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Category: National Rally Championship
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Chetan Shivaram-Dilip Sharan thwart pressure from Dr Bikku Babu-Milen to win K1000 Rally
Chetan Shivram (left) and Dilip Sharan on the podium after winning the K1000 rally, the 4th Round of Champiojns Yacht Club INRC 2019 in Bengaluru on Sunday. INDIAinF1 photo Bengaluru, 24 Nov 2019: Gaurav Gill, Dean Mascarenhas, Karna Kadur, Fabid Ahmer… the top drivers, stalwarts, experienced veterans, talented seniors and upcoming youngsters… many of them bit the dust. The unforgiving terrain of Khoday’s Special Stages saw that only 23 of the 50 cars finished the 44th edition of the K1000 rally, which was run entirely on a private property after many years, with special focus on spectator safety.
In the SUV Challenge, Gagan Karumbaiah (co-driver Thimmu Uddapanda) of Team Champions took the first place to virtually seal the 2019 title.
File photo of Chetan Shivram. @FB Coimbatore round winners, Chetan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan of Team Akshara won the fourth round of the Indian National Rally Championship after thwarting sustained pressure from Dr Bikku Babu and Milen George of Team Champions, and took the overall win by 12.7 seconds and also topped their class INRC3. The Doctor from Kerala had to be content with the overall second place but topped INRC2 and Team Mahindra Adventure’s second entry Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik were overall third, a good three minutes and 27 seconds behind, but were rewarded for finishing the rally with the top prize in the top class, the INRC. Chetan Shivaram took the overall lead in the Championship replacing Fabid Ahmer, with one round remaining, the Popular Rally in Kerala.
Mujeeb Rahman (left) and Goutham, INRC4 winners Motoring stalwart and speed demon Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif, too, had a disappointing outing as he failed to take the start on Sunday and other pre-event favourites Dean Mascarenhas and Shruptha Padival (SS6), and Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pai (SS5) failed to finish the day along with championship leaders Fabid Ahmer and Sanath Gopalan (SS7).
After the shock exit of Gaurav Gill, order seemed to have been restored, with another JK favourite Dean Mascarenhas winning SS5. But he promptly fell in the next stage, leaving the field for Championship leader Fabid Ahmer. But the MRF driver, who was nursing his car carefully, suffered a mechanical failure in SS7 and tumbled out. “What looked like a promising result ended up with broken tie-rod end! Had to stop in SS7 when running 3rd Overall and 2nd in INRC3. We will bounce back at our home rally in Kerala,” quipped Fabid Ahmer.
“The top guns may not have fired today but we couldn’t have hoped for a more thrilling finish. It was good to see so many of the INRC 2 and 3 teams making a mark here, ahead of the known champions,” Hema Malini Nidamanuri, co-promoter of the INRC, said.
SUV winners of K1000 on 24 Nov 2019. (INDIAinF1 publishes other class winners’ photos as they usually get buried in mainstream media. We encourage drivers to send their winning photos to INDIAinF1@gmail.com) Photo: Prabhu Kethanur Dr Bikku Babu and Melen George, winners of INRC2 at K1000 on Sunday. Photo: FB Chethan Shivaram in action at K1000. Photo by Prabhu Kethanoor Fabid Ahmer and Sanath G stall in Special Stage 7 due to tie-rod failure on Sunday. @Fabid on FB File photo of Team Akshara. Courtesy: FB @ChetanShivram Final Provisional Unaudited Results:
Overall: 1. Chetan Shivaram/ Dilip Sharan (Akshara Racing) (1hour, 47minutes, 37.200seconds); 2. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George (Team Champions) (1:47:49.900); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) (1:51.04.300).
INRC: 1. Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) (1:51.04.300); 2. Phalguna Urs/ Chandramouli M (Sanp Racing) (1:53:00.500). (only two cars finished out of six)
INRC2: 1. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George (Team Champions) (1:47:49.900); 2. Sahil Khanna/ Rajit Kadian (Snap Racing) (1:52:00.200); 3. Younus Ilyas/Harish Gowda (Race Concepts) (4:50:24.200).
INRC3: 1. Chetan Shivaram/ Dilip Sharan (Akshara Racing) (1:47:37.200); 2. Jacob KJ/ Murthy PVS (Arka Motorsports) (1:53.35.600); 2. Pradeep Kumar/Ahammad Ansary (Pipe & Pipe) (2:19:58.000).
INRC4: 1. Mujeeb Rahaman/ Gautham CP (Privateers) (1:55:17.900); 2. Shirole Prakhyat H/ Bharath SM (Pvt) (1:57:16.300); 3.Satish Peddineni/ Vinay Kumar PM (Team Champions) (2:33:19.500).
FMSCI SUV Challenge: 1. Gagan Karumbaiah/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Team Champions) (2:47:46.800); 2. Thomas Kuncheria M/ Dwarakanath Sudarshan (Pvt.) (2:13:41.200); 3. Sanjay Agarwal/ Smitha N (Team Champions) (5:03:17.100).
(Note: Results were revised after confirmation from official version at 6.15pm.)
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Gaurav Gill takes lead in K1000; 24 of the 50 cars that took the start suffer casualties
Gaurav Gill leads K1000 at the end of Day 1 in Bengaluru on Saturday. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger Bengaluru, 23 Nov 2019: Speed Maestro Gaurav Gill touched his wonted form, making an immediate impact as he returned to rallying, by speeding to the first-Special Stage win of the popular K1000 rally, the fourth leg of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) at the Khoday’s stages in Amruthnagar, about 20km, near here, on Saturday. But the champion driver was forced to pay attention and drive with caution as the tough stages took a toll on many an experienced driver during the four stages run on Day 1. Still Gill won two of the four stages but displayed controlled aggression and went steady in the other two.
Of the 50 cars that took the flag at the ceremonial start on Friday, 24 cars suffered casualities on Day 1 in the demanding and treacherous dirt stages but five cars out of them will not be able to start the final day of the 44th K1000 Rally, promoted by Champions Yacht Club under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). Only 45 cars will take the start on Sunday.
The Arjuna Awardee and three-time Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner, Gill, dashed with vengeance taking the 18.5km stage in 13min, 43.6sec, the only driver on the day to go under 14-min mark on Special Stage 1. The five-time INRC champion in JK Tyre colours, was followed by talented Karna Kadur, who took 29 seconds more behind him, but kept the pressure on Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) to finish the day in second place. Karna Kadur and navigator Nikhil Pai, of Arka Motorsports, won Special Stage 4 to reduce the deficit and will be gunning for maximum points. Then, it was Dr Bikku Babu who sprang a surprise. Watch Prabhu Kethanoor’s 8-sec Video of Karna Kadur here…
But it was Dr Bikku Babu and Milen George, who won SS2. The doctor from Kerala, who was involved in reviving the Popular rally along with his team, pelted to take a stunning win and Karna despite losing time and finishing 7th in this stage came back and took the second place behind Gill and Musa Sherif in SS3 and went on to win SS4 to make up enough time and stand second, behind Gill, the Delhi-based master of speed.
Overall leader before the start of this round, Fabid Ahmer, driving a Volkswagen Polo, with partial sponsorship from MRF tyres, opted for the smart option, driving steadily in each of the four stages, with the finishing post in his mind. He was in the sixth position at the end of the day and could well go full throttle on the big day.
Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Sanath Gopal, of Team Champions, had their strategy of steady and clean driving as the track took a toll on man and machine on Saturday. Only Popular Rally is remaining in the calendar as the Coffee Day rally at Chikmagalur is likely to be cancelled for want of a sponsor. The Palakkad driver began with caution and was keen on completing the day and could only finish 8th in SS1 but reeled out consistent times and made sure he is safe. The duo was fifth in SS2 but again lost time in SS3 and SS4 finishing 7th and 8th respectively. But Dean Mascarenhas of Mangalore with Shruptha Padival as co-driver has finished the day in overall third and with only 7 points behind to Fabid’s 49, is likely to take the overall lead as INRC goes to Kerala for the last round. Dean has a lead of about 75 seconds to Fabid and will be looking to be cautious on the four stages to be run on Sunday.
Fabid and Sanath even fell behind brothers Chetan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan, who also compete in INRC3. The Bengaluru brothers are in 5th place at the end of the day. Chetan managed to take the 6th place in the first stage and put in some consistent time finishing 3rd in both SS2 and SS3 and clocked fourth best time in SS4 to finish overall 5th after four stages.
Mangaluru boy Dean Mascarenhas in action finishing Day 1 in second place in the K1000 at Bengaluru on Saturday. An INDIAinF1 image Dean, meanwhile, continued to hold sway in the INRC2 category, although he had Dr Bikku Babu and co-driver Milen George, breathing down his neck, only 9.8 seconds behind. The good doctor was the clear surprise package of the day, going past the winning post in SS2; he even left Gill in his wake in SS4, taking the second place to Gill’s third, and claimed the fifth position in SS3 and the 6th in SS1 to boast of the best show of the day. Shahil Khanna and Rajit Kadian are placed third in INRC2.
However, all eyes will be on Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pail. The Arka Motorsports duo, who had two disappointing rounds at Chennai and Coimbatore, showed their mettle to take the overall second position behind Gill and also in the INRC class. Karna showed glimpses of his talent and won SS4 with an impressive timing of 12:24.200. The technically sound driver could be a major threat on Sunday if he can control his speed and manage the tough terrain. They are also second in the INRC class behind Gill and are followed by Phalguna Urs and Chandramouli M, who recovered from a bad crash in Jodhpur.
The INRC 4 class, saw Vaibhav Marate suffering a setback, withdrawing from the first stage itself after a mechanical problem. He should, however, be back in action on Sunday to put his title aspirations back on track, gunning for stage points. In his absence, Mujeeb Rahman and co-driver Gautham CP, privateers on a Honda City took the top position on Day 1. Shirole Prakhyat and Bharath SM, on a Honda City VTech are second, followed by Karthik Arumugam and Lenin Jose in third place.
Thomas Kuncheria M and co-driver Dwarakanth Sudarshan brought their Maruti Gypsy to the top in the SUV Challenge class. Leaders Gagan Karumbaiah and Thimmu Uddapanda are trailing in second place and will be gunning for the final shot on Sunday to take back the lead. K Shivakumar Reddy and Dheeraj KV, also in a Gypsy, are place third with four more Special Stages to be run on Sunday.
“It was an exciting day, opening up the championship in this penultimate round,” Hema Malini Nidamanuri, co-promoter of the rally, said. “We got to see some amazing driving and I am sure it’s going to be even more fun on Sunday,” she added.
Satyapal, communication head, briefing the team at K1000 on Saturday. Photo Moto Port SeenaProvisional Unaudited Results after Leg 1 (Day 1):
Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) (52minutes; 58.200seconds); 2. Karna Kadur/ Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (53:47.800); 3. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shruptha Padival (Privateers) (54:14.300).
INRC: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) (52minutes; 58.200seconds); 2. Karna Kadur/ Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (53:47.800); 3. Phalguna Urs/ Chandramouili M (Snap Racing) (55:37.800).
INRC2: 1. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shruptha Padival (Privateers) (54:14.300); 2. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George (Team Champions) 54:27.100; 3. Sahil Khanna/ Rajit Kadian (Snap Racing) (56:05.800).
INRC3: 1. Chetan Shivaram/ Dilip Sharan (Akshara Racing) (54:28.500); 2. Fabid Ahmer/ Sanath G (Team Champions) (55:32.900); 3. Pradeep Kumar/ Ahammad Ansary (Pipes & Pipes) (56:17.400).
INRC4: 1. Mujeeb Rahaman/ Gautham CP (Privateers) (58:56.100); 2. Shirole Prakhyat H/ Bharath SM (Pvt) (59:11.500); 3.Karthik Arumugam/ Lenin Jose (Pvt) (1:02:11.400).
FMSCI SUV Challenge: 1. Thomas Kuncheria M/ Dwarakanath Sudarshan (Pvt.) (1:07:09.700); 2. Gagan Karumbaiah/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Team Champions) (1:13:36.800); 3. K Shivakumar Reddy/ Dhiraj KV (Pvt.) (3:03:01.800).
Note: The report was edited and results added at 10.45 pm
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Fabid Ahmer ready to sustain momentum at K1000; Gaurav Gill back on track
Documentation by the drivers on Thursday at Resort Area83, the Rally HQ2 for K1000. By David Bodapati
Bangalore, 22 Nov 2019: Overall championship leader Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Sanath Gopalan, from Kerala, are raring to go and are eager to reinforce their lead in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) as the 44th edition of the popular K1000 Rally begins here on Saturday.
The rally attracted a record number of 55 entries with the number 13 left out of the lot, with no stickering done due to the supposed bad-omen it brings. About 49 cars took the start at the Ceremonial Start on Friday.
However, Team Champions’ Fabid and Sanath duo, who got their Volkswagen Polo tyres sponsored by MRF, will face stiff competition from rival JK Tyre-supported Dean Mascarenhas and Shruptha Padival, the winners of the season opener in Chennai, also in a VW Polo. But both the pairs will be wary of speed maestro Gaurav Gill, who will be rallying after a gap of two months, after the unfortunate incident in Jodhpur.
The Mahindra Adventure team’s Gill, navigated by veteran Musa Sherif, stated that he put the `tragedy’ behind him and was eager to get back on wheels in the WRC2 in Australia, but the rally was cancelled due to bush fires and the multiple-Indian National champion lost a chance to get back into the groove. But the three-time Asia Pacific Rally Champion want to be back in full force and it would be a pleasure to see him ease into his own gracious self, thrilling the crowds with speeds, only he can churn out. “I have always enjoyed driving here in the K-1000. I am really looking forward to go out there and enjoying myself. Hopefully, things will turn in my favour this weekend,” said Gill who is currently fifth in the championship along with Musa Sherif.
Karna Kadur and co-driver Nikhil Pai, are always a threat to any team in K1000, and Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik, the second team of Mahindra Adventure, will also be looking to make amends for a late-season splash. Rahul Kantharaj and Vivek Bhatt, in INRC2 and brothers Chethan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan winners of the Coimbatore rally will be the others to watch out for. The other INRC2 pair of Dr Bikku Babu and Milen George can spring a surprise, or two.
Gaurav Gill at the Ceremonial Start at the Uru Brewpark in Amruthnagar, on Friday. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger Champions Yacht Club promoted National Championship, under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) will enter its final stretch, with its Round 4, the K-1000 Rally at a private property in the Garden City. The premier rally organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club is one of the oldest rallies in the country but after a chequered run, the previous promoters, RRPM, denied K1000 a round in the 2019 National Championship, after many successful decades of running.
The final round, the Coffee Day Rally at Chikmagalur is a doubtful starter with the Coffee Day said to be withdrawing the full sponsorship support after the death of its founder Siddharth but the postponed Popular Rally is likely to be held in December or January. The Popular Rally was put off due to a PIL filed in a Kerala court but the court refused to stop the rally.
Along with Fabid Ahmer, INRC4 topper Vaibhav Marate from Goa along with co-driver Arjun, too would get the support from MRF. Both of them are comfortably placed in their categories and look poised to end the year on a high note. Fabid and Sanath, representing Team Champions are also leading INRC 3 class and have a unique style of driving that can be smooth and graceful. Fabid and Sanath, are also leading the Junior INRC class.
The Mangalore pair of Dean and Shruptha are leading the INRC2 class with 65 points followed by another JK stablemate, Younus Ilyas (42 points).
“We have a very strong field of 55 teams in this round too, creating a record in itself,” Vamsi Merla, the promoter of INRC, said. “Every category is very closely contested, with the backing of two very strong supporters. This is what motorsport is all about,” he added.
The rally will have a Special Stage distance of 125km split into two legs. Leg one on Saturday with six Special Stages will run for a distance of 75km while the leg 2 on Sunday will have 50km distance. There are two physical stages, Khoday’s Lakes and Khoday’s Woods. The rally is run completely in private property, in the Resort Area83 and partly in Khoday’s property. The Lakes stage is 18.5km and Woods stage is 6.5km. Both the stages will be run thrice in the same direction on Saturday and twice in reverse direction on Sunday. Fortunately, the liaison distance will be one of the shortest in the recent times with the drivers taking only 13.8km in transport distance. It is a pity that the crowd favourite stage, the Super Special Stage is done away with, this year.
(Note added on Nov 24: Despite SR on FMSCI (on Nov 22) saying six stages on Day1, only four were run in the actual rally.)
The Rally offers a prize money of Rs.1 lakh for the top three classes and Rs.75,000 for INRC4, and Rs.40,000 for SUV class. Rally teaser!
A new clause is added in the Supplementary Regulations, in hind sight, for “Accident Reporting’’: If a driver taking part in a rally is involved in an accident in which a member of the public sustains physical injury, the driver concerned must report this to the next radio point as specified in the road book and signposted on the route according to Article 3.3.3 of the GP’s. If he fails to observe this rule, the Stewards may impose on the crew responsible, a penalty which may go as far as disqualification. The laws of the country must also be complied with in relation to procedures at accidents.
POINTS TABLE after 3 rounds: INRC: 1. Fabid Ahmed & Sanath G 49 points; 2. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 42 points; 3. Chetan Shivram & Dilip Sharan 40 pts.
INRC 2: 1. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 65 points; 2. Younus Ilyas & Harish Gowda 42 points; 3. Vinoth G Kumar & Krishna Charan Dasari 35 points.
INRC 3: 1. Fabid Ahmed & Sanath G 69 points; 2. Chetan Shivram & Dilip Sharan 45 points; 3. Arjun Rao & Rajit Kadian 30 points
INRC 4: 1. Vaibhav Marate & Arjun SSB 74 points; 2. Rakshith Iyer & Chadrashekar 58 points; 3. Suraj Thomas & Shob George 41 points.
SUV Challenge: 1. Gagan Karumbaiah & Thimmu Uddapanda 78 points; 2. Sanjay Agarwal & Smitha N 60 points; 3. Nikhil J & Arjun Dheerendra 49 points.
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Girijashankar Joshy, a gentleman rally driver retires
Bengaluru, 2 Oct 2019: It is exactly two years back, a stalwart of Indian rallying announced his retirement through the pages of Facebook. A disciplined, dedicated sportsperson with high-calibre of commitment, sincerity and hardwork, Girijashankar Joshy.
This writer had the pleasure of watching Joshy for over 15 years, and as he says it was a wonderful journey. Unfortunately, within a few months after his debut, I left Indian Express and had no time to write about the gentleman of Rally, more later but here is the Retirement Announcement!
By Girijashankar Joshy
It was a wonderful journey of 16 years in Motorsport. I have a life-time of memories and experiences as a rally driver. I want to thank many people who helped me in fulfilling my dreams and achieving success.
Almighty first! I thank my beloved goddess Sri Adishakthyathmaka Sri Annapoorneshwari for her blessings and permitting me to do what I loved the most when I sought her permission. In my journey of rallying, I want to thank my family starting with my dear appa Bheemeshwar Joshy G, amma Rajalaxmi Joshy, my soulmate Savithri Joshy, my three lovely kids and all my family members who stood by me despite all the ups and downs of my rallying career.
Joshy on a flight in one of the INRC rounds! It just makes no sense, if I don’t thank my navigators. So a big shout out to all my co-drivers who sat with me with “NO” fear and trusted and believed in my driving ability that I will get them home safely.
My beloved friend Srikanth Gowda with whom I started in 2005 and went on to win two Cchampionships, and later with Prajval Pai, with whom I won the overall first runner-up in 2008 INRC Championship. In 2010, Chandramouli Madiraju sat with me and we came very close in winning Group N championship but had to settle down to Second in Championship.
It’s time to thank my tuners without whom I would not have driven those strong and reliable Rally cars. Firstly, Saminathan Sami of Kari Sports Car Works, who was like my elder brother as he always guided me and gave a wonderful car to compete in.
Leelakrishnan Narayanaswamy with his mechanical and moral support, I have achieved a lot. Thyagarajan and Roshan from Chettinad Sporting for supporting me to make a comeback in 2017 for a short time.
Yousaf Ahmed from SNAP racing, who provided me with a fantastic service in the rally in the 2019 season.
I am very great full to team #Snapracing and #VolkswagenmotorsportIndia who supported me to make a full-time comeback driving in the INRC Class in a Polo 1.2 TSI rally spec. Special mention to Sirish Vissa, Karan AM, Sumit Panjabi and Nitin Jacob, they made my day.
Would like to thank my sponsors without whom I may not have survived financially. Starting with IndianOil, MRF Tyre, JK Tyre, Team Winspeed, Team Tata Motors, Ovion, Torq3 Sports and Adventure, and Snap Racing.
Lastly but not least, I like to thank all my friends, well-wishers, fans and followers for coming and supporting me, and cheering me all the time when I was rallying.
My beloved goddesses Sri Adishakthyathmaka Sri Annapoorneshwar has different plans for my future.
Hence, I announce my retirement from Motorsports as a rally driver.
But my love and passion for Motorsport will keep me around in different roles.
Signing of as a rally driver.
Girijashankar Joshy
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3 dead in Jodhpur accident during INRC first stage
Jodhpur, 21 Sept 2019: A pall of gloom descended on the rally camp at the Maxperience Rally 2019 here as the tragic incident which took three lives, left the Rally Fraternity in a state of shock and disbelief. After the accident that happened in the first few minutes of the start here, the rally was stopped, and later the organisers cancelled the Jodhpur Rally.
Gaurav Gill’s car is said to be involved in the accident while negotiating a blind corner and the `bike appeared from nowhere,’’ a spectator said.
Though a section of the media has put out the names of the deceased, the police are yet to identify and confirm them. Police are yet to file the FIR and find attorneys for traffic accident injuries cases to help the injured victims. The organisers and promoters are fully cooperating with the policy inquiry and are in touch with the top police authorities of the district. You can also get help from Matthew Norris – helping oil field accident victims, in any of the accident or injury cases.
“The rally had to be brought to an abrupt end after one of the cars hit a motorcycle carrying three people. The motorcycle had forcibly entered into the barricaded area, breaking past the security barrier while the stage was still green. The driver was moving at high speed and could not even see the motorbike as it emerged at a sharp turn,” Arvind Balan, the local organiser of the rally said. The attorneys for traffic accident injuries cases can help with the legalities of injury cases.
It is learnt that the three deceased were not wearing helmets and were on the track and argued with the stage marshals who stopped them from entering the stage which is green and ready for the first car. “Everything happened within less than a minute. It was a literally a blind spot. He (Gaurav) tried to stop the car, however, as there was a sharp turn the situation became unavoidable and he was blinded. Despite being warned, the biker forcefully entered the track,” the organizers said.
The driver of the motorcycle and the two pillion riders, said to be his wife and son, reportedly died on the spot. None of them were wearing helmets.
“We feel very sad for the deceased people and express our condolences to their family members. We had all the safety measures at place and also had the necessary permission from the authorities,” Vamsi Merla, the promoter, added.“It was an unfortunate incident that took place despite all the safety measures being in place,” J Prithiviraj, president of FMSCI, who is also the COC of the event, said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. The entire motorsports fraternity stands with them in this hour of grief,” he added. -
Gaurav Gill excited about the fast and flowing stages: INRC Jodhpur Rally
Gaurav Gill explaining the stages at Jodhpur on Friday. Photo by David Bodapati Jodhpur, 20 Sept. 2019: Fresh from the WRC2 campaign, speed maestro Gaurav Gill of JK Racing, looked excited and confident after the recce here on Friday. The reigning champion took a liking to the fast and flowing stages of Rally Jodhpur, the Maxperience Rally 2019, which serves as Round 3 of the Champions Yacht Club fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) powered by MRF here on Friday.
In the orange colours of Mahindra Adventure in an SUV 300 on JK Tyres, Gill, who just returned from Rally Turkey, said that the stages were very fast. “The stages are perhaps the fastest I ever saw in an INRC event in the past few years. I am really excited and looking forward to tomorrow’s run. We have good upgrades to the car and am confident of a good result,” he said.
During Mahindra Adventure testing on Thursday Gaurav Gill took a huge jump on the route which will be part of the INRC stages. Mahindra Adventure photo: G Harinath Both in Chennai and Coimbatore, he dominated the proceedings before he was let down by the car. Gill, along with his co-driver Musa Sherif, is currently fifth on the championship standing with 22 points and will be eager to move up quickly.
Another driver who took a liking to the fast stages, is Fabid Ahmer of Team Champions. The youngster from Palakkad, with co-driver Sanath Gopalan, is currently leading the championship table after two rounds with 49 points. “The stages are very quick and the stretches are fast with free-flowing corners. They are a driver’s delight and we are looking for another good outing,” Fabid said.
Dean Mascarenhas talking to media after the road show in Jodhpur on Friday. Photo David Bodapati Seven points behind him is another youngster from Mangaluru. Dean Mascarenhas, also from the Team Champions, with co-driver Shruptha Padival, is supported by JK Racing. They won the opening round and showed his class in Round 2 as well, jumping 32 places to finish 10th overall and second in his INRC 2 category. He 42 points from two rounds. With three more rallies after Jodhpur, the battle is still
However, it won’t be easy for both of them as Younus Ilyas will be breathing fiercely down their neck. The Race Concepts driver from Kochi, along with his navigator Harish Gowda, was in stellar form in the last round and finished second overall missing the top podium by just 04.600 seconds. He however won his INRC 2 category. He is placed fourth in the INRC overall category with 31 points.
Arka Motorsports Karna Kadur along with Nikhil Pai, Chetan Shivram, with brother & co-driver Dilip Sharan, will also be in the mix and will look to maintain to gain some valuable points.
The Akshara Racing driver Shivram, surprised everyone in the last round by winning the overall title as well as his own INRC 3 category.
Shivram showed great opportunism as he made the most of the top contenders’ misfortune.
He surged ahead on Day 1 itself and drove smartly the next day to avoid all the pitfalls that lurked in the stages, just off Coimbatore.
Fabid Ahmer, the current overall leader, in Jodhpur on Friday. Fabid Ahmer along with Sanath G of Team Champions has been the stand-out performer of the season so far and will start as the dark horse once again. While the big names have been fighting it out to stay in the hunt, Fabid slowly clawed him way up the table to lead the championship with 49 points. He is also leading the INRC 3 category with 69 points.
Suhem Kabeer along with Jeeva Rathnam is another driver to watch out for in Round 3 of the INRC. Even though he is placed 7th overall, the position does not exactly tell the tale. He was in the hunt for a podium in the last round and was hot on the heels of the eventual winner Chetan Shivram. But, bad luck struck him mid-way into the final where he got stuck in the slush which saw him lose six minutes to slip out of contention.
Vaibhav Marate has been unbeaten in the INRC 4 category winning both the rounds. He is on top of the charts with 79 points and will hope to extend his lead in Jodhpur.
The Rally of Jodhpur, to be run on gravel, will cover about 300 kms over the two days, including 125 kms of Special Stages. As many as 51 teams will be seen in action in what promises to be a fast and furious affair.
The rally not only provides the drivers a great opportunity to prove their mettle but will also offer fans a great opportunity to catch the stars live in action in their mean machines.
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Fabid leads #INRC table with Dean in tow but all eyes will be on speed maestro Gaurav Gill
Fabid Ahmer kicks up the dust but manouvres the corner in a smooth manner in the Avisa stage of the South India rally in this June photo by Srinivasa Krishnan Jodhpur, 19 Sept. 2019: Fresh from his WRC2 campaign in Rally Turkey, JK Racing’s Gaurav Gill will be looking to go all-out for the elusive win this season as he spearheads a strong 51-car Jodhpur Rally, termed as Maxperience 2019, the third round of the Champion Yacht Club promoted Indian National Rally Championship from September 20 to 22.
Organised by Madcap Adventure Xperiences in association with Coimbatore Auto Sports Club under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci), the event will witness two days of intense Stage Rallying which returns to the city after a gap of nine years. The action will be spread over 126.5 kms of Special Stage distance and along with 258.6 kms of liaison will make it a total distance of 385.22 kms.
Gaurav Gill file photo by JK Racing Piloting the Mahindra XUV 300, along with experienced Musa Sherif as navigator, the champion rally driver, who became the first athlete from motorsports to receive Arjuna Award recently, is raring to go in the orange colours of Team Mahindra Adventure here. Deeply focussed to post a victory and log some valuable points with three more rounds remaining in Bengaluru, Kuttikanum, and Chikkamagaluru, the speed maestro is capable of turning the tables for his 7th INRC title. But the battle is not going to be easy despite 117 points on offer from the three remaining rallies as Team Mahindra is struggling to set-up the optimum car for him, run now on JK Tyres. However, Gill’s teammate, Ghosh, will continue on MRF tyres.
Fabid Ahmer poses with his car during one of his rallies in the 2019 campaign. But for now, `Mr Clean & Consistent’, Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Sanat Gopalan, who have shown tremendous application and grit with some smooth driving are rewarded with the overall first in the leaderboard after three rounds with 49 points. The Team Champions youngsters from Palakkad in their No#11 Volkswagen Polo are competing in both the INRC3 and Junior INRC classes. But they are keen to continue their good run and keep the lead in the overall category with another good showing in Jodhpur.
Dean’s file photo by Anand Philar Close on their heels will be Dean Mascarenhas who is second in the standings with 42 points and Chetan Shivaram (40). Younus Ilyas has 31 points with Gill, way behind at fifth place, wtih just 22.
Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik will be the other Mahindra team entry in the top class and will have #3 Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pai of Arka Motorsports in a Polo along with the other 2 INRC competitors of Snap Racing, Phalguna Urs and Srikanth Gowda, and Girija Shankar Joshy and co-driver Chandramouli M, both also in rally-prepared Volkswagen Polos.
The other teams to watch in the INRC2 class will be Younus Iyas and Harish Gowda of Race Concepts in a Mitsubishi Cedia and Rahul Kantharaj and Vivek Bhatt of Arka Motorsports. These two teams are expected to face a tough fight from Team Champions’ team Dean Mascarenhas and co-driver Shrupta Padival, and Vikram Rao Aroor and Somayya AG, also from Team Champions both behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Polo.
The daughter-mother duo of Shivani Pruthvi and Deepti, in the #26 Mitsubishi Cedia is the only all-woman team and will vie for honours in INRC3 and Junior INRC class.
Two physical stages of Camel Hump consisting of 13.45km and Roller Coaster covering 13.70km will be run thrice on Saturday for a total of 121.45km of Special Stage distance on Day 1. On Sunday, four more stages will be run. The two stages of 9.35km Drift Run and 13.2km Precision Drive will be run twice each for a Stage distance of 45.1km on Sunday, the Day 2.
There are 15 teams which are supported by Team Champions vying for honours in every class. “Champions Yacht Club believes in producing champions so we are supporting many teams. That is our mission as we step in to run the INRC,” said Shubakara Rao of Champions Group. “We are now providing an ideal platform to many talented drivers who always suffered because of lack of sponsorship and we also intend to promote them at international competitions on world-class routes,” said Vamsi Merla of Champions Yacht Club.
He also informed that the competitors with valid FMSCI Competition License have been insured for Rs.5 lakh personal accident & Rs. 5 lakh towards medical expenses. Even 100 Officials come under a cover Rs.25 lakh for personal accidents and Rs. 1 lakh for medical expenses.
The Ceremonial Flag-off from Hotel Lariya Resort near the Jaisalmer bye-pass will be at 5 pm on Friday after the Drivers’ Briefing and Press Conference. The prize distribution and podium ceremony on Sunday will be at 5 pm also at the same venue, which is also the Rally Head Quarters 2 (hq2).
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Arjuna Award for Gaurav Gill – a recognition long time coming, but fully deserving! #GillRacing
Former Sports Editor and respected senior journalist, Anand Philar, who specialises in motorsports, has tracked Arjuna Award winner Gaurav Singh Gill from his nascent days, and chronicled and photographed his exploits throughout his career, both at home and abroad.
In a special article to IndiaInF1, he shares his thoughts on Gaurav Gill.
Gaurav Gill receiving the Arjuna Award from the President of India on August 29, the National Sports Day. Photo courtesy @GauravGill FB page
By Anand Philar
Bengaluru, 30 August 2019: Back in 2005, a new sensation called Gaurav Gill burst on to the National Rally scene as a “replacement driver” for Vikram Mathias who was injured in a major crash the previous round in Delhi. Vikram’s navigator, Sujith Kumar, was asked to partner the tearaway Gill at a time when few were willing to sit in the co-driver’s seat. Gill finished Overall second to JK Tyre’s lead driver, VR Naren Kumar, after dominating most of the event by clocking seriously fast Stage times. Gaurav Singh Gill has arrived.
The following year, in Pune, it was the turn of veteran Farooq Ahmed, to partner Gill who again finished behind Naren Kumar, who went on to win the championship. Both Sujith and Farooq sang praises of not just Gill’s extreme pace, but his “phenomenal memory”.
Sujith recalled: “I have never sat with any driver with such memory. I realised then that he was a special talent and a superstar in the making.” Farooq said much the same. “Just phenomenal talent Anand. He will go places. I have never co-driven for a guy with such raw pace and memory. I mean, he remembered every corner and dip. I wondered whether he needed a navigator at all!”
File photo of Gaurav Gill negotiating a corner in the Coffee Day Rally 2017. Photos by Anand Philar For sure, Gill had cast a magical and mesmeric spell on the Indian motorsport fraternity which continues to this day. MRF Tyres, taking note of his immense talent, was quick to sign up Gill and thus began the Delhi lad’s long journey to international stardom. APRC titles in 2013, 2016 and 2017, cemented Gill’s status as a World-class driver. At home, his dominance was even more absolute as National titles came his way.
From the raw pace of the youth to mature driving of the experienced, Gill has come a long way. “Over the years and with experience, I learned to pace myself in a rally. It meant, knowing when to push and when to nurse your position without taking undue risks. It has made me a better driver and in rallying, much like a good wine that tastes better with age,” he had told me in a rare moment of introspection as we drove to Chikmagaluru for the Coffee Day India Rally a couple of years ago.
Gaurav Gill signals six, after his sixth win in a row. He won the APRC for the third time, winning all the rounds. Photo by Anand Philar Through his decade-long campaign in the APRC with MRF team, Gill was pitted against more experienced team-mates, not necessarily in terms of age, but seat time and the number of competitions.
“These guys do about 20 to 25 rallies in a year as against five or six in my case, and another few in INRC. A couple of my team-mates have been factory drivers, constantly testing the cars that were being prepared for APRC. They literally lived in them! So, straight away, I am at a disadvantage going into an APRC round. Yet, I am able to match and beat them on the Stages. This is what people back home should know, understand and appreciate,” has been Gill’s constant refrain each time we met at an APRC event abroad.
For me, there is more to Gill than the titles (including one track racing championship). Statistics do no justice to his talent that is so apparent even to a novice watcher. For Indian motorsport, he is once-in-a-lifetime beacon leading the way and setting benchmarks.
The Arjuna Award came his way exactly 20 years after he made his rally debut on a bike before switching to cars. Through those two decades of living on the edge, as it were, Gill has maintained his focus and motivation, while blossoming into a man who is officially certified fit enough to pilot a monstrous Formula 1 speedboat!
Gaurav Gill takes a huge jump during the APRC Malaysian round in 2017. Photo by Anand Philar For Gill, speed is the elixir of life, beautifully complemented by his unshakable belief and confidence in his ability to drive quick but safe, take calculated risks that would deter a lesser mortal, the special bonding with the car that becomes an extension of self, quickly learning its limits to push it to the very edge and, sometimes, beyond – all traits of a man who belongs to the elite class of motorsport drivers.
Gill is a natural. “Give him a bullock cart, and he will still be the quickest!” This is not said in jest, but with awe and admiration. I have had the privilege of sitting with him in the Skoda ahead of Rally of Hokkaido. I barely noticed the stunning acceleration, the cornering, and braking. The silken touch and precision driving had me mesmerised, just like it has always been when I focussed my camera on his car power-sliding through the corner or attacking a crest!
Family Time: Gaurav Gill with family at the Coffee Day round in 2017. Photo by Anand Philar Hailing from a family of rally drivers, his uncle Dicky Gill (Team MRF) being the best known among them, Gaurav took to driving like a duck to water. “I learned to drive very early in life, taking our family car out without informing anyone. Then came the Play Station games and the bikes, which are still my first love, before I moved to cars. So, I grew up in such an environment and here I am, driving Rally cars!”.
Hopefully, the Arjuna Award would not only motivate Gaurav further, but also spawn a generation of young guns who will not just emulate him, but go a step further. He has waited long for this overdue National recognition, dealing with frustrations and triumphs with supreme equanimity, never once taking his eyes off the goals he had set. Now, looking to his 38th birthday on December 2, Gill has his sights set on the big stage, the WRC. “My ultimate wish is to compete with the best in the World and prove to myself first that I belong to.” His words, spoken over a year ago. It’s time we all got behind this maverick of a driver.
Pursue your dreams champ and conquer new horizons.
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Fabid Ahmer, an epitome of clean driving: INDIAinF1 Champion Series #FabidRally
INDIAinF1 series on champion drivers and riders presents the second article this week. As we head to the third round of the Indian National Rally Championship in Jodhpur next month, we feature Fabid Ahmer, the leading driver in the overall and INRC3 class after two rounds.
Fabid Ahmer poses with the car after the Rally of Coimbatore. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger Bengaluru, 29 August 2019: There is a new kid on the block and he is doing extremely well this season to catch all the eyeballs. It is Fabid Ahmer, who with his smooth and clean driving has won many a heart this season. With cool and steady performances, the youngster from Palakkad has become the cynosure leading the overall standings of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), the flagship event of Indian Motorsports calendar.
The Kerala driver, who is registered for INRC3 category, began the season with a bang taking the runner-up spot behind Dean Mascarenhas in the South India Rally at Chennai, the season opener. In the same event, he topped the INRC3 category along with co-driver Sanath Gopalan. Last month, the talented driver, who completed 26 years last Saturday, again churned out some smooth driving to take the third position in overall standings conquering the treacherous slushy conditions which claimed many a famed driver including some top guns like Gaurav Gill, his idol, and Amittrajit Ghosh among others. Once again he scored good points, as he came second in his class, INRC3. Thus, after two rounds, he is leading the championship and promises to keep up the good work in the remaining rallies.
Fabid made his debut in the last rally of 2015 season, the Coffee Day Rally at the coffee plantations of Chikkamagaluru and was adjudged as the best novice driver. And after just a year of full season, he came second in the FMSCI 2WD Cup in 2017. Last year, he upgraded himself to the INRC3 class and once again did well to take the third in the Nationall Championship.
This writer had the chance to follow him from his early days and had a wonderful chance to sit in his car, prepared by Chettinad Sporting, at the testing track at Kethanur in Coimbatore. It was an amazing experience during the Advanced Driving School run by speed king, Gaurav Gill, who was finally recognised and presented with an Arjuna Award by the President of India on Thursday, the National Sports Day. “He is a very smooth driver. I have made some subtle changes to his style to make it more effective and he is a quick learner,” said Gill, about the Team Champions’ driver after three days of his school last year.
Fabid Ahmer and Sanath G on the podium. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger “The school was a big learning experience. It felt great to understand rally driving from the technical side through Gaurav (Gill). He helped me understand the importance of finesse while driving and I have been improving on what he had taught me over the last two seasons. The way he teaches is really amazing and tips are so useful during the events,” said Fabid about the coaching he underwent with Gill.
When asked about motorsport lovers in his family, he said: “Motorsports has been a part of my family from the very beginning. My dad and his friends had organised rallies in my hometown back in the 90s. My uncle Mohammed Kasim is an active INRC driver. And after growing up watching his rallies, I can say that he has been my inspiration to get into INRC.”
As a young kid, Fabid was fond of cars. “From a very young age, I took a liking towards cars. But motorsports started gripping me when I was into my teens. When my uncle started driving in INRC, I also wanted to join but I had to wait until my Engineering course was completed. But my family has been very supportive and have provided me with all the opportunities to prove myself as a rally driver,” said the modest youngster, who had completed his B.Tech before taking up LLB and successfully completing it. He currently practices law, that is when he is not rallying.
When asked who is your idol, bang came the reply: “Gaurav Gill! I look up to him because he’s a genius. He is sure of what he does and he does it in style, which appears effortless as he does it with ease and grace.” Fabid also follows the World Rally Championship and admires Thierry Neuville, because the Belgian driver chooses smooth driving over aggression. “That is the way I like it to drive too,” says the modest driver, who is getting attention for his effective and clean driving.
Fabid Ahmer kicks up the dust but manoeuvres the corner in a smooth manner in the Avisa stage of the South India rally in June. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan When asked about his driving style, which is very different from many in the scene, he said: “I have always been a smooth and clean driver rather than an aggressive driver. But different rallies need a different approach. I have learned that over the past seasons and have been able to improvise my driving according to different rallies and as such I’ve improved my driving consistency. My strength is the ability to stay calm inside the rally car even when am leading the rally and when I am pushing hard to make up my position.” That is his way of unleashing aggression in a smooth way!
“I would also like to thank Team Champions, who have been a big support to achieve my goals. I am happy to be associated with Chettinad Sporting who have been doing a great job on my car to suit my needs,” he added. Fabid pilots a Volkswagen Polo prepared by Chettinad Sporting.
“My goal this year is to win the INRC3 championship and get into JK tyre team where I aim to prove my talent and hope to get the international exposure through Jk tyres,” he concluded.
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Imran Pasha bags overall honours; Rajendra misses the event as Group A is with-held
Imran Pasha on way to top honours in the windmill stages of INRC. Photo by Prabhu Kethanur Coimbatore, 25 August 2019: Twenty-one-year-old rider from Mysuru, J Imran Pasha competing in C4 class was the hero of the Round 4 as he emerged victorious bagging the overall bagged the overall honours in the Rally of Coimbatore, a round of the MRF Mogrip National Rally Championship held at the windmill farms of Kethnur, near Palladam, here on Sunday.
Imran Pasha of Team TVS Racing had the opportunity to showcase his skills as firm favourite and championship leader Rajendra RE, who won all the first three rounds and other TVS teammates could not take the start as they failed to submit the necessary documents for the bikes before the deadline given by the federation. Thus, Rajendra, Nataraj, Tanveer among others, could not compete in the round and the Pro-Expert Group A event was withheld.
The 2W Rally of Coimbatore, promoted by Godspeed Racing of Pune and organised by Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC), was run on a mix of dirt and gravel Special Stages which were battered by rains a few days before the run-up of the event. The event has attracted 70 riders in nine classes.
The total distance of the route included transport section distance of 109.27 km. The two Special Stages, Black Thunder consisting of 14.35 kms and the Thunder World of 14.10 km, were run twice in the same direction taking the Special Stage rallying distance to 56.90 km.
The stage-rallying took place in nine classes that formed the National championship. They are Super Bike (Pro Expert, Group A), Super Bike (Expert Group A), Super Sport 130 Group B, Super Sport 165 Group B, Super Sport 260 Group B, Super Sport 400 Group B, Super Sport 550 Group B and Scooter 210 Group B and Ladies Class Group B.
Imran Pasha clocked a time of 52min 17sec beating teammate Samuel Jacob who took 21 seconds more to complete the stages. Mangalore’s Adnaan Ahmed, a privateer rider, came third.
Pasha also won the C4 class with Samuel and Adnaan in tow.
Badal Doshi from Mumbai won the Group 1A while local hero Venu Ramesh Kumar won the C1 Class. Noldin Thomas from Kochi topped C2 class and another local rider Sasikumar K bagged the C3 class. In the C5 class, Sudeep Kottary from Mangaluru won with Bengaluru’s Suhail Ahmed winning the C6 class making a comeback kafter Dakshin Dare crash.
Syed Asif Ali from TVS Racing won C7 class and World Cup Baja winner Aiswarya Pissay continued her winning run topping Class 8. Rakesh Kumar won the Star of Coimbatore class.
Provisional unaudited Results:
Overall: 1. J. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing)(penalty 0:52:17); 2. Samuel Jacob (TVS Racing) (0:52:38); 3. Adnaan Ahamed (Mangalore) (0:52:52).
Super bike Pro Expert: C-1: 1. Venu Ramesh Kumar (Coimbatore) (0:56:27); 2. R. Vignesh (Chennai) (1:02:59).
Super Bike Expert: C-1A: 1. Badal Doshi (Mumbai) (0:55:35); 2. Jatin Jain (Nagpur) (0:56:11).
C-2 130cc: 1. Noldin Thomas (Kochi); 2. Azeeb Mohammed (Kottayam); 3. P. Janardhanan (Bengaluru).
C-3 165cc: K. Sasi Kumar (Coimbatore); 2. Ishaan Chandra (Mangalore); 3. Akshay Siddaramaiah (Bengaluru).
C-4 260cc: 1. J. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing); 2. Samuel Jacob (TVS Racing); 3. Adnaan Ahamed (Mangalore).
C-5 400cc: 1. Sudeep Kottary (Mangalore); 2. Mithun Gopal (Trivandrum); 3. K. Vikram (Coimbatore).
C-6 550cc: 1. Suhail Ahamed (Bengaluru); 2. Arun Joy (Kochi); 3. Jeemon Antony (Kochi).
C-7 Scooter class 210cc: 1. Syed Asif Ali; 2. Shamim Khan; 3. Pinkesh Thakkar (all from TVS Racing).
C-8 Ladies: 1. Aishwarya Pissay (TVS Racing); 2. A. Ryhane Bee (Chennai); 3. Baishali Nath (Assam).
C-9 (Star of Tamil Nadu): 1. Rakesh Kumar; 2. S. Vishnu Prakash; 3. Jaideep Joshi (all from Coimbatore).
