A compact card of eight races has been framed for the second round of the MRF Indian National Racing Challenge to be held at the Madras International Circuit over the weekend.

The programme will be headlined by the two MRF Formula classes, F2000 and F1600, besides the ever-popular Formula LGB 1300, which has attracted the bulk of entries.

The saloon cars category is made up of the Volkswagen Polo Cup, Super Stock and the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios), which will be seen in action for the first time this season. In all, the second round has attracted 51 entries.

In the inaugural round at the same venue last month, a clutch of youngsters upstaged their experienced peers. Among them is 18-year-old Saishiva Sankaran, last year’s MRF F1600 champion. He delivered a dominant performance, winning all three races in the MRF F2000 class in the first round.

However, this weekend, Saishiva will have to contend with 17-year-old Ishaan Madesh, last year’s MRF F2000 champion who missed the previous round. The battle between the two will be one of the highlights.

Similarly, Bhuvan Bonu from Visakhapatnam showed maturity far beyond his 16 years, excelling by winning two of the three MRF Formula 1600 races. The three Saloon categories will share a combined grid that should deliver exciting action, with about 15 cars jostling for honours.