About Sameer Contractor
Sameer ContractorConnect with this authorWith an unquenchable thirst for everything automotive, Sameer has always been the go to auto guy that his friends needed. So, it isnt exactly surprising that he chooses to do what he does. A Batman fanatic, Sameers wants to go roof-scaping on the Tumbler, while the Bat motorcycle is certainly on the cards and he plans to build one himself. An avid foodie, he has a road trip in order that will be taking him across the world in search for the best roads and the best cuisines. While his stress buster involves taking aimless motorcycle rides, do not get offended by his sarcasm.
Articles of Sameer Contractor
Volkswagen Ameo Class 2019: Pratik Sonawane & Saurav Bandopadhyay Dominate Round 2
It was an exciting second round of Volkswagen Ameo Class 2019 as the races of the weekend saw different outcomes. While the first race of the season saw Jeet Jhabakh take the lead in the championship, the second round had Pratik Sonawane taking the top spot in the feature race on Saturday, and Saurav Bandopadhyay at the top in the second race on Sunday. For Round 2 of the 2019 Ameo Class, the action shifted to the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT).
Read More →
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Breaks Cover As A Mid-Engined Sports Car
One of the most highly anticipated cars globally, GM has finally pulled the wraps off the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 as the new version of the iconic American sports car. The new Chevy Corvette is not only different in how it looks but breaks the very mould that the car was known for with its new mid-engined layout. Clearly, a big step for the carmaker, the new 'Vette finally brings the engine to the centre of the car, something Chevy contemplated multiple times over the past decades ever since the XP-819 concept was first unveiled by Zora Arkus-Duntov (father of the Corvette) in 1964.
Read More →
TVS Young Media Racer Program Race 1: Far From The Finish Line
Racing for the first time saw many factors come into play. Here's how they played out over the race weekend at the Kari Motor Speedway.
Read More →
Formula E: Andre Lotterer Joins Porsche For 2019-20 Season
All set to make its Formula E entry soon, Porsche has signed on Andre Lotterer as its second driver for the FIA Formula 2019-20 season. While the German driver was contracted to drive with DS Cheetah for the sixth season as well, he has now chosen to race with Porsche instead. Lotterer joins German marque after his stint at DS Cheetah, which won the constructors' title in the recently concluded 2018-19 Formula E season. The 37-year-old will drive alongside Neel Jani at Porsche, who was confirmed earlier this year.
Read More →
Hero MotoSports Finishes 2nd In Silkway Rally Stage 9
Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider Paulo Goncalves finished second in Stage 9 of the ongoing Silkway Rally 2019. The ninth stage was one of the most challenging yet for the participants and saw Goncalves complete the day just 43s behind the stage winner. This was also the sith stage podium finish for the team in the rally. Hero's second rider Oriol Mena had a solid run as well and worked his way up the rankings to finish in the top 10. Mena completed Stage 9 in ninth place, 20m 51s off the stage leader. The Dakar rider managed to finish sixth, while Goncalves is placed 16th in the overall standings.
Read More →
Jean-Eric Vergne Becomes FIA Formula E's First-Ever Two-Time World Champion
It was fitting finale to the 2018-19 FIA Formula E series with DS Cheetah driver Jean-Eric Vergne defend his world championship title. In doing so, he became the first-ever driver to become a two-time world champion of the electric racing series that completes five seasons. Vergne finished seventh in the second race of the New York e-Prix, securing crucial points as championship contenders Mitch Evans of Jaguar Racing and Lucas di Grassi of Audi Sport crashed on the final lap. It was Envision Racing's Robin Frijns who took a win in the season finale, while Vergne needed to take a points-finish to defend the title.
Read More →
F1: Hamilton Wins British GP For Record Sixth Time In An Action Packed Race
It has turned out to be spectacular Sunday for sports enthusiasts with the ICC Cricket World Cup final, Wimbledon Men's final and the British GP, all happening simultaneously. The Formula 1 British Grand Prix turned out to be by far the most dramatic of 2019 with close overtakes, crashes and some genuine wheel-to-wheel action in the play. Emerging on top turned out to be Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton as he beat his teammate Valtteri Bottas to take another of win of the season. In fact, this is Hamilton's sixth straight win at Silverstone as he edges further towards the world title with a lead of 39 points. Finishing second on the podium was Bottas while Scuderia Ferrari's Charles Leclerc secured third place after a dramatic fight for the spot.
Read More →
F3: Jehan Daruvala Ends Round 4 With A Podium & DNF
It was a mixed weekend for India's Jehan Daruvala who secured a podium and a DNF over the two races in Round 4 of the 2019 FIA Formula 3 championship. The 21-year-old finished the feature race on Saturday in second place, pushing him to the top of the points table in the driver standings, but the second race of the weekend on Sunday saw the driver crash on the penultimate lap. The incident denied the Prema Racing driver crucial points, as teammate Robert Shwartzman now leads the championship standings with a margin of 12 points.
Read More →
F1: Silverstone Circuit Renewed For Next Five Years
The British Grand Prix will continue to be a part of the Formula 1 calendar for the next five years. The F1 bosses, the Silverstone circuit and the BRDC signed an agreement in London earlier this week and will see the track on the calendar until 2024. The BRDC has been the custodian of Silverstone for 70 years and have been responsible for owning and operating the circuit, which is the only licensed venue to hold a Grand Prix in Great Britain. The deal finally came through after two years of negotiations, with the final race under the agreement scheduled for this weekend. The circuit has been regularly been as too expensive, which was one of the main reasons why the renewal remained uncertain, until now.
Read More →
Hyundai Kona Electric: Why The Hyundai Creta Sibling Costs Rs. 25.30 Lakh
India's first electric SUV is finally here! The Hyundai Kona Electric has been launched at a price of Rs. 25.30 lakh (ex-showroom, pan India), and is the only one-of-its-kind in the country. That really makes it special, but it is priced at quite a premium when you consider that the Kona is a sibling to the Hyundai Creta. In fact, the Kona Electric is about a shade smaller than the Creta, while sporting a slightly longer wheelbase. The Creta between Rs. 9.99 lakh and Rs. 15.65 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). There's a difference of nearly Rs. 10 lakh between the two models. So why does it exactly cost Rs. 25 lakh for an SUV that small? Here's a breakdown on what makes this electric SUV a premium offering.
Read More →
Ather Energy Commences Operations In Chennai; Prices Start At Rs. 1.19 Lakh
Homegrown EV manufacturer Ather Energy has commenced its operations in Chennai, its second market after Bengaluru. The company held its first customer event last weekend in the city, and has also begun accepting pre-bookings for its electric scooters for a token amount of Rs. 5000. The Ather 450 is priced at Rs. 1.31 lakh, while the entry-level Ather 340 is priced at Rs. 1.11 lakh (all prices, on-road Chennai), and will be officially launched tomorrow. The prices are about Rs. 5000-6000 more expensive than Bangalore. It is to be noted that the on-road price is in-line with the current GST rate of 12 per cent on EVs, and is likely to see a reduction once the GST council approves the five per cent rate as recommended under the Union Budget 2019.
Read More →
2019 Mahindra Mojo 300 ABS Starts Arriving At Dealerships; Launch Soon
The Mahindra Mojo 300 is all set to go back on sale, albeit with the addition of ABS. In fact, the dual-channel ABS-equipped version has started arriving at dealerships and the model sports a number of mechanical changes too apart from the much-needed safety feature. Bookings for the Mojo 300 ABS have commenced at the company's outlets across the country while the launch is scheduled for later this month. The Mojo 300 ABS will also be the only variant to be on sale now, with the XT and UT versions effectively discontinued.
Read More →
MotoGP: Marquez Beats Vinales To Win German GP; Crutchlow finishes On Podium
Repsol Honda racer Marc Marquez secured yet another win of the season in the 2019 MotoGP German Grand Prix. The reigning world champion took his tenth consecutive win at Sachsenring, beating Yamaha's Maverick Vinales to the top spot, while podium contender Alex Rins of Suzuki crashed in the final stages. Coming in third on the podium was Cal Crutchlow of LCR Honda in a highly impressive finish, considering the rider is struggling to walk with a fractured right knee. With dominant win in the German GP, Marquez gains a 58 point advantage in the overall rider standings for the season.
Read More →
Temporary Reduction In GST Rates Needed To Boost Auto Industry: Dr. Goenka, MD, Mahindra
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not announce any relief for vehicles running on diesel and petrol in the Union Budget 2019. But a temporary reduction in GST rates is the need of the hour to boost auto industry sales says Mahindra & Mahindra - Managing Director, Dr. Pawan Goenka. Speaking to journalists post the Union Budget 2019 announcement on Friday, Dr. Goenka welcomed the incentives for electric vehicles but also stated that a temporary boost was necessary to promote growth in the auto sector.
Read More →
Budget 2019: Government Recommends Reduction Of GST From 12% To 5% On Electric Vehicles
The Union Budget for 2019 has been announced and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made a number of promises for the overall development of the country's economy. While there haven't been major incentives for conventional vehicles in the auto sector, the government has recommended changes to the Goods Services Tax (GST) council for electric vehicles (EVs) reducing the GST rate from the current 12 per cent to five per cent, in a bid to make the vehicles affordable. In addition, consumers will be provided with an additional income tax deduction of Rs. 1.5 lakh on the interest paid on the loans taken to purchase electric vehicles.
Read More →
F3: Jehan Daruvala Concludes Austrian GP With A Podium Finish
India's Jehan Daruvala continued to claim the podium in the latest round of the FIA Formula 3 Championship. The Prema Racing driver finished second in the second race of Round 3 in Austria at the Red Bull Ring. While the first race of the weekend saw Jehan finishing fourth, he bounced back to the podium on Sunday, finishing 4.727s behind HWA AG driver Jake Hughes. With the second place finish, Jehan is now placed second in the overall driver standings with a gap of eight points.
Read More →
Pikes Peak Hill Climb Champion Carlin Dunne Passes Away
Motorsport can be fatal. As much we try to forget the reality of it, there are days when it comes staring at back at you. In a tragic turn of events, Ducati racer Carlin Dunne had a fatal crash at the 2019 Pikes Peak Hill Climb. The American racer was astride the new Ducati Panigale V4 prototype that had made its debut at the event earlier last week. The 36-year-old racer suffered a high speed crash just before the finish line. While an official statement is yet to be made, a Gazette reporter witnessed bike shrapnel going over the right edge of the road about 20 yards from the finish line. Allegedly, the last section of the climb was bumpy, and Dunne might have hit a small bump losing his bike's front in the process.
Read More →
F1: Verstrappen Edges Leclerc To Win Dramatic Austrian GP; First Win For Honda
In a thrilling finish to the 2019 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen took a spectacular win as he passed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in a battle during the closing stages. The young drivers put up a brilliant show at the Red Bull Ring, which is also Verstappen's home country and track, and saw Honda take its first-ever victory since the team's return to F1. Verstappen's race-winning pass resulted in a minor contact between the two drivers and pushed the Ferrari into the runoff. The incident has led to a post-race investigation from the stewards.
Read More →
F1: Mercedes Claims 1-2 Finish In French GP; Leclerc Finishes Third
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton extended his lead in the championship with another win in the 2019 French Grand Prix. The British driver started on pole and absolutely dominated the race at the Paul Ricard circuit, while Valtteri Bottas finished a distant second, 18.056s off his teammate. Making a comeback on the podium was Ferrari's rookie driver Charles Leclerc taking third place after a disappointing few races. Hamilton now leads the championship by 36 points over Bottas, with the French GP being yet another 1-2 finish for Mercedes this season.
Read More →
Volkswagen Ameo Class 2019: Jeet Jhabakh & Anmol Singh Sahil Lead Charge In Round 1
Volkswagen Motorsport India's first round of the 2019 National Championship Ameo Class saw Jeet Jhabakh secure the lead with two wins out of three races. The Hyderabad-based driver was at his dominant best winning Races 1 and 3 over the weekend, while Race 2 was one by Bangladesh based driver Avik Anwar.
Read More →
