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Category: National Rally Championship
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Gill begins favourite as INRC returns to Kerala
INRC drivers pose with the trophies after the drivers’ briefing for the Popular Rally which begins on Friday at Kochi. INRC Photo Kochi, 13 Dec 2018: The 2018 MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship is set for an exciting winner-takes-all finish, with Kerala’s iconic Popular Rally, the fifth and final round of the championship, emerging as the stage for the grand showdown at Kuttikanam near Kottayam. The rally moves to the Special Stages in Kuttikanam after the Super Special Stage at Kochi.
Mahindra Adventure’s two-time INRC champion Amittrajit Ghosh comes into the last round with the highest points (79) but will still start behind his teammate and three-time APRC champion Gaurav Gill due to the N-1 rule which allows the drivers to discard one round’s result.
Gill, in fact, will not only begin on pole position but also as the favourite, given his aggressive style of driving. He has 62 points while Ghosh, with 61 points after the N-1 factor, will be right in his tail.
Ghosh, the European Rally Championship driver, will also fancy his chances, especially two very good rounds in the INRC.
Both will, however, be wary of Arka Motorsports’ Karna Kadur, who is not too far behind with 55 points after the N-1 factor. The former INRC champion is competing in the INRC 2 category but has shown the speed and desire to topple his fancied opponents. He can take his second title if he wins the Popular Rally and Gill finishes third or lower.
The rally was flagged off by Shri. K. Padmakumar, IPS, Hon. Transport Commissioner, Govt. of Kerala, from Hotel Le Meridien, Kochi, today. It will unfold in 9 special stages on the smooth tarmac in the Mundakkayam-Kuttikanam sector in Idukki district on Saturday. Two more special stages will follow on Sunday, after which the rally drivers will head to Ernakulam for a Super Special Stage (SSS), at HMT Colony Road, Kalamassery.
The trophy presentation to the winners of the Popular Rally 2018 and the champagne shower will be held at the SSS venue itself. The official podium ceremony will be held at Le Meridien later in the evening, before invited guests.
“We have had a very good championship this year, with intense competition in all the key categories,” the promoter of the championship, RRPM’s Arindam Ghosh, said. “We are set for an exciting finish and I wish all the competitors a grand run,” he added.
“I thank title sponsor MRF Tyres, main associate Mahindra Adventure and associates York & Arka Motorsports,” Arindam said, expressing his gratitude for their three-year association.
Kerala is hosting the INRC for the first time since 2010 which is doubling up as the Popular Rally. It is in its 24th edition, having made a grand comeback last year after running it successfully for 22 years before a brief hiatus.
“Popular Rally is a matter of great pride for us. We have created a great legacy and are determined to take it to greater heights,” John K. Paul, MD of the organisers Popular Vehicles & Services Ltd, said.
Most of the country’s other top drivers, including Dean Mascarenhas, Vikram Rao and Rahul Kanthraj, will line up to get their hands on the silverware in various categories as the curtain comes down on the 2018 MRF FMSCI INRC.
Kerala will be well represented too, led by Dr Bikku Babu, the National Autocross Champion, along with the rising stars and INRC regulars like Younus Ilyas, Jacob K J, Fabid Ahmer, Nibu Sayed and Noufal Sayed.
For the first time in India, a Mobile App on Popular Rally will be launched to provide all rally related news, events, programme schedules etc. Developed by Appzoc, it can be downloaded free from the Google Play Store or the Apple Store and also through QR code scanning.
Standings for the key categories: INRC Overall: Gaurav Gill / Musa Sheriff (Mahindra Adventure) 62 points; Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure) 61 points; Karna Kadur / Nikhil V Pai (Arka Motorsports) 55 points
INRC 1: Gaurav Gill / Musa Sheriff (Mahindra Adventure) 62 points; Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure) 61 points;
INRC 2: Karna Kadur / Nikhil V Pai (Arka Motorsports); Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports); Jacob K.J / Shrikanth Gowda (Arka Motorsports)
INRC 3: Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya A.G (Falkon Motorsports); Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Chettinad Racing); Suhem Kabir / Jeevarahinam (Team Champions)
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Hat-trick for Karna Kadur, Nikhil Pai; Scratch times help Amittrajit Ghosh edge out Bopaiah
Odd-man out Amittrajit Ghosh (right) on the podium in Chikkamagaluru on Sunday. Chikkamagaluru, 2 Dec 2018: Karna Kadur and his co-driver Nikhil Vittal Pai of Arka Motorsports scored their third consecutive Coffee Day Rally victory for a hat-trick in Chikkamagaluru as the fourth round of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), concluded here on Sunday. The duo, in a Volkswagen Polo, nursed their healthy overnight lead with a sensible drive.
While Kadur, who had won this rally in the previous two years, kept it clean through the three Special Stages, all run in the reverse direction, Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) of Mahindra Adventure took advantage of the scratch times that were allotted to the cancelled Special Stage (SS) 7, to overcome a tough fight from Bopaiah KM (Gagan Karumbaiah) of Team Champions, who drove manfully but fell short by about three seconds. Leading by five seconds overnight, the second-placed duo was defeated off-track by a scratch time of 10-seconds less than what Amittrajit Ghosh was given, that eventually helped the Kolkata driver win the second place behind Karna Kadur. The 10-second parity given by the CoC Ram Kumar, who is an experienced former rally driver himself, appeared odd as Boppaih was faster than Amittrajit Ghosh in all the stages on Day 2, Leg 1. However, it should be noted that the CoC has the privilege to give scratch times, as he deems it fit and it is well within the rules and regulations prescribed in the GP.
Amittrajit Ghosh may have taken these crucial points, thanks to the scratch times, but as he rightly said in the pre-event press conference, his lead in the championship is worth nothing as he has to forego one round and so will lose 18 points while Gill will discard his zero-point North East round of Arunachal Rally.
Behind the trio, hot favourite Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif), also of Mahindra Adventure, and celebrating his 37th birthday on Dec 2, set a scorching pace to top the timesheets in all the three Stages today and finished fifth Overall behind private entrants Younus Illyas (Harish KN) who are tuned by Team Race Concepts and second in the INRC-1 category. More importantly, he earned 10 championship points, but the official standings page shows as 12 points as on Dec 3.
The results meant that Ghosh continues to lead Overall in the Indian National Rally Championship, promoted by the Ramakrishna Race Performance Management, run by his father Arindam Ghosh, with 79 points as against Kadur’s 67 and Gill’s 62, as officially announced on the inrcindia.com website. Thus, the title will be decided in the fifth and concluding round of the Championship to be held in Kerala next month.
Ghosh and Kadur also topped the INRC-1 and INRC-2 categories, respectively, while Delhi’s Arjun Bani Rao (Milen George) won in the INRC-3 class as the three-day event, organised by the Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur, concluded here today.
“The result did not surprise us considering the lead that we had overnight. So, there was no need to push today and I was intent on bringing the car back home safely. We backed off a bit, used the advantage we had and finished the three Stages safely. We are very happy that we won for the third time in a row here in Chikmagalur,” said Kadur.
Meanwhile, Ghosh, still to recover fully from an allergy that also hampered his breathing, said he was happy to have finished second which fetched him precious championship points. “Today, we decided to take it easy in the long stage and push in the two shorter stages. In the context of the championship, it is always good to have points in the bag. So, now, whoever among the three of us (Kadur and Gill being the others) wins in Kerala will emerge champion,” said the London-based Ghosh.
For Gill, who was docked six minutes penalty yesterday after failing to complete the last two Stages following a mechanical problem that forced him to pull out, it was a matter of pushing hard and gain positions keeping in mind the championship stakes. A philosophical Gill, winner of the opening two rounds in Chennai and Coimbatore before a retirement in Arunachal Pradesh, said: “We had a good run the past couple of seasons, but things go up and down. It was not the best of weekends here or in Arunachal. So, now, we will go to Kerala next month and hope to win there. Today, I gave it all I had and drove 110 per cent. It is good that the championship has gone down to the wire. It is good for the sport.”
The results (Provisional):
Overall: 1. Karna Kadur / Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (02hrs,19mins,59.9secs); 2. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure) (02:22:15.3); 3. Bopaiah KM / Gagan Karumbaiah (Team Champions) (02:22:18.8).
INRC-1: Ghosh / Naik; 2. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Mahindra Adventure) (02:23:49.2); 3. Michu Ganapathy / Venu Rameshkumar (Team Champions) (02:27:18.1).
INRC-2: 1. Kadur / Pai; 2. Bopaiah / Karumbaiah; 3. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN (Pvt) (02:22:34.7).
INRC-3: 1. Arjun Bani Rao / Milen George (Chettinad Sporting) (02:24:29.4); 2. Fabid Ahmer / Shahid Salman (Chettinad Sporting) (02:26:34.7); 3. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya (Team Falkon) (02:27:57.4).
FMSCI 2WD Cup: 1. Vikram Gowda / Sudheendra BG (Team Champions) (02:31:51.6); 2. Prakhyat Shirole / Bharath SM (Pvt) (02:32:53.0); 3. Manoj Mohanan / Sob George (02:35:32.7).
FMSCI 4WD Cup: 1. Sanjay Agarwal / Smitha Prasad (Team Champions) (02:31:20.0); 2. Sachin Murthy / Satyapal (02:35:00.5); 3. Avin Nanjappa / Suraj M (Pvt) (02:39:26.5)
Edited on 4 Dec 2018 at 1.20am
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Gaurav Gill suffers mechanical problems again; Karna Kadur leads Coffee Day Rally: INRC
Karna Kadur in action as he took the overall lead on Saturday. Photo by Anand Philar Chikkamagaluru, 1 Dec 2018: Local star Karna Kadur along with co-driver Nikhil Vittal Pai of Arka Motorsports emerged as overall leader with a 59.7 seconds advantage at the end of Leg-1 in the Coffee Day India Rally, the fourth round of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship, here on Saturday. While favourite Gaurav Gill, assisted by navigator Musa Sherif, of Mahindra Adventure team suffered mechanical problems after leading four stages in the coffee estates of Malnad.
However, the surpirse of the day was Bopaiah, who emerged as the best of the rest with a brilliant run on Saturday to stand second overall in the INRC standings.
On a day of drama with 11 casualities, Gill, who was enjoying a comfortable lead, met with disaster as the lower arm of his XUV 500 broke, forcing him to stop in SS-6. He will re-join the competition tomorrow in a bid to score leg points. “A bad day in the office. We had a good morning, winning all the Stages, but on the fifth Stage (of the day), we had an issue with the lower arm with the ball joint completely shearing off. A case of metal fatigue perhaps. We are driving tomorrow and take whatever points we can and stay in the championship. So, maximum attack tomorrow,” said Gill.
Bopaiah (Gagan Karumbaiah) speeding in SS4 on Friday. Photo by David Bodapati While Gill packed up for the day, Bopaiah KM, with co-driver Gagan Karumbaiah, eased into Overall second spot, just 16.5 seconds ahead of an ailing Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) of Mahindra Adventure. Ghosh, battling an allergy and suffering from breathing problems, strove manfully to finish the day without any mishap.
The Special-Stage rallying took its toll as 11 of 46 competitors retired due to reasons ranging from mechanical problems to crashes, because the surface deteriorated as the day wore on. The day’s last Stage was cancelled after Aroor Vikram Rao crashed and only three cars passing the stage ahead of him.
Reflecting on his performance today, Karna Kadur said: “I think the day went pretty well and we got more than what we bargained for. We were concentrating only on our category (INRC-2). In the Super Special Stage, we were the quickest in our category and so we knew how we wanted this rally to be. We took one Stage at a time. We trailed Gaurav (Gill) by 20 seconds after the first Stage today and so, we pushed in the next, and improved. In the process, we got past (Amittrajit) Ghosh which was part of our strategy. Unfortunately, Gaurav packed up as he was our benchmark. Tomorrow, we will try to keep our position as we have a comfortable lead.”
For Ghosh, it was a huge task to even drive the XUV 500, given his indisposition following a “shell fish allergy” that he caught on the flight from London earlier this week. “It is the toughest drive of my rally career. I couldn’t push to my limits. I am just forcing myself to drive. I am not looking at the timings and if we can make a place tomorrow, then we will. Even as I am talking now, I am gasping. I have not had any solid food the whole of this week. Tomorrow, I will drive at the pace I am comfortable with and take whatever points I can from this Rally,” said Ghosh.
Mujeeb Rahman, navigated by Moideen Sharfali in a Maruti Esteem topped the time sheets in the FMSCI 2-wheel drive Cup category and privateers were followed by Vikram Gowda and Sudheendhra BG of Team Champions in a Honda City while another privateer Prakhyat H Shirole was third, also in a Honda City.
In the FMSCI 4-wheel drive Cup class, Team Champions Sanjay Agarwal and Smitha Prasad were leading after Saturday’s Leg 1 by over a minute with Sachin Murthy and Nikhil J running in second and third place respectively.
The results (Provisional):
Overall: 1. Karna Kadur / Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (01hr, 12mins, 50.0secs); 2. Bopaiah / Gagan Karumbaiah (Team Champions) (01:13:49.7); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure) (01:14.06.2).
INRC-1: 1. Ghosh / Naik; 2. Michu Ganapathy / Venu Rameshkumar (Team Champions) (01:16:30.8); 3. Harshita Gowda / Vidhya M (Pvt) (01:24:20.6).
INRC-2: 1. Kadur / Pai; 2. Bopaiah / Gagan Karumbaiah; 3. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN (Pvt) (01:14:52.4).
INRC-3: 1. Arjun Rao / Milen George (Chettinad Sporting)(01:15:17.2); 2. Fabid Ahmer / Shahid Salman (Chettinad Sporting) (01:16:33.0); 3. Darius Shroff / Nitin Jacob (Pvt) (01:18:22.8).
FMSCI 2WD Cup: 1.Mujeeb Rahman / Moideen Sharfali (Pvt) (01:19:19.8); 2.Vikram Gowda / Sudheendhra BG (Team Champions) (01:19:42.2); 3. Prakhyat H Shirole / Bharath SM (Pvt) (01:20:13.4).
FMSCI 4WD Cup: 1. Sanjay Agarwal /Smitha Prasad M (Team Champions) (01:19:52.4); 2. Sachin Murthy / Sathyapal (Pvt) (01:21:07.9) 3. Nikhil J / Arjun Dheerendra (Pvt) (01:26:07.1).
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Gaurav Gill thrills crowds with fastest time in Super Special Stage: INRC Coffee Day India Rally
Gaurav Gill tops SSS on Friday in the Coffee Day India Rally Photo: Anand Philar Chikkamagaluru, 30 Nov 2018: Reigning champion Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) drove with controlled aggression to top the timesheets in the Super Special Stage which launched the Coffee Day India Rally, the fourth round of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship, promoted by Ramakrishna Race Performance Management, at the Amber Valley school grounds, here on Friday.
Driving the XUV 500 for Mahindra Adventure team, Gill, a virtual cult figure in this coffee town, did not look as spectacular as some of the drivers before him, but the clean lines through the corner saw him clock two minutes, 34.7 seconds for the 2.12 Kms run as he led a 1-2 for his team, ahead of Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) who did 02:35.1. Local lad Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai) of Arka Motorsports, piloting a Volkswagen Polo, was overall third quickest in 02:36.1.
The thousands of spectators who thronged the school grounds, were treated to an action-packed afternoon as Kadur topped in the INRC-2 category while Dhruva Chandrasekar (Arjun SSB) was the fastest in the INRC-3 class with a time of 02:36.6.
The action will shift to the nearby coffee estates on Saturday when six Special Stages will be run. The rally will conclude on Sunday afternoon after the competitors complete one loop of the three Special Stages in the reverse direction.
The results:
Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Mahindra Adventure) (02mins, 34.7secs); 2. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure) (02:35.1); 3. Karna Kadur / Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (02:36.1).
INRC-1: Gill / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Michu Ganapathy / Venu Rameshkumar (Team Champions) (02:45.9).
INRC-2: 1, Kadur / Pai; 2. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN (02:38.8); 3. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (SNAP Racing) (02:39.2).
INRC-3: 1. Dhruva Chandrasekar / Arjun SSB (Team Champions) (02:36.6); 2. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions) (02:37.5); 3. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya (Team Falkon) (02:39.7).
FMSCI 2WD Cup: 1. Adith KC / Suraj Keshava Prasad (Team Champions) (02:40.1); 2. Vikram Gowda / Sudheendra BG (Team Champions) (02:41.1); 3. Prakhyat Shirole / Bharath SM (02:43.2).
FMSCI 4WD Cup: 1. Sanjay Agarwal / Smitha Prasad (Team Champions) (02:46.5); 2 (Tie). Satish P Naidu / Sheraz Ahmed (Team Champions) (02:56.7) and Sachin Murthy / Satyapal (02:56.7).
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Gaurav Gill confident that an Indian driver in an Indian-made tyre will deliver at the world stage
???????????????????????????????????? Chikkamagaluru, 30 Nov 2018: Gaurav Gill looked relaxed and confident and as mature as ever. The King of Indian Rallyng, with 50 points, however, is trailing in overall points and is in second place behind Amittrajit Ghosh. “It was a rare mechanical failure,’’ the A seeded driver brushed off the Arunachal Pradesh DNF, in the last rally, after comfortably leading for the better part of the Rally. But Ghosh, who won the fourth round in the North East, dismissed the lead saying the format is such that in N minus One, Gill still leads the points table if, Ghosh’s 18 points from his low-scoring is given up. Every entry has the comfort of removing one event at the end of all rounds and Gill still is better-placed and is favourite to retain the INRC title with one Round to be held in Kerala, the Popular Rally from Dec 14 to 16.
Gill was cool with the challenging terrain in the coffee land which had good rains and the vegetation making it difficult and technical for drivers but “we will believe and trust our pace notes and the navigators,” said Ghosh. Gill agreed that it is all rallying and the best driver may win. Gill also added that soon an Indian driver with Indian-made MRF tyre has the potential to become the fastest driver in the world.
The Speed Master, Gill, is the current reigning Asia Pacific Rally Champion and not just the Indian National Rally Champion for year 2017. He is gunning for another Indian title, but with the Delhi-based MRF driver moving to World Rally Championship this year, the Chikmagalur leg of APRC had taken a beating with many cars not able to make it to the last round and eventually, the APRC round is cancelled.
The MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) is the premier rallying series in India run under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), which is the Governing Body or ASN of India recognised by the FIA, culminating with the Indian National Rally Champion Driver, Co-Driver and Team. The championship is based on a point system. The championship first received its National Championship title status in 1988. Indian drivers in Indian cars are eligible to take part in the 2018 INRC which is promoted by RRPM, the Ramakrishna Race Performance Management, as it purchased the rights from FMSCI for three years from 2016.
Another A seeded driver young Mangalorean Dean Mascarenhas who was the runner-up in Overall INRC and INRC3 title winner last year, was also trailing Vikram Rao Aroor in INRC3 after three rounds by three points. Vikram has 28 points and Dean garnered 25.
Karna Kadur, the A Seed who won the Coffee Day India Rally last year is competing with Rahul Kantharaj, another A seeded driver, and has taken a lead of 14 points bagging 42 points to 28 points for Rahul. Both are from Team Arka Motorsports.
The three-day Coffee Day India Rally 2018, which is also the fourth round of the National Championship, will witness some of the best names in motorsports battle it out for the top honours. Over the past couple of decades, the three-day event, has grown in stature and popularity among both participants and spectators, thanks to Coffee Day Group’s significant support and constant involvement.
The Championship, promoted by Ramakrishna Race Performance Management (RRPM), kicked off earlier this year in Chennai before moving on to Coimbatore and Arunachal Pradesh. After three rounds, Mahindra Adventure team’s Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik head the leaderboard with 61 points, followed by team-mates Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif (50).
The duo driving the Mahindra XUV 500 will headline the three-day event which commences on Friday with the popular Super Special Stage (2.2 kms) at Amber Valley school grounds. The competitors will then head to the twisty Special Stage located in the nearby Coffee Day Group estates on Saturday and Sunday.
The other big team, apart from Mahindra Adventure is Arka Motorsports that boasts of seasoned, Rahul Kanthraj (co-driver Vivek Bhatt) and talented, Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai) as the standard-bearers. Kadur and Kanthraj are placed third and fourth in the Overall classification behind Ghosh and Gill after three rounds and also head the INRC-2 category, while two young guns from Mangaluru, Aroor Vikram Rao (Falkon Motorsports, 68 points) and Dean Mascarenhas (Chettinad Sporting, 53) are in the lead in INRC-3.
This season’s INRC has seen the entry of a new outfit, Team Champions that was born out of a desire to support talented drivers in need of financial assistance. Team Champions will have a seven-car line-up besides a few more crews they will be supporting. “It is our aim to facilitate the participation of deserving drivers and hopefully, unearth fresh talent. The 2018 is our debut year in INRC and next season, we might be entering more cars,” said Vamcy Merla who manages Team Champions.
Venkatesh M, Director, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts said, “Coffee Day is amongst the first few corporates to cultivate the concept of racing in India with Coffee Day India Rally in 2002. This is our 16th edition and we’re proud to see the love for motorsport grow in our country. Coffee Day India Rally is truly unique given its uncanny combination of a rugged terrain with scenic beauty. It is one of the most challenging races in the calendar, filled with twisty and narrow tracks amidst the coffee plantations. The challenging rally will witness some of the best rally drivers tackle tough terrains, set for a thrilling performance in Chikmagalur. Our team at Coffee Day Group and Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur have relentlessly worked to make the rally one of the most awaited motorsports event in the country. We at Coffee Day are pleased to work towards the continued endeavour and success of the rally.”
The Coffee Day India Rally adorns the INRC scene as the most popular event attracting thousands of spectators from near and far. The enthusiasm of the spectators inspire the participants to raise their game by several notches. It is hardly a surprise then that Coffee Day India Rally 2018 edition has attracted 40-plus entries across various categories – the IRC, IRC-2, IRC-3 and FMSCI 2W Drive Cup.
Additionally, the organisers have included a separate category for Maruti Gypsy vehicles while Volkswagen has provided two VW Polos in Rally trim as the two forward cars – “Zero” and “Double Zero”.
The Special Stages are located as before, in Chettanahalli, Chandrapura and Kumaragode estates. Each of the three stages will be run twice on Saturday and once in the reverse direction on Sunday. The total competitive section is 122.77 kms and 229 kms of liaison for a total distance of 351.77 kms.
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Ghosh, Naik win Rally of Arunachal Pradesh as Gill pulls out with mechanical problems
Winners of INRC Round 3 (Rally of Arunachal) overall – Amittrajit Ghosh (Left) and his co-driver Ashwin Naik (in Itanagar’s Police Parade ground (Chimpu) today. Itanagar, 4 November 2018: On a day of upsets, Team Mahindra Adventure’s Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) showed great tactical acumen to win the Rally of Arunachal, Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018, here on Sunday. Ghosh, who exhibited amazing fightback on Day 1 to rise from ninth to third, enjoyed a much-needed slice of luck as overnight leader Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif) pulled out of the competition as his car broke down in the sixth stage.
Ghosh tackled the day’s three stages cautiously, finishing second in SS5, third in SS6 and again second in SS7 for a cumulative top timing of 00:57:33.6. It was 5.9 seconds faster than INRC 2’s Phalguna Urs and Srikanth Gowda giving them the victory. The Snap Racing pair, who were hot on Gill’s tail all of Saturday, didn’t have a fruitful second day, managing only two fourth-place and one fifth-place finish in the stages.
Amittrajit Ghosh in action Phalguna’s drive was still good enough to earn his team the INRC 2 win. Former champion Karna Kadur (PVS Murthy) made a valiant charge, taking the second place in SS6 and even winning SS7, but that could only fetch him the runner’s up trophy. Kadur’s Arka Motorsports team-mate Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Y Bhatt) dropped one position to settle for the third place.
The INRC 3 too saw a change in the overnight pecking order, with leaders Suhem Kabeer (Jeevarathinam) of Team Champions slipping out of reckoning in the day’s first stage itself after a crash. It allowed his team-mate and defending champion Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival) to claim the title. Aroor Vikram Rao (Somayya AG) and local outfit Phurpa Tsering (Chow Tiktha) took the other two places on the podium.
“We started the Rally of Arunachal on an ominous note, taking the ninth place due to a technical issue. But I and Ashwin kept pushing until we managed to bounce back to the pole,” a victorious Amittrajit said.
“Today too, we suffered as we had changed the tyres for wet conditions but the track dried up by the time we hit it. But we drove steadily to win the title, which became easier after Gaurav pulled out with a mechanical failure. We are now looking forward to the next two rounds, even though we know that Gaurav will be back in his elements and will put up a tough fight,” he added.
The results:
INRC Overall: 1. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure; 00:57:33.6); 2. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Snap Racing; 00:57:39.5); 3. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions; 00:57:57.7).
INRC 1: Ghosh / Naik; 2. Lokesh Gowda / Venu Ramesh Kumar (Team Champions) (01:07:20.8).
INRC 2: 1. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Snap Racing; 00:57:39.5); 2. Karna Kadur / PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports; 00:58:37.0); 3. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports; 00:58:55.2).
INRC 3: 1. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions; 00:57:57.7); 2. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya AG (Falkon Motorsports; 01:05:17.0); 3. Phurpa Tsering / Chow Tiktha (Phurpa Tsering; 01:14:57.9).
FMSCI 2WD CUP: 1. Adith KC / Arjun SSB (Team Champions; 01:01:20.0); 2. Rakshith Iyer / Sagar Mallappa (Pvt; 01:10:54.4).
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Gaurav Gill shrugs off a puncture to take decisive lead in Rally of Arunachal
File picture of Gaurav Gill who leads Rally of Arunachal at the end of Leg-1. Photo: Anand Philar Itanagar, 3 November 2018: Three-time APRC champion Gaurav Gill recovered from a tyre puncture and only his second stage defeat this season to surge into the lead on Day 1 of the Rally of Arunachal which doubles up as the Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018, here on Saturday.
Team Mahindra Adventure’s Gill, with Musa Sherif by his side, won the other three stages in his usual aggressive style to set himself up for another victory in this elite championship. He raced at speeds over 180 Kmph, recording a scorching average speed of 115.55 km/h in the opening stage.
He was at his slowest in the second stage, managing an average of 99.92 km/h, which was still good enough to give him the second position in that stretch.
Gill’s Mahindra Adventure team-mate Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) won the Stage 2 in style. He had, however, suffered a setback in Stage 1, struggling with a power issue to finish ninth. However, he made up in the remaining rounds to climb to the third position by the end of an exciting day although his car is still not firing on all cylinders.
Snap Racing’s Phalguna Urs (Srikanth Gowda) grabbed the second position with one second and two third place finishes in the Stages. They, however, slipped to fifth place in the fourth and final stage of the day, to be trailing Gill and Sherif by one minute, 31.8 seconds.
Their fine show was good enough to give them the lead in the INRC 2 category, ahead of top contenders Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Y Bhatt) and Karna Kadur (PVS Murthy).
In the INRC 3 category, Suhem Kabeer (Jeevarathinam) made the most of championship leader Aroor Vikram Rao’s (Somayya AG) bad luck in Stage 4 to streak ahead into the lead. Suhem, however, was in his elements, winning two of the stages in his category.
Five-time INRC champion Gill was pleased with his driving, despite the puncture. “The first stage went off very well. We, however, hit a stone in Stage 2 and picked up a puncture,” he pointed out. “We still managed to finish in decent time, which helped us stay in the lead.”
Gill explained that the final day might be tricky as the track was likely to be muddy following rains while they only had tyres suited for tarmac. “It won’t be easy but we will give it our best shot,” he declared.
Ghosh also was not too unhappy with the way the day panned out. “Our car had power issues during Stage 1 and we fell back to the ninth place. By the end of the day, we have climbed to third. Our goal now is to focus on the second position. First is not within reach as we are quite far behind in terms of speed,” he said.
The results:
INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure; 00:31:22.9); 2. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth (Snap Racing; 00:32:54.7); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure; 00:33:05.1).
INRC 1: Gill / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Lokesh Gowda / Venu Ramesh Kumar (Team Champions; 00:37:30.4).
INRC 2: 1. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Snap Racing; 00:32:54.7); 2. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports; 00:33:20.9); 3. Karna Kadur / PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports; 00:33:52.7).
INRC 3: 1. Suhem Kabeer / Jeevarathinam (Team Champions; 00:33:17.8); 2. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions; 00:33:23.2).
FMSCI 2WD CUP: 1. Adith KC / Arjun SSB (00:34:18.6).
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Gaurav Gill set to fire in Rally of Arunachal, Round 3 of MRF FMSCI INRC 2018
(L-R) Aroor Vikram Rao, Amittrajit Ghosh, Gaurav Gill, Karna Kadur & Rahul Kanthraj during media interaction in Itanagar for Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018 Itanagar, 2 November 2018: India’s top rallyist Gaurav Gill will be hoping to inch closer to his sixth national title as the Rally of Arunachal, Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018, unfolds here over the weekend.
Gill, the Team Mahindra Adventure spearhead, who won the grueling Dakshin Dare Rally last month, has been in imperious form through the season, winning the first two rounds with consummate ease.
Along with his trusted co-driver Musa Sherif, Gill is expected to thrill the local crowds with his speed and daredevilry behind the wheel. He will have to keep his eye on his team-mate Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik), though, who will be aiming to upstage him.
Ghosh is currently in the second position and has been driving a lot more assuredly, even though he had to drop out of contention in the Dakshin Dare Rally owing to vehicle malfunction.
Team Mahindra Adventure will be wary of Arka Motorsports’ Karna Kadur, who is likely to enjoy a slight edge over the tarmac stretches. Kadur has a new co-driver by his side, PVS Murthy, and is leading the charts in the INRC 2 category. He is third behind Gill and Ghosh in the overall championship standings.
His team-mate Rahul Kanthraj (co-driver Vivek Y Bhatt) is also a strong contender, currently holding the second position in the INRC 2 category.
Aroor Vikram Rao (co-driver Somayya AG) is leading the INRC 3 category and he will be keen to consolidate his position in the picturesque locals of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Round 3 of MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018 being officially flagged off by Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Shri Pema Khandu (with flag) in Itanagar on November 2 Championship standings after Round 2:
INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill & Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) 50 points; 2. Amittrajit Ghosh & Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) 36 points; 3. Karna Kadur & PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports) 30 points.
INRC 1: 1. Gaurav Gill & Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) 50 points; 2. Amittrajit Ghosh & Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) 36 points.
INRC 2: 1. Karna Kadur & PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports) 50 points; 2, Rahul Kanthraj & Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports) 36 points; 3. Jacob KJ & Nitin Jacob 24 points.
INRC 3: 1. Aroor Vikram Rao & Somayya AG 50 points; 2. Suhem Kabeer & Jeevarathinam 30 points; 3. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 28 points.
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Rally de Mangaluru
Puttur, 28 Oct 2018:
2 stages: 6 kms and 17 kms repeated 3 times.
Terrain consists of 90% dirt and gravel. Going through scenic rubber plantations. Total number of entries 67 and 63 starters confirmed after documentation and scrutiny.
Recce was held on Sunday after the ceremonial start by Sanjeeva Matandoor MLA Puttur.
Close competition will be witnessed in the Ladies class as difference between the defending Champion Aiswarya Pissay and Fazeela U is a mere 6 points. So Aishwarya has to finish 1st to bag the Overall Championship in the Ladies Class.
In the Overall category, Natraj from TVS Racing has already sealed the championship.
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Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif notch up a comfortable win
Coimbatore, 5 August 2018: Indian speed king Gaurav Gill, along with his trusted co-driver Musa Sherif, romped home to a thumping victory in the Rally of Coimbatore, the second round of the Indian national Rally Championship (INRC) as he swept all the special stages winning with ease at the Kethanur windmill farms here on Sunday. He clocked 1:14:30.1 to complete the five Special Stages and won with a clean margin of 1 min 1.1 second.
His teammate Amittrajit (with co-driver Ashwin Naik) has to be content with the second place all through the rally as he appeared to be no match to the leader, but managed to keep his second position. He was off the pace with Gill trailing by 10 to 15 seconds all along and was no threat to Gill at any stage.
The President of the Federation, Akbar Ebrahim claimed the third position in the INRC 1 category, reminding fans and drivers that he has not lost his touch even after nearly 25 years of active rallying.
The 2016 INRC champion, Karna Kadur and co-driver Nikhil V Pai, had to settle for the overall third position as all his efforts to upstage the leaders proved to futile. He managed to claim the INRC 2 category though, making it a 1-2 for Team Arka Motorsports.
His teammate Rahul Kanthraj along with co-driver Vivek Y Bhatt took the second place while Phalghuna Urs and Srikanth Gowda of Snap Racing claimed the third place.
The INRC 3 category too didn’t see any change on the leaderboard with Aroor Vikram Rao and co-driver Anand Somayya of Falkon Motorsports taking a facile win.
Suhem Kabeer and co-driver Jeevarathinam of Team Champions finished second relegating Chetan Shivram and co-driver Rupesh Kholay to the third position on the podium.
Results:
INRC: 1. Gaurav Gill/Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure; 01:14:30.1); 2. Amittrajit Ghosh/Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure; 01:15:31.2); 3. Karna Kadur/Nikhil V Pai (Arka Motorsports; 01:16:24.8).
INRC 2: 1. Karna Kadur/Nikhil V Pai; 2. Rahul Kanthraj/Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports; 01:17:36.9); 3. Phalghuna Urs/Srikanth Gowda; Snap Racing; 01:17:40.7).
INRC 3: 1. Aroor Vikram Rao/Anand Somayya (Falkon Motorsports; 01:17:11.8); 2. Suhem Kabeer/Jeevarathinam (Team Champions; 01:17:48.8); 3. Chetan Shivram/Rupesh Kholay (01:17:58.4)
FMSCI 2WD: 1. Adith KC/Suraj K; 2. Suraj Thomas/Sob George; 3. Lokesh Gowda V | Venu Ramesh Kumar.
eom/david
