Weekend round-up (April 20-22): MotoGP, NRT win and more

Marc Marquez maintained his unbeaten record at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas to move within one point of Andrea Dovizioso in the title standings.

Marquez jumped to second at the start of the race and then passed Andrea Iannone at turn 12 on the opening lap.

From there on, he was untouchable as he scored his sixth COTA win by a margin of 3.560s.

Maverick Vinales finished second after passing Iannone, while Valentino Rossi’s early charge put him fourth at the chequered flag.

Dovizioso, who returned to the top of the riders’ standings, finished a further four seconds adrift in fifth.

India-owned NRT team’s star rider Jules Cluzel lined up second on the grid and made full use of his first-row starting position, immediately hauling in polesitter Sandro Cortese to move into the lead of the race.

The French rider came under pressure from Randy Krummenacher in the dying moments of the 18-lap encounter, but managed to hold on to secure the top spot on the podium.

The result made NRT only the second Indian team to win in the World Supersport Championship after Mahi Racing, which briefly competed in the series in early 2010s under the ownership of Indian cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Anish Shetty scored his first Asia Road Racing Championship points in the second round of the season in Australia.

Shetty finished 15th in the weekend’s two races at the Bend Motorsport Park, bagging one point each.

His Honda India/Ten10 Pro teammate Rajiv Sethu, however, suffered a huge crash in practice that ruled him out of the weekend. He suffered a wrist fracture due to the fall and had to be taken to a hospital.

Narain Karthikeyan (Super Formula, Suzuka)

Narain Karthikeyan endured a difficult start to the new Super Formula season at the renowned Suzuka Circuit in Japan.

Although Karthikeyan was quick in testing, he could only qualify 11th on the grid in a session disrupted by a red flag.

He went long into the first stint to make up places, but a spin right after his pitstop dropped him down the order once again. He eventually wound up in 17th position.