performance and good value.”