INDIA in F1

Category: Domestic

  • Pune’s Ibrahim dominates Indian eRacing Round 2

    Pune’s Ibrahim dominates Indian eRacing Round 2

    Mumbai, 4 August 2020: Pune’s Muhammad Ibrahim sparkled in Round 2 of the Mumbai Falcons Indian Racing Championship, in association with Volkswagen Motorsport India, stunning Amith Kutti of Chennai and winning both his Pro Class races here on Sunday.

    Ibrahim, who is currently competing from Kuala Lumpur and famously ran in the top five of the World Rotax Karting Finals recently and was a runner-up in the Asian Rotax Championship too, stamped his authority right from the word go.

    He bagged pole, with a lap-time of 1:47.778, ahead of Ooty’s Niranjan Kumar. Season 2 Champion Sai Prithvi was third while Kutti could manage only fourth on the grid, ahead of Ankit Tyagi.

    As the lights went out for Race 1 at the famed Nurburgring Circuit, Ibrahim made an excellent start to hold on to his lead. Kutti, from fourth, made a daring lunge into Corner 1 to jump to second place. Ibrahim pulled away and cruised to victory ahead of Kutti and Prithvi. Raghav Budhiraja (Delhi) and Abdul Hadi (Thrissur) drove smartly to move up from 14th & 15th to complete the Top Five.

    Race 2 saw carnage on the first corner after pole-sitter Viswas Vijayraj turned into Niranjan Kumar, causing over 8 cars to suffer damage, and deployment of the safety car. Ibrahim took full advantage of this to win ahead of Kutti and Chevlyn Fernandes (Mumbai). Sai Prithvi & Niranjan Kumar completed the top five.

    Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “The series has been remarkable with strong performance from Muhammad Ibrahim and the racers leading on the point table. The fight for the first spot was most exciting and enthralling.”

    He further added, “It is our conscious effort to provide a level playing field even virtually. The cut-throat competition witnessed throughout the championship is a testimony to that fact.”   

    For the second round in a row in the Junior Class, Sayee Saran (Chennai) started from pole. He made a good start to lead the race ahead of Ujjwal Belwarier (Bangalore) & Garvit Agrawal (Gurgaon). A thrilling three-car battle for the lead ensued for most of the race, before Saran lost the lead. Belwarier won ahead of Avinash Gupta (Kalimpong) and Agrawal.

    Six-time World Guinness record holder and winner of 11 motorsport titles, Ronny Wechselberger was one of the guest racers. A technical issue saw him skip Race 1 and he moved up from twentieth on the grid to finish a creditable ninth in Race 2. Macau’s Frederico Joaquin finished ninth in Race 1.

    “The Mumbai Falcons Indian Racing Championship got a tremendous boost with acclaimed kart-racer Muhammad Ibrahim taking part. He got the better of Amith Kutti and Sai Prithvi which shows his class,” Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons, said.

    “We are happy to see strong viewership growth of the live races on our IR eSports social media channels. In addition to our existing sponsors, Mumbai Falcons & Volkswagen Motorsport India, we welcome Gamer Connect on board,” Rayomand Banajee, the organiser and karting king, said.

    Pro Race 1
    PositionCar NoNameCityStart Pos.
    133Muhammad IbrahimPune1
    211Amith KuttiChennai4
    312Sai PrithviChennai3
    463Raghav BudhirajaNew Delhi14
    517Abdul HadiThrissur15
    Pro Race 2
    PositionCar NoNameCityStart Pos.
    133Muhammad IbrahimPune11
    216Amith KuttiChennai10
    320Chevlyn FernandesMumbai5
    412Sai PrithviChennai9
    598Niranjan KumarOoty2
    Junior  Race
    PositionCar NoNameCityStart Pos.
    119Ujjwal BelwarierBangalore2
    230Avinash GuptaKalimpong4
    313Garvit AgrawalMunich3
    410Aditya IyerPune11
    57Jahaan NobleMumbai9
    Pro Championship
    PositionCar NoNameCityPoints
    116Amith KuttiChennai194
    212Sai PrithviChennai135
    320Chevlyn FernandesMumbai113
    446Ankit TyagiSonipat111
    533Muhammad IbrahimPune106
    Junior  Championship
    PositionCar NoNameCityStart Pos.
    119Ujjwal BelwarierBangalore104
    230Avinash GuptaKalimpong88
    310Aditya IyerPune76
    433Sayee SaranChennai70
    513Garvit AgrawalGurgaon57

  • Defending champion Amith Kutti begins with a bang

    Defending champion Amith Kutti begins with a bang

    Mumbai, 27 July 2020: Chennai’s Amith Kutti launched his campaign in the fourth edition of the Mumbai Falcons Indian eRacing Championship, in association with Volkswagen Motorsport, in style, winning both the Pro races on Sunday.

    The defending champion warded off Season 2 winner Sai Prithvi’s challenge to take a commanding lead after Round 1. Bangalore’s Ujjwal Belwariar won the Junior race, edging past Sayee Saran who had taken pole position.

    Reigning champion Amith Kutti and Sai Prithvi were engaged in a keen battle for pole on the Spa Francorchamps Circuit, with the former finishing ahead in 2:13.718. Prithvi was a close 0.13 seconds behind while Niranjan Kumar was third.

    The latest season of the Indian eRacing Championship (earlier ISRL) extends to eight rounds and will see multiple new classes as the season progresses. A women’s class along with two separate amateur classes are also set to be introduced soon.

    “We are proud to be associated with the Indian eRacing Championship. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IR eSports team has done a stellar job in keeping the spirit of motorsport flying in the minds of racers,” Ameet Gadhoke, owner of Mumbai Falcons, said.

    Sirish Vissa, Head Volkswagen Motorsport India added “The Indian eRacing Championship is making motorsport racing fun, exciting and a unique learning experience for our young and aspirational racers in India. With the continuous development of this platform, it intends to offer a near realistic experience along with reaching out to a wider audience of potential race drivers.”

    Race 1 began on a furious note with three cars attempting to enter a corner side by side in the first lap itself before Kutti and Prithvi pulled away. However, a massive crash in the midfield saw multiple cars suffering severe damage. 

    Kutti eventually won just 0.75 seconds ahead of Prithvi while Hyderabad’s Bhanu Teja was third. Sonipat’s Ankit Tyagi was fourth.

    With the reverse grid coming into play for the top 12, Ankit Roy started with the advantage of pole. But after just a few corners, he made a mistake and went off-track, setting off a chain reaction of incidents, resulting in numerous cars suffering damage. Ankit Tyagi took the lead while Kutti made his way up to fourth. 

    Kutti was on a charge though, and eventually grabbed the lead as also the race ahead of Tyagi & Teja.

    F3 Asia Race winner & guest racer for the weekend, Sri Lanka’s Eshan Pieris, representing the CMSC, suffered technical issues and an accident in Race 1. The highly rated racer started seventeenth in Race 2 and made some excellent moves to finish fifth.  

    Macau’s Frederico Joaquin finished fourteenth, climbing from 21st, after missing Race 1.

    “We have created the Junior Class to help newcomers adapt to the sport in slower cars. We are thankful to Mumbai Falcons and Volkswagen Motorsport for their continued support. We also welcome and thank Red Bull for their support,” 8-time champion and founder of IR eSports Rayomand Banajee said.

    Results (Top 5):

     Pro Race 1    
    PositionCar No.NameCityStart Pos.
    19Amith KuttiChennai1
    257Sai PrithviChennai2
    316Bhanu TejaHyderabad4
    446Ankit TyagiSonipat7
    575Sunil KukdeBangalore17
    Pro Race 2    
    PositionCar No.NameCityStart Pos.
    112Amith KuttiChennai12
    246Ankit TyagiSonipat9
    311Bhanu TejaHyderabad10
    420Chevlyn FernandesMumbai13
    521Eshan PierisColombo17
    Junior Race 1    
    PositionCar No.NameCityStart Pos.
    17Ujjwal BelwariarBangalore2
    25Avinash GuptaKalimpong4
    310Aditya IyerPune5
    43Sayee SaranChennai1
    521Janak PanchalMumbai7
  • We want to send talented drivers for ERC, says Vamsi Merla

    We want to send talented drivers for ERC, says Vamsi Merla

    Bangalore, 12 June 2020: The Champions Group has started providing free rally training sessions in Mysore for drivers who are newcomers, and novice lady drivers to promote `Women in Motorsports’, according to Vamsi Merla of Champions Yacht Club (CYC), the Promoters of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for 2020.

    The training sessions for the newcomers are being undertaken by ace rally driver and Autocross champion Den Thimmaiah and all the infrastructure including the rally-prepared cars are being provided by the Promoters. “Soon we will rope in other senior drivers to take the training sessions. Last year, the drivers trained by Gaurav Gill have done admirably during the season and we want to continue to nurture these young and talented drivers,” he added.

    “We will be training the drivers in basics of rallying but important tips like how to nurture the car are being given prominence,” said Den Thimmaiah, former INRC round winner in his class.

    The Promoters, who are into their second year, are getting ready for the Rally season which was affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. “All the preparations are going on and we are ready from our side and even the organisers of the individual rounds are ready and we are expecting the season to begin in September. If all goes well, the first round will begin with the South India Rally in Chennai,” said Vamsi, the Director of the Champions Yacht Club. However, he cautioned, “I am very eager to start immediately. But it is better not to start if we are putting the drivers at risk. For me, the drivers are very important.”

    Vamsi Merla of Champions Yacht Group, the INRC Promoters

    The promoters have made sincere efforts to not only sponsor many drivers from Team Champions’ side but have also supported many other drivers by getting sponsorships, at least in part, from different corporate houses, and one prominent name is JK Tyres. They have also announced free entry and support in the form of tyres and free transportation of the cars for all woman rally drivers.

    In one of his rare interviews to `Indian Motoring’ on Instagram recently, Vamsi Merla revealed how he took to the sport. “I always loved speed and occasionally used to enjoy and do speed drives on the Nice road near Bangalore. Once, a gentleman stopped me and said: `If you have talent go and race on race tracks but don’t play with your life.’ That has changed my life and after that I took part in rallies where I noticed the scenario in INRC and realised that talented and skilled drivers are not able to continue rallying for want of sponsors. That is when I started Team Champions.”

    Talking about sponsors, he said that big Corporates like Accenture support F1 but not the local motorsports or the local drivers. “So I thought let’s start something and then I thought everybody will join me. It is actually, not me. Everybody should join to support Indian Motorsports,” he said. Talking about the Director of Champions Group, he said: “Mr Shubakara Rao went to a large extent. But how far can he stretch his limit. I too want to support everyone. My mind tells me support all these drivers but my resources tell me, you can only do this much,” he lamented.

    Asked about the tyre giants, Vamsi praised both MRF and JK Tyres, saying that both of them have supported Motorsports from the very beginning. “They are the lifeline of the sport. But what I have seen in the commitment and dedication. I have never in my life seen such committed people in their companies. It is because of such dedicated employees, the companies are doing well. Whether it is Sanjay Sharma or Hari Singh of JK Tyres, or Madhusudhan or Murali of MRF. These are the names that come to my mind immediately but it is such sincere stalwarts who put their companies above their own families that keep the ball rolling. I am pleasantly surprised to see such dedication,” he said.

    Vamsi promoted a concept of rallying, similar to that of a league where Indian States can support rally teams. “I am approaching different State Governments. Like, if each State promotes two drivers and two cars, it is not much of a burden. AP Tourism, Karnataka Tourism and others should chip in. Goa Tourism and North East, have already supported some rallies in the past. I will get the support from the Telugu States and I need friends in other States to talk to the governments,” he put forth an idea.

    In reply to a query, he said that the promoters are supporting drivers from all zones in the country and he named some youngsters who are doing well like Arjun Rao, Fabid Arakkal, Aditya Thakur and Mohamad Kaif from Bhopal. “Off the cuff, these names come to my mind and I have missed some names. But these are talented ones and if nurtured properly, they can go a long way,” he felt.

    Finally, talking about talented drivers he said that they should be promoted abroad. “At the end of the day, it is not just rallying in India. I want to support and get sponsors too, so that our talented drivers can go abroad and take part in bigger events. Once they get laurels for the country, I will be proud. I wanted to start with the European Rally Championship but due to COVID situation, we had put if off for now,” he concluded.

  • MMSC upgrades Marshals’ cabins; Grandstand to be ready by September

    MMSC upgrades Marshals’ cabins; Grandstand to be ready by September

    Chennai, 10 June 2020: With the easing of lockdown restrictions, the Madras Motor Sports Club is gearing itself up for the “new normal” with a slew of measures conforming to government regulations to create a safe environment at the iconic MMRT circuit here while also carrying out upgrades to the track.  

    Keeping in mind the situation arising out of Covid-19 virus, the MMSC will implement safety protocols as mandated by the government at the MMRT. Simultaneously, a new grandstand, digital flags that can be operated from the Race Control room and self-contained Marshal posts are being added to the facility.

    A model of the Grandstand that is being built at MMRT circuit. An MMSC image
    A model of the Grandstand that is being built at MMRT circuit. An MMSC image

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “This is a difficult and sensitive phase we are going through and it is MMSC’s endeavour to ensure that track users, be it vehicle manufacturers who test their products here or the competitors, are provided a safe and healthy environment.

    “In this context, we have already put in place the ‘new normal’ protocols such as thermal temperature check at the entrance, social distancing and hand sanitisation, as per government regulations.”

    The track has been active for the past few days with testing sessions by vehicle manufacturers, and the facility will be opened to car and bike competitors from June 14 for paid practice sessions.

    Regarding various upgrades to the track, MMSC vice-president Vicky Chandhok, who is also Chairman of Racing Events, said: “The track is open for non-sporting activity as we try to ease into a situation and conditions we are not familiar with. So, we are not taking anything for granted or lightly. Health and safety of our employees, officials, competitors and visitors are our priority.

    “To start with, for the practice sessions, we will be restricting the number of persons attached to each vehicle to two in the case of cars and one for bikes. This will help us enforce social distancing with a gap of at least 10 feet between them. Next up are the Marshals who play a critical role during races. We are replacing all 21 existing Marshal posts with new, self-contained locked enclosures that will protect them from elements, and numbered as per FIA and FIM international standards.

    “We are close to finalising a deal with Tag Heuer for digital flags that will considerably reduce the number of Marshals. We plan to install 12 digital flags at select spots around the track to start off with and go on to 21 in due course. Having said that, I must emphasise that there would be absolutely no compromise on safety and we will have sufficient staff to handle any on-track incidents.”

    MMSC is also addressing a long-felt need for a permanent grandstand along the start-finish straight, facing the eastern paddock and pits. “For the moment, it would be a 600-seater structure with a provision for expansion. The bottom rung of the stand will start three metres above track surface. Below the stands, we are providing space for two-wheeler academies with access to the track, food kiosks and self-contained toilets. This facility should be ready by September.

    Self -contained cabins for flag marshals at the MMRT. An MMSC image

    “We also have plans to actively promote the sport at the grassroot level by putting up suitable facilities, the details of which will be announced later,” said Chandhok.

    As for sporting events, Chandhok said: “The action will commence with the National Championship in September, by which time, hopefully, the overall situation would have improved.”

    Meanwhile, the sport’s World governing body FIA, has extended MMRT circuit’s Grade-2 certification to July 2021 on a request by MMSC and in view of prevailing virus-related situation in India, said Chandhok.

  • Chennai’s Amith Kutti wins Indian Sim Racing League 3

    Chennai’s Amith Kutti wins Indian Sim Racing League 3

    Abdul Malik and Sai Prithvi finish runners up

    Mumbai, 19 May 2020: Chennai’s Amith Kutti was crowned champion in the Mumbai Falcons Indian Sim Racing League that concluded, after a thrilling finale, on Sunday. The Indian SIM Racing League (ISRL) has been growing in leaps and bounds. Its wide success has seen Mumbai Falcons step up to sponsor the ISRL, while Volkswagen Motorsport continues their association, taking the ISRL to newer heights.

    Amidst a close competition, the speedy Kutti amassed 377 points, winning six out of the ten races over five rounds to pip Thrissur’s Abdul Malik (345 points; one win and four podiums) and another Chennai lad Sai Prithvi (341 points; six podium finishes) to the title.

    Start of the MUmbai Falcons ISRL

    .The Season 3 winners received cash prizes from Mumbai Falcons, with the champion getting Rs 15,000, the first runner-up Rs 10,000 and the second runner-up Rs 5,000. In addition, the title winner Kutti also earned a fully paid testing and training session for a day from Volkswagen Motorsport India, who have been part of the ISRL from the first edition. Second-placed Malik won a training session with Rayo Racing while Prithvi, third, got a race entry from IndiKarting.

    Top racers from across the country took part in the competition, with Kutti dominating the first 2 rounds and winning all 4 races; UK based Muhammad Ibrahim snatched pole and won Race 1 of Round 3. Round 4 was dominated by the lads from Thrissur; and saw Abdul Malik earn his maiden victory in Race 1 while Abdul Fattah won Race 2.

    Entering the final round, 3 racers were in a close fight for the title. Kutti had a narrow lead and secured his position by winning Race 1 after Malik had a relatively poor race by his standards. Former International racer and India’s representative to the Volkswagen Scirocco Cup in Europe, Oshan Kothadiya, currently based in the Netherlands, won his final race of the season.

    Ameet Gadhoke owner of Mumbai Falcons commented “We at Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited are proud to associate with the Indian Sim Racing Challenge. There was a lot of great racing by the competitors which shows the potential and talent available in our great nation. During these trying times of the Covid-19 pandemic, SIM racing has offered an alternate platform for racing aspirants to continue to hone their talents.”

    Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, said “I am glad that ISRL is making racing fun and exciting for the young racers. It is great to see the enthusiasm and traction for Mumbai Falcon ISRL in its third season. Basis the continuous development of the ISRL platform, I believe, it is offering a near realistic experience to the racers on the way we run our national racing championships in India. I look forward to meeting these young champions and train them in one of our Polo Cup cars in the near future. Till then, I urge you all to stay safe, stay at home and keep honing your racing skills on your SIMS.”

    “Season 3 has been a big step up. We are grateful to Mumbai Falcons showing faith in our progress and would also like to thank Volkswagen Motorsport for their continued support,” Rayomand Banajee, of IR eSports, organisers of the ISRL, said.

    Season 4 dates and format will be announced shortly, with the new schedule promising to increase the duration of the season.

  • FMSCI announces stimulus package for Indian motorsports

    FMSCI announces stimulus package for Indian motorsports

    Chennai, 19 May 2020: The Indian Motorsports Federation, FMSCI, has announced a slew of concessions to clubs and sportsperson to promote the sport during these tough times due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, which has disrupted the sporting activities worldwide including motorsports.

    The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the National Sports Federation, responsible for the governance and promotion of motorsports in India, has announced this package for the year 2020 to stimulate the Indian motorsports activity on Tuesday.

    To give impetus and to encourage the resumption of grass root motorsports activities as well as National Championships, the FMSCI Council has announced a spate of initiatives as under:

    ·         Free renewal of National level Competition Licences applied for in 2020 for the year 2021, if these licence holders do not take part in any event in 2020.

    ·         100% waiver of the Permit Fees for organisers of all status of events, if no sponsor/s associated with the event.  50% of permit fees will be charged otherwise.

    ·         100% waiver of the Naming Rights fees for events, if no sponsor/s associated with the event.  50% naming rights fees will be charged otherwise.

    ·         One year extension for the existing Promoters of various National Championship events irrespective of whether the National Championship is conducted in 2020 or not

    ·         Local Stewards will be appointed to ease the burden of travel and hospitality costs for the organizers.

    The FMSCI sincerely hopes that with these initiatives, the motorsports in India will resume as soon as the lock down is lifted for sports activities.

    The Government has already announced that stadiums can be opened but with no spectators, though a clarity is needed if sports can be conducted without spectators or not.

  • Champions Group keen to begin INRC season in June

    Champions Group keen to begin INRC season in June

    Bengaluru, 24 April 2020: The sporting activities all over the world have come to a standstill and it is no different in India. No wonder, the motorsports in India, too, had to bow its head to the epidemic that changed the way people lead their life outdoors. However, with the lifting of the lockdown looming large and the government expected to relax certain activities from May 4, the Champions Yacht Club, the Promoters of the Indian National Rally Championship are looking at June-July to begin the season.

    “If all goes well, we are expecting to start the season with the South India Rally towards June-end and the Rally of Coimbatore would be the second rally followed by the Rally of Arunachal as the third round, weather-permitting,” said Vamci Merla of Champions Yacht Club. “We will abide by all the regulations of the government and make sure that all safety and health aspects are taken care of both for the participants, marshals and other officials. We are planning to put up all the competitors in one hotel or nearby areas and ear-mark areas demarcating the gatherings and briefings for medical check-ups. The Madras Motor Sports Club had made all the arrangements and is ready to conduct the event and once the restrictions are relaxed, we will start the season. The first round also doubles up as an Asia Pacific Rally Championship leg,” added Merla.

    Vamci Merla, Promoter

    Over the years, the Indian National Rally Championship has earned a reputation as the flagship event and has commanded the crowd patronage as the top event of the motorsports calendar of the Federation. However, after a lull in the activities, 2019 saw the entry of Champions Yacht Club of Champions Group as the Promoters and the new team has pumped in a lot of enthusiasm and cheer into the event as it arranged sponsorship for different drivers and some part sponsorship for tyres and other necessities. The curtain-raiser before the season was a big hit and the group also took an initiative and arranged training for select drivers, who were not in a position to afford it, under the tutelage of none other than Gaurav Gill, the multiple Asia Pacific Rally and Indian National Rally champion. The king of speed did his school especially for the group of drivers selected by Champions Group in Coimbatore with Chettinad Sporting providing the technical back-up for the cars. The Champions Group also had their team, which gave a chance to many talented drivers. Thus, last year, almost all the rounds saw a record participation of over 50 cars in all the rounds.

    File photo of a Gypsy driven by Sanjay Aggarwal in 2018 K1000. An INDIAinF1 image

    The media in Jodhpur last year, were greeted by a Chennai rally enthusiast Gopi, who was providing voluntary services, taking reporters around. It was a pleasant surprise to see such passionate fans get a chance to take part in the rally this year. “I am very much interested in rallying but never had the resources to pursue my passion. This year, the Champions Yacht Club is sponsoring me and I am excited to take part in my first rally at Chennai. This is a golden chance for me as they are supporting me to enter all the rounds this season,” said the 31-year old Gopinath Ganapathi, said. A few such lucky competitors will get a chance to fulfil their dreams this year, thanks to the sponsorship support by the Promoter.

    Vamci Merla thanked the MRF Tyres for providing the sponsorship and extending it this year too. He also expressed his thanks to, JK Tyre, who heeded to their request and sponsored some teams and drivers last year and will continue to do so this year also. He added that the season would have five rounds and after the Bengaluru K1000, the calendar will end with a round in either Chikkamagaluru or Kerala.

    Most of the drivers and co-drivers have been taking to social media, especially Instagram to go live and have expressed eagerness to resume rallying. “It is too long and I am looking forward to the first rally,” Gaurav Gill had said.

  • INRC: Winners’ Hall of Fame

    INRC: Winners’ Hall of Fame

    A list of all the winners of all the rounds starting for 1988 is compiled and given below. (Winners of a few years in the initial years are yet to be collected.)

    By David Bodapati

    Bengaluru: Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) has a special charm and attraction in India. It is the Crown Jewel of Indian motorsports and holds a respectable status among all the Nationals and vies for supremacy with National Racing Championship which, perhaps, has overtaken in popularity in the last few years due to the meticulous handling and organisational skills of the Madras Motor Sports Club. The overwhelming crowd patronage, the sheer passion and love shown by the drivers, officials, organisers and fans takes one into a different realm when one pours through the 32 editions held so far.

    The year 1996 is a special year in my life. It is the first year, I saw a rally live and was enamoured by it. I was working with Indian Express then and was transferred to Bangalore Sports Desk in 1996. Since then I have followed all the rallies and have covered at least one rally a year.

    In 1995, I had followed the reports from the rallies, and it was the largest calendar with 9 rounds and 1996 too had a menu of nine rounds, the best two years with the highest number of rounds in the 32 years of INRC history (as of 23Dec200). That year, the first three rounds were held in Nashik, Coimbatore and Madras and there were three different winners which opened up the race for the championship. We were eagerly waiting for the 22nd K1000. Come August and it is rally time here. And there was a new winner once again. Here, I met some of the legends with whom, over the years I developed great friendships. CK Chinnappa, George Francis, Shekar Bojanna, and the like. They used to reel out stories and I was mesmerised. And not to forget the two, Sujith Kumar and Madhu, who introduced me to live F1 screenings at Guzzlers Inn on Church Street, where the atmosphere used to be electric with two camps cheering their F1 heroes while guzzling draught beer. The McLaren fans on one side and the Tifosi on the other.

    Coming back to INRC, I have tried to put together all the winners of all the rounds since INRC began in the present format as a National Championship in 1988. I have started with overall winners and co-drivers. Soon I hope to dig in and come up with winners of different classes. There are a lot of gaps. I request all the respected senior drivers and veteran fans to chip in and help me pool in the missing information. I will be very thankful for any additions and corrections. You can click the link for a particular round, if the link is available, and it will take you to the rally report of that year’s round.

    A 2009 INRC image by Kishen Nanjappa. The IMG and PSP arrival as promoters has changed the rally scene in India in 2009.

    Here we go! Have a nostalgic trip!!

    Statistics Tables

    K 1000 Winners’ List

    2025 INRC – Promoter: Bluedband Sports

    Round 1: April 24 to 27: Chennai: South India Rally, Madras Motors Sports Club

    2024 INRC – Promoter: Bluedband Sports

    2023 INRC – Promoter: Bluedband Sports

    2022 INRC – Promoter: Bluedband Sports

    INRC 2021 Calendar: (announced by CYC on 22 March 2021)

    No rally was held in 2021. The revised calendar after many Covid postponements was supposed to start with Vizag opener from Dec 17 to 19. But it was cancelled in the last minute due to the cancellaltion of the Police permission and despite the best efforts of the Promoter Vamsi Merla, the rally could not be conducted even on the following Tuesday and Wednesday and all the 54 competitors had to go back.

    Later, FMSCI announced a 3-round 2021 calender to be conducted in 2022.

    2021 INRC round Held in 2022

    Aditya-Virender INRC 2021 champs

    Round 1: Coimbatore: Rally of Coimbatore, Coimbatore Auto Sports Club

    Aditya Thakur & Virender Kashyap clinch Rally of Coimbatore in style: INRC Ro.1

    Round 2: Chennai: Madras Motor Sports Club, South India Rally

    Karna Kadur wins APRC round on international debut; Nikhil Pai drives Polo magic again

    Round 3: Final round: Bengaluru: Karnataka Motor Sports Club, K-1000

    Gaurav Gill wins 7th K1000 title; 300th rally cap for Musa Sherif

    2021 INRC – Promoter: Champions Yacht Club

    Round 1 – Chennai: Madras Motor Sports Club – April 23-25; Postponed

    Round 2 – Bengaluru:  45th K1000, Karnataka Motor Sports Club -May 28-30; Postponed due to Covid.

    Round 3 – Coimbatore: Coimbatore Auto Sports Club – July 17-18; Not held.

    Round 4 – *Delhi, BND Motor Sports , August 27-28; Not held.

    Round 5 -Hampi: Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar – Oct 1-3; Not held.

    Round 6 – *Nagaland, NAMSA, – November 12-14; Not held.

    *Subject to FMSCI inspection and confirmation of organizer

    2020 INRC – Promoter: Champions Yacht Club; Champion: Gill-Musa

    1. Itanagar, Tarmac NH415; 16-17 Dec 2020; Rally of Arunachal Pradesh; (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC, JK Tyres)
    2. Itanagar, Tarmac NH415; 19-20 Dec 2020; Rally of Arunachal Pradesh; (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC, JK Tyres)
    3. Coimbatore, Gravel; 29-31 Jan 2021; Rally of Coimbatore; (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC, JK Tyres)
    4. Bengaluru, Gravel; 12-14 Feb 2021; 45th K-1000 Rally; (Cancelled on 5 Feb 2021 by FMSCI)

    *Hampi* (Karnataka); Gravel, 5-7 Feb 2021; Rally de Hampi 4w contender for fmsci INRC 2021; Organised by Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar

    **South India Rally at Chennai, Popular Rally in Kerala and Coffee Day Rally in Chikmagalur were cancelled initially for the year 2020 due to Corona Pandemic. Later in the last minute, K1000 was cancelled and Hampi did not get FMSCI clearance and ran as contender.

    Note – All rounds of INRC 2020 were put off due to COVID-19 and only began in Decd 202. The Original calendar was 1. Chennai, Mar 20-22; South India Rally (APRC); 2. Arunachal, April 24-26: Rally of Arunachal; 3. Kerala, May 29 to 31: Popular Rally; 4. Coimbatore, July 24-26; Rally of Coimbatore; 5. Bengaluru, Oct 9-11; 45th K1000 Rally; 6. Hampi (Karnataka), Nov 6-8; Hampi Rally; 7. Chikmagalur, Dec 5-7; Rally of Chikmagalur;

    2019 INRC (Champions: Brothers Chetan Shivram, Dilip Sharan)

    Promoter: Champion Yacht Club

    1. Chennai, Gravel, June 28-30; 41st South India Rally (Dean Mascarenhas-Shruptha Padival, VW Polo, Team Champions, INRC2-Overall 1st) 26/51 cars finished.

    2. Coimbatore, Gravel, Aug 9-11; Rally of Coimbatore (Chetan Shivaram-Dilip Sharan, VW Polo, Team Akshara, INRC3-Overall first) 40/57 finished.

    3. Jodhpur, Sept 20 to 22; Maxperience Rally 2019 (Cancelled after Stage 1 due to Gill accident*)

    4. Bengaluru, Gravel, Nov 22-24; 44th K1000 Rally (Chetan Shivaram- Dilip Sharan, VW Polo, Team Akshara, INRC3-Overall first) Only 23/50 finished.

    5. Kottayam, Asphalt, Dec 20-22;  Popular Rally, (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC)

    *Note: 3 died in the accident and the rally was cancelled after the first stage.

    2018 INRC (Champions: Gaurav Singh Gill, Musa Sherif)

    Promoter: RRPM

    1. Chennai, Gravel, April 27-29; MRF 40th South India Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, INRC1) 19/30 cars finished.

    2. Coimbatore, Gravel, Aug 3-5; MRF Rally of Coimbatore (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC1) 30/42 cars finished.

    3. Itanagar, Asphalt, Nov 2-4; Rally of Arunachal (Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Mahindra XUV 500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC1) 13/17 finished

    4. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Nov 29-Dec 2; Coffee Day Rally (Karna Kadur-Nikhil Pai, VW Polo, Arka Motorsports, INRC2 – Overall first) 38/45 cars finished.

    5. Kochin, Asphalt, Dec 14-16; Popular Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, INRC1) 30/36 cars finished.

    Note: K1000 missing in the calendar for the first time in INRC due to the Promoter RRPM’s decision.

    2017 INRC (Champions: Gaurav Singh Gill, Musa Sherif)

    Promoter: RRPM

    1. Coimbatore, Gravel, July 28-30; MRF Rally of Coimbatore (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC). 22 of 32 finished.

    2. Chennai, Gravel, Aug 25-27, 40th MRF SIR – CANCELLED

    2. Jaipur, Gravel, Sept 22-24; Rally of Rajasthan (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, INRC) 11 of 16 finished. Note: One stage of 13.8km cancelled.

    3. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Nov 23-26; Coffee Day India Rally (Karna Kadur-Nikhil Pai, VW Polo, Arka Motorsports, INRC2 – Overall first) 26 of 38 cars finished.

    4. Arunachal Pradesh, Gravel, Dec 21-23; Rally of Arunachal (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, INRC) One stage of 18km cancelled. 14/17cars finished.

    5. Bengaluru, Gravel, Jan 19-21, 2018; 43rd K1000 Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, INRC)* 17/27 finished.

    *Left over round of 2017 calendar held in 2018

    2016 INRC (Champions: Karna Kadur, Nikhil Pai)

    Promoter: RRPM

    1. Coimbatore, Gravel, July 23-24; MRF Rally of Coimbatore, (PG Abhilash- Srikanth Gowda, Lancer Evo 8, R3A PGA Motorsport, IRC)* 32 of 39 cars finished.

    *Note; On Aug 18 protest was upheld and Abhilash-Gowda were declared winners.

    2. Nashik, Gravel, Aug 27-28; MRF Rally of Maharashtra (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Team Mahindra Adventure, IRC) 25 of 32 cars finished.

    (Abhilash-Srikanth win IRC, Lancer Evo 8, R3A PGA Motorsport – Overall 9th)

    3. Gurgaon, Gravel, Sept 17-18; MRF Rally de North (Arjun Rao Aroor- Satish Rajagopal, VW Polo R2) (Dr Dhirendra-Honey win IRC, Overall 10th) 12/25 finished. Cancelled stage 16.7km.

    4. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Dec 3-5, Coffee Day India Rally (Gaurav Gill- McNeal Glenn, Skoda Fabia R5, Team MRF Tyres; APRC) (Karna Kadur-Nikhil Pai, VW Polo, Team Yokohoma, INRC 2000) 31 of 49 cars finished.

    5. Hosadurga, near Bengaluru, Gravel, Dec 17-18; MRF 42nd K1000 Rally (Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Mahindra XUV 500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC); (Rahul Kantharaj-Vivek Bhatt, Cedia, Team Yokohama, 2000 – Overall 3rd) 20 of 31 cars finished.

    Note: Karna Kadur -Nikhil Pai, finish 5th in K1000; enough to win championship.

    2015 INRC (Champions: Lohith V Urs, Srikanth GM)

    1. Goa, May 29 to 31; – CANCELLED

    1.Nashik, Asphalt, June 12-14, Mahindra Adventure Rally of Maharashtra (Gaurav Gill-Musa, Mahindra XUV 500, Team Mahindra Adventure, IRC) 21 of 26 finished.

    2. Coimbatore, Gravel, July 30-Aug 1, Rally of Coimbatore, (Lohitt V Urs-Srikanth Gowda, Lancer Evo VIII, IRC) 24 of 35 cars finished.

    Rally of Kerala, CANCELLED, Oct 16 to 18 (Labour strike at plantations)

    3. Bengaluru, Gravel, Nov 20-22; Horizon 41st K1000 Rally (Pallath Ganesh Abhilash-Anoop Kumar, Lancer Evo 8, IRC) 23 of 36 cars finished.

    4. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Dec 11-13, Coffee Day Rally (Lohitt Urs- Srikanth Gowda, Evo 8, RC2 IRC). 17.9km stage cancelled. 28 of 41 cars finished.

    2014 INRC (Champions: Gaurav Singh Gill, Musa Sherif)

    1. Nashik, Tarmac, June 13-15; WISA Rally of Maharashtra (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Mahindra Adventure team, IRC) 19 of 20 cars finished.

    2. Coimbatore, Gravel, July 11-13; Rally of Coimbatore (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Mahindra Adventure team, IRC). 21 of 35 cars finished.

    3. Chennai, Gravel, July 25-27; AVT Premiuim 39th SIR (Samir Thaper- Gurinder Mann, Lancer Evo X, JCT Rallying, IRC). 18 of 29 cars finished.

    4. Kolkata, Durgapur, Gravel, Oct 31-Nov 2; 3 Rally de Bengal (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Mahindra Adventure team, IRC). 11 of 18 cars finished.

    5. Bengaluru, Gravel, Nov 21-23; Kar 1000 Rally (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Mahindra Adventure team, IRC). 24 of 41 cars finished. Stages Near Doddaguni, Tumkur.

    6. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Dec 13-14; Coffee Day Rally (Vikram Mathias- Swaroop Mohan, Lancer Evo IX, pvt, IRC). 19 of 34 cars finished.

    2013 INRC (Champions: Amittrajit Ghosh, Ashwin Naik)

    1. Chennai, Gravel, March 22-24; 38th AVT Premium South India Rally (Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Mitsubishi Cedia, Group N). 19 of 35 cars finished.

    2. Nashik, Asphalt, June 7-9; Mahindra Adventure Rally of Maharashtra (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Mahindra Adventure, SUV). 16/28 finished. Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Cedia, Group N, Overall Winners

    3. Coimbatore, Gravel, July 19-21; Rally of Coimbatore Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Team Mahindra Adventure, SUV). 14 of 29 cars finished. Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Cedia, Group N, Overall Winners.

    4. Bangalore, Gravel, Nov 9-10; IMG 39th K1000 Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Mahindra Adventure, SUV). 23 of 36 cars finished.

    5. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Dec 19-21; Coffee Day Rally, (Arjun Rao Aroor-Satish Rajagopal, VW Polo, 1600-Overall first). 17/38 finished. 14.21km Stage cancelled.

    Note: Following rounds were announced in the Calendar but NOT HELD

    Bhuj, Northern Motorsports, April 12 to 14 (Gravel)

    Kolkota, RRPM, May 17 to 20 (gravel)

    Kochi, KASC, Sept 20 to 22 (TBA) tarmac

    2012 INRC (Champions: Amittrajit Ghosh, Ashwin Naik)

    Promoter: IMG-PSP;  (No Sponsor)

    1. Siddlaghatta, Bangalore, Gravel, Sept 21-23; 38th K1000 Bangalore Rally (Lohitt V Urs-Sujith Kumar, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000, pvt). 22 of 39 cars finished.

    Coorg, Oct 19-21; Rally of Coorg. CANCELLED due to rains.

    2. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Nov 23-25; Coffee Day Rally (Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000). 29 of 43 finished.

    Note: Karna Kadur-Somonnita Ghosh lost at the fag-end due to 40-sec late penalty at the last TC which virtually cost him the Championship.

    Ahmednagar/Nashik, Gravel, Dec 22-23; Rally of Maharashtra. CANCELLED for lack of gravel stage permissions from landowners.

    2011 INRC (Champions: Gaurav Singh Gill, Musa Sherif)

    Promoter: IMG-PSP; Sponsor Bharat Petroleum- Speed

    Calendar announced on 16 March 2011

    1. Nashik, Gravel, June 2-5; Rally of Maharashtra (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Ltd, 2000N+) 18 of 27 cars finished.

    2. Chennai, Dirt with SSS on tarmac, June 23-26; 37th South India Rally (Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Tyres, 2000N+). 12 of 27 cars finished. SIR revived after 11 years.

    3. Coimbatore, Gravel, July 21-24; Rally of Coimbatore (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Ltd, 2000N+). 26 of 39 cars finished.

    4. Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 19-21; 37th K1000 Rally of Bangalore (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Ltd, 2000N+). 19 out of 41 cars finished.

    5. Chikmagalur, Gravel Nov 18-20; MSCC – Coffee Day Rally (Lohitt V Urs-PV Srinivasa Murthy, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Ltd., 2000N+). 29 of 39 cars finished.

    6. Bhubaneswar, Gravel, Dec 9-11; Rally of Odisha (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Ltd, 2000N+). 15/18 cars finished. Organisers: BMSC & Kalinga MSC.

    7. Durgapur, Gravel, Dec 16-18; Rally de Bengal (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Ltd, 2000N+). 15 of 21 finished. Organiser: RRPM

    2010 INRC (Champions: Naren Kumar, Dorairaj Ram Kumar)

    Promoter: IMG-PSP; Sponsor Bharat Petroleum- Speed

    1. Nashik, Tarmac-mix (1ss gravel for a bit), June 25-27; Rally of Maharashtra (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres, 2000N+). 25 of 31 cars finished.

    2. Coimbatore, Gravel, Aug 6-8; Rally of Coimbatore (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Mitsubishi Cedia, Red Rooster Racing, 2000N+). 37 of 50 cars finished.

    3. Jodhpur, Gravel, Sept 17-19; Rally of Rajasthan (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Mitsubishi Cedia, Red Rooster Racing, 2000N+). 28 of 38 cars finished.

    4. Siddlaghatta, near Bengaluru, Gravel, Dec 3-5; 36th K1000 Rally (APRC contender) (Arjun Rao Aroor-Satish Rajagopal, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres, 2000N+). Only 12 of 41 cars finished.

    5. Kottayam, Asphalt, Dec 15-19; Misty Meadows Rally of Kerala (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres, 2000N+). 23 of 32 cars finished.

    2009 INRC (Champions: Gaurav Singh Gill, Musa Sherif)

    Promoter: IMG-PSP; Sponsor Bharat Petroleum- Speed

    1. Coimbatore, Gravel, June 26-28; Rally of Coimbatore (Arjun Rao Aroor-Satish Rajagopal, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres, 2000N+). 28 of 46 finished.

    2. Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 21-23, 35th Rally of Bangalore (Arjun Balu-Sujith Kumar, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres, 2000N+). 35 of record 61 entries finished.

    3. Durgapur, near Kolkata, Gravel, Sept 18-20; Rally of Kolkata (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, MRF Ltd, 2000N+). 22 of 36 cars finished.

    4. Nashik, Asphalt, Oct 30-Nov 1; Rally of Nashik (Vikram Mathias- PVS Murthy, Mitsubishi Cedia, Red Rooster Racing, 2000N+). 21 of 27 cars finished.

    5. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Nov 20-22; Coffee Day Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, MRF Ltd, 2000N+). 27 of 37 cars finished.

    2008 FMSCI INRC (Champions: Vikram Mathias, PVS Murthy)

    1. Mysore, Gravel, June 13-15; Sidvin Rally of Karnataka (Vikram Mathias- PVS Murthy, Mitsubishi Cedia, Red Rooster Racing, 2000N+) 25 of 34 cars finished.

    2. Bangalore, Asphalt, Aug 8-10; 34th K1000 Rally (Vikram Mathias-PVS Murthy, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000N+)  27 of 52 cars finished.

    3. Cochin, Asphalt, Sept 12-14; 23. Popular Rally of Kerala (Lohitt V Urs-CM Chandramouli, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000N+). 20 of 35 cars finished.

    4. Coimbatore, Gravel, Oct 17-19; IMG Mill and Monsoon Rally (Vikram Mathias- PVS Murthy, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000N+) ?? cars finished.

    5. Coorg, Nov 28-30; Rally de Coorg (Vikram Mathias-PVS Murthy, Red Rooster Racing, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000N+)

    6. Nashik, Asphalt, Dec 19-21; IMG Rally of Maharashtra (Vikram Mathias-PVS Murthy, Red Rooster Racing, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000N+)

    Chennai, Gravel, Nov 14 to 16, 36th SIR CANCELLED

    2007 MAI INRC (Champions: Gaurav Gill, Musa Sherif)

    1. Kochin, Asphalt, March 9-11; 22nd Heera Rally, (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, 1600). 17 of 30 cars finished.

    2. Chikmagalur, Asphalt, May 4-6; Coffee Day Championship Rally, (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres; Class 2000). 22 of 37 finished. Day 1 Report,

    3. Bangalore, Asphalt, Aug 17-19; 33rd Bosch K1000 Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres – 2000). 32 of 47 cars finished.

    4. Pune, Asphalt, Nov 30-Dec 1; Rally of Maharashtra (Lohitt V Urs-Jaidas Menon, Ford Fiesta, Team MRF Tyres, 1600). 30 of 37 cars finished. Preview

    2006 MAI INRC (Champions: VR Naren Kumar, D Ram Kumar)

    1. Pune, Gravel, May 5-6; Xtra Premium Overdrive Rally of Pune (Gaurav Gill-Farooq Ahmed, Maruti Baleno, 1600). ?? out of 12 cars finished.

    2. Chikmagalur, Gravel, May 26-28; Coffee Day Championship Rally, (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, ???, 1600).  ?? out of 21 cars finished. Day 1 report,

    3. Coimbatore, June 9-11; Rally of Coimbatore,  CANCELLED

    3. Maddur, near Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 11-13; 32 Bosch K1000 Rally 2006 (Gaurav Gill-Farooq Ahmed, Cedia 1600 class). 31 of 46 cars finished.

    4. Chandigarh, Gravel, Nov 3-5; Power Pine Forest Rally, (Lohitt V Urs-Musa Sherif, Maruti Baleno). 19 of 35 cars finished.

    5. Goa, Asphalt, Nov 18-19; WIAA Rally de Goa, (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Mitsubishi Cedia, 1600). 29 of 35 cars finished.

    Note: Round 6 in Hyderabad, Deccan Rally from Dec 1 to 3 was CANCELLED as organisers said they would not be able to host it.

    2005 MAI INRC (Champions: VR Naren Kumar, D Ram Kumar)

    1. Meghalaya, Gravel, Mar 11-13; Rally Tura (Sandeep Sharma-Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Maruti Gypsy, Gypsy-Overall first). 9 of 16 cars finished.

    2. Mysore, gravel, May 26-29; Mysore Safari Rally (Arjun Balu-Kumar Ramaswamy, Maruti Baleno, 1600). 15 of 22 cars finished.

    3. Bangalore, Asphalt, Aug 12-14; Mico Bosch 31st K1000 Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Maruti Baleno, 1600). 18 of 25 cars finished.

    4. Chandigarh, Asphalt, Oct 21-23; Power M1 Challenge Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Maruti Baleno, 1600). 18 of 28 cars finished. Local Preview

    5. Delhi, gravel, Nov 11-13; Rally of the North, (Arjun Rao Aroor-CM Chandramouili, Baleno 1600, Team MRF tyres). Only 13 of total 40 cars finished. Preview.

    6. Cochin, Asphalt, Nov 25, to 27, -22nd Popular Rally, ???

    7. Hyderabad, Gravel, Dec 9-11; Sujana MRF Deccan Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Maruti Baleno, 1600). 17 of 26 cars finished. Preview.

    2004 MAI INRC (Champions: Vikram Mathias, B. Sujith Kumar)

    Awards Ceremony held on 24 January 2005

    1. Nashik, Asphalt, July 2-4: MAK Nashik Rally (Phillipos Mathai-Ashwin Naik, Esteem, 1400, Overall first) 12 cars of 14 finished.

    2. Bangalore, Asphalt, August 6-8: 30th Karnataka-1000 Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Baleno, Team MRF Tyres 1600) 18 of 24 cars finished.

    3. Cochin, Asphalt, August 20-22: 21st Popular Rally 2004 (Vikram Mathias- Sujith Kumar, Baleno, 1600) 15 of 20 cars finished.

    Note: Car No.1 Naren Kumar/ Ram hit a five-year-old who died immediately. After four stages, organisers decided to stop the rally.

    4. Panjim, Goa, Gravel, Sept 10-12: WIAA Rallye De Goa (Naren Kumar- D Ram Kumar, Baleno, Team MRF Tyres, 1600). 12 of 20 cars finished.

    5. Chandigarh, Gravel, October 29-31: Power M1 Challenge (Lohitt V Urs- Bonnie Thomas, Baleno, 1600). 17 of the 23 cars finished.

    6. New Delhi, Gravel, November 19-21: Maruti Suzuki India Challenge – Rally of the North (Vikram Mathias- Sujith Kumar, Baleno, 1600). 24 of 32 cars finished.

    7. Pune, Gravel, December 3-5: MRF India Rally (Lohitt V Urs-Bonnie Thomas, Baleno, 1600). 11 of 16 cars finished. A stage of 70.1km cancelled.

    2003 MAI INRC (Champions: Naren Kumar and D Ram Kumar)

    1. Chikmagalur, Asphalt, May 23-25; Coffee Day Rally, (Naren Kumar- D Ram Kumar, Honda City, Team MRF Tyres) 13/19 cars finished. Preview

    2. Nashik, Asphalt, June 6-8; MRF Taj Challenge (Naren Kumar- Musa Sherif, Honda City, MRF Tyres) 10 of 14 cars finished.

    3. Cochin, Gravel, Aug 29-31; 20th Kerala Rally (Naren Kumar – D Ram Kumar, Honda City, MRF Tyres, 1600); 13 of 17 cars finished.

    4. Chandigarh, Gravel, Sept 19-21; 1. Power M1 Challenge Rally (Naren Kumar – D Ram Kumar, Honda City, 1600); 10 of 16 cars finished. (Organiser: Motorsports One).

    5. Panjim, Goa, Gravel, Oct 31-Nov 2; WIAA Rally de Goa (Arjun Balu- Kumar Ramaswamy, Honda City, MRF Tyres, 1600) All 8 cars finished.

    6. Bangalore, Gravel, Nov 14-16; 29. Movva Rally de Bangalore 2003 (Karandip Singh- Jaidas Menon, Honda City, 1600). 11 cars of 14 finished.

    7. Pune, Gravel, Dec 5-7; MRF India Rally -APRC (Jiby Maliakkal- Nikhil Pai, Honda Civic-VTEC, 1600); 7 of 15 cars finished. Flag Off. Friday report. Saturday report.

    Coimbatore, Dec 26 to 28. NOT HELD

     (As per the calendar announced in Mumbai on 13 May 2003)

    2002 MAI INRC (Champions: Naren Kumar and D Ram Kumar)

    1. Coimbatore, Asphalt, Mar 30-31; Servo Mill and Monsoon Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Honda City VTEC, Team MRF Tyres) 17 of 25 cars finished.

    Note: Organisers Spitfire Motorsports (Karthikeyan drives a Tata Indica Zero car)

    2. Nashik, Asphalt, July 5-7; WIAA Taj Nashik Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Honda City VTEC, 1600). 13 of 15 cars finished the rally.

    3. Panaji, Goa, Asphalt, Sept 27-29; WIAA Rallye de Goa (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Team MRF Tyres, Honda City VTEC). 9 of 16 finished.

    Jiby Maliakkal- Nikhil Pai win 1400cc class.

    4. Bangalore, Asphalt, Oct 11-13; 28. Park Plaza Bangalore Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Honda City VTEC, 1600). 13 of 17 cars finished.

    Jiby Maliakkal-Nikhil Pai win 1400cc

    5.Bangalore, Gravel, Dec 7-8; MRF India Rally, (Arjun Balu-Kumar Ramaswamy, Team MRF Tyres, Honda City VTEC, 1600). 11 of 15 cars finished.

    2001 MAI INRC (Champion: N Leelakrishnan & Farooq Ahmed)

    (Runner-up Sagar Muthappa & Sandeep Rao)

    1. Coimbatore, Gravel, Mar 31 & Apr 1; Servo Mill Monsoon Rally, (Leelakrishnan-Farooq, Honda City)

    2. Nashik, June 8-10; Taj Rally India; (Vikram Mathias-Sujith Kumar, Esteem)

    3. Mumbai (gravel), July 6-8; Orange Monsoon Rally, (Leelakrishnan-Farooq Ahmed, Honda City)

    4. Bangalore, Aug 10-12; 27th K1000 Rally (Karandeep Singh-Jaidas Menon, Maruti Baleno)

    5. Goa, Sept 7-9; Gravel, Old Anchor Rally de Goa, (Naren Kumar-Ram Kumar, Honda City) 15 out of 18 cars finished.

    6. Coorg, Sept 28-30; Coorg Xpresso Rally, (Sagar Muthappa-Sandeep Rao, Honda City)

    7. Cochin, (Asphalt) Oct 26-28; 19th Chandrika Soap Popular Rally 2001 (Sagar Muthappa-Sandeep Rao, Honda City VTec 1600cc) 12 of 17 cars finished.

    8. Mangalore (Asphalt), Nov 24, 25, Coffee Day Action Rally, (Karandeep Singh-Jaidas Menon, Maruti Esteem) 14 of 18 cars finished.

    2000 FMSCI/MAI INRC (Champion: VR Naren Kumar, D Ram Kumar)

    1*. Calcutta, April 28-29; Birla Tyres Wild Run Rally – PG Abhilash-Yogesh Gupta

    2*. Chennai, July 28-30; 36th South India Rally 2000 (Vicky Chandhok-Sandeep Lal, Mitsubishi Lancer (lancer debut) JK Tyre team) 11 of the 19 cars finished the rally.

    *Note: Conducted by FMSCI, so does not show in the MAI calendar. MAI came into existence as FIA ASN on April 5.

    MAI Official National Rounds

    1. Mumbai, Gravel, Aug 4-6; WIAA Monsoon Rally, (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Esteem)

    2. Pune, Gravel, Sept 1-3; Para-HRA Monsoon Rally of Pune 2000 (Leelakrishnan-Farooq Ahmed, Esteem)

    3. Goa, Gravel, Sept 22-24; Rally de Goa, (Arjun Balu -Kumar Ramasamy, Esteem)

    4. Coorg, Asphalt, October 13-15, Rally of Coorg, (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Esteem)

    5. Kerala, Asphalt, Nov 3 to 5; 18th Popular Rally, (Arjun Balu -Kumar Ramasamy, Esteem) 9 of 12 cars finished.

    6. Coimbatore, Gravel, Nov 24-26, Rally of Coimbatore, ??

    7. Bangalore, Gravel, Dec 15-17, 26th K1000 Rally, ??

    INRC FMSCI 1999 (Champions: VR Naren Kumar, Farooq Ahmed)

    1. Durgapur, Gravel, March 31-Apr 4; 5 Birla Tyres EMSA Wild Run Rally (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem)

    2. Nashik, Asphalt, June 3-6; Nasa Challenge Rally, (Leelakrishnan- Farooq Ahmed, Esteem)

    3. Madras, Gravel, July 9-12; 35th South India Rally, (Arjun Balu- Kumar Ramaswamy, Esteem)

    4. Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 11-15; 25th Karnataka 1000 Rally (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem)

    5. Cochin, Asphalt, Sept 16-20; 17th Popular Rally, (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Esteem- MRF). Organiser: KASC

    6. Coimbatore, Gravel, Oct 7-11; 17th Cotton City Rally, (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Esteem- MRF)

    7. Bangalore, Asphalt, Nov 11-14, 17th Rally d’ Endurance (Karamjit Singh- Jagdev Singh, JK Tyres Rally team, Esteem). Organiser: IASC

    8. Hyderabad, Gravel, Dec 10-13, 14th Deccan Rally, (Arjun Balu- Kumar Ramaswamy, Esteem). Organiser: APMSC, Secunderabad.

    INRC 1998 (FMSCI) (Drivers’ Champ: N Leelakrishnan; Navigators’ champ: Farooq Ahmed)

    Driver’s Championship standings; Navigators’ Final Standings

    1. Nashik, Gravel, May 8-10; Castrol Challenge, (N Leelakrishnan-Chander MK, Esteem)

    2. Madras, Gravel, July 3-6; 34th South India Rally (SIR), (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem). Only 13 of the 28 cars finished the rally.

    3. Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 11-14; 24th Castrol Kar1000 Rally, (Leelakrishnan -Farooq Ahmed, Esteem) 15 of 28 cars finished. Winner time: 1:38:43.

    4. Cochin, Gravel, Sept 11-14; 16th Popular Rally, (Manik Raiky- Vivek Ponnusamy, Esteem)

    5. Coimbatore, Gravel, Oct 9-12; 16th Castrol Cotton City Rally, (Naren Kumar-Chander MK, Esteem)

    6. Coorg, Gravel, Nov 11-13; 16th Rally d Endurance, (Naren Kumar-Chander MK, Esteem) 10 of 23 cars finished.

    7. Hyderabad, Gravel, Dec 5-7, Castrol Deccan Rally, (Dicky Upkar Gill- Aditya Singh, Esteem)

    8. Jaipur, Gravel, Dec 25-28, Castrol Desert Rally (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem).

    INRC 1997 (fmsci) (Champions: Hari Singh, Gurinder Singh Mann)

    1. Nashik, Gravel, May 2-5; Castrol Challenge Rally 97 (Thirumal Roy- Amita Roy, Esteem)

    2. Coimbatore, Gravel, May 23-27;  15th Scissors Action Rally, (Sanjay Agarwal-Shivu Shivappa, Esteem)

    3. Chennai, Gravel, July 11-13; 33rd Castrol SIR 1997 (Dicky Upkar Gill- Manish Kapur, Esteem)

    4. Bangalore, Asphalt, Aug 12-14; The Club 23rd Karnataka 1000 Rally, (Hari Singh- Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem)

    5. Cochin, Asphalt, Sep 13-14; 15th Popular Rally (Naren Kumar-Chander MK, Esteem)

    6. Simla, Gravel, Oct 3-6, Castrol Mountain Challenge, (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem)

    7. Bangalore, Gravel, Nov 6-9, Castrol Rally d’Endurance (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem)

    8. Hyderabad?, Gravel, Dec 6-8, Castrol Deccan Rally, (Naren Kumar-Ram Kumar, Esteem)

    INRC fmsci 1996 (Champions: Hari Singh, Gurinder Singh Mann)

    1. Nashik, Gravel, Jan 6-7; Castrol Challenge Rally (Farad Batheena- Farooqh Commissariat, Gypsy) 12 of 24 cars finished. Winner time: 1:57:16;

    2. Coimbatore, Gravel, June 1-3, 14th Scissors Action Rally (Sanjay Agarwal-Shivu Shivappa, Esteem) 9 out of 10 cars finished.

    3. Madras, Gravel, July 12-14; 32nd Castrol South India Rally (Majithia-CDR Chowdary, Esteem) 11 of 28 cars finished

    4. Bangalore, Asphalt, Aug 11-13, 22nd Karnataka 1000 Rally, (Samir Thapar-Rahul Rao Koka, Esteem) 28 of 35 cars finished.

    5. Cochin, Gravel, Sept 13-16; 14th Popular Rally (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem). 17 of 29 cars finished.

    6. Delhi, gravel, Oct 11-14; Castrol Mountain Challenge, (Hari Singh-Gurinder Mann, Esteem). 15 of 26 cars finished.

    7. Coorg (Madikeri), Gravel, Nov 7-10; 14th Castrol Rally de Endurance, (Bikram Singh Majithia-Vijayant Chowdhry). 13 cars finished.

    8. Hyderabad, Gravel, Dec 6-8; Castrol Deccan Rally (Naren-??, Esteem)

    9. Bombay, Asphalt, Dec 27-29; Masa Rally (???)

    INRC 1995 (Champions: Hari Singh, Gurinder Singh Mann)

    1. Nashik, Gravel, April 7-8; Castrol Challenge Rally, (Hari Singh -Gurinder Mann gypsy); 20 out of 25 cars finished.

    2. Coimbatore, Gravel, May 27-29; 13 Scissors Action Rally, (Leelakrishnan-Farooq Ahmed, Esteem)

    3. Madras, Gravel, July 6-8; 31st Castrol South India Rally (Hari Singh- Gurinder Singh Mann Gypsy)

    4. Bombay, Gravel, June 21-23; Castrol Masa Rally, (Majithia-Aditya Singh, Gypsy)

    5. Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 12-14; BPL 21st K1000 Rally (Naren Kumar-Chander MK Esteem)

    6. Cochin, Asphalt, Sept 16-17, 13th Castrol Popular Rally, (Majithia-Aditya Singh, Gypsy) 26 of 37 cars finished.

    7. Delhi, Asphalt, Oct 14-15; Castrol Mountain Challenge, (Hari-Gurinder Gypsy)

    8. Bangalore, Asphalt, Nov 11-12, Castrol Rally de Endurance, (Hari-Gurinder Gypsy)

    9. Hyd?? Gravel, Dec 2-3, Castrol Deccan Rally (Hari-Gurinder Gypsy)

    INRC 1994 (Champions: Hari Singh, Gurinder Singh Mann)

    (To be completed)

    1?. Madras, 30th South India Rally, ??

    2?. Coimbatore, Cotton City Rally, ??

    3?. Bombay, ?? MASA Rally, (Jagat Nanjappa-Anita Nanjappa)

    4?. Cochin, Sept 12-15; 12th Popular Rally (Hari Singh and GS Mann, Gypsy)

    5?. Bangalore, 20th Scissors K1000 Rally, (N Leelakrishnan and Farooq Ahmed, Gypsy, Team MRF) (Naren Kumar-??? won Group N) (Shyam Kothari & C Patil won 2w K1000)

    6?.Deccan Rally, Dec 1, Gravel, *(Gurmeher Singh-??? Gypsy)

    INRC 1993 (Champions: N Leelakrishnan, N Mahindran or Farokh Commissariat)

    1?. Kodaikanal, Castrol 29th SIR (N Leelakrishnan-N Mahindran, Gypsy)

    2?. Bombay, MASA Rally, (2W winners: Jagat Nanjappa-Anita Nanjappa)

    3?. Bangalore, Aug 14-15; 19th Scissors Karnataka 1000 (Team Paarel, Vinil Varghese and Anil Devaraj)

    4?. Cochin, Sept 17-19; 11th Popular Rally (For Castrol FIRD and FIRR Championship) (Farad Bathena, Farooq Commissariat, Team MRF)

    5?. Coimbatore, Cotton Rally

    6. Hyderabad, 11th Charminar Challenge Car Rally, (N Leelakrishnan, Farooq Ahmed, Team MRF)

    INRC 1992 (Champions*: N Leelakrishnan, N Mahindran)

    Leela had ten wins in 92-93

    1. Coimbatore, 4 May 1992, Scissors Action Rally (Overall first: N Leelakrishnan/ P Vivekanand, Team MRF) Bikes: (Jagat Nanjappa- Anita Nanjappa)

    2. Kodaikanal, 13 July 1992; 28th South India Rally (N Leelakrishnan/ R Mahendran, Team MRF)

    3. Bangalore, 15 Aug 1992; K 1000 Rally, (N Leelakrishnan/ R Mahendran, Team MRF)

    4. Cochin, Sept 18-20; 10th Popular Rally, (Leelakrishnan, R Mahendran, Gypsy), organisers: Kerala Auto Sports Club (KASC).

    5. Bangalore, 17 Oct 1992: McDowell Rally de Endurance (Nikhil Taneja/ Askif Haidari) or (Hari Singh, GS Mann) – to be confirmed

    *Note: There was a tie between Leelakrishnan-Mahendran and Farad Bathena-Farookh Commissariat, and Leela-Mahendran won the tie-breaker.

    INRC 1991 (Champions: N Leelakrishnan, N Mahindran)

    1. Coimbatore, Gravel, June 21-23, Cotton City Rally, (Leelakrishnan-Jose, Gypsy)

    2. Kodaikanal, Gravel, July 13, 27th South India Rally,  (Farad Bathena- Farookh Commissariat, Gypsy) 9 of 15 cars finished.

    3. Tumkur, near Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 12-13, Rally de’ Endurance, K1000, (Leelakrishnan-Mahendran or GVL Gopal, Gypsy)

    4. ??? – Gravel, Sept 20-21, McDowell Rally, (Farad Batheena-?? Gypsy)

    5. Bombay, Gravel, Oct 5-7, Castrol Rally, (Leelakrishnan-??, Gypsy)

    6. Hyderabad, Gravel, Dec 7-9, Charminar Challenge, (Leelakrishnan-?? Gypsy)

    INRC 1990 (Champions: N Leelakrishnan, CF Jaykumar)

    (To be completed)

    1?. Madras, 26th South India Rally ??

    2?. Bangalore, 16th K1000 Rally, Leelakrishnan, Mahendran, Gypsy Team MRF

    3?. Coimbatore, Cotton City Rally ??

    4?. Hyderabad, Charminar Challenge ??

    INRC 1989 (Champions: Farad Bathena, Raj Bagri) (To be completed)

    1. Bangalore, Rally de Endurance, Farad Bathena/ Farooq Commissariat

    2. Madras, 25th? South India Rally (Farad Bathena- Raj Kumar Bagri, Team MRF, Gypsy)

    3. Bangalore, 15th K1000 Rally, (Harish Samtani/ Rajiv Choudhry, Gypsy, Team MRF)

    3?. Coimbatore, Cotton City Rally ??

    4?. Hyderabad, Charminar Challenge ?? (Ashok Rao Aroor?)

    INRC 1988 (Champions: Farad Batheena, Raj Bagri) (To be completed)

    1. Coimbatore, Gravel, Scissors Master Action Rally  (L Gopoalakrishnan-R Mahendran, Maruti 800, Group A(II) Ind)

    2. Great Desert Rally, Farad Bathena/ Raj Kumar Bagri

    3. Kodaikanal, 24th South India Rally, Farad Bathena/Raj Kumar Bagri (Team MRF)

    4. Karavalli, Karavalli Rally, George Anthony (Team MRF)

    5. Mumbai, MASA Rally, Farad Bathena

    6. Cochin, July 29-31; 6th Popular Rally; (George Anthony, Jose Anthony, Jiju Elias Paarel, Roy)

    7. Bangalore, 14th K1000 Rally (Indian category) Kamlesh Patel, KD Madan, 118 NE.

    8. Great Himalayan Rally (Nikhil Taneja/ Sandeep Lal) Team MRF

    8. Great Desert Rally (Motorycycles), Jagat Nanjappa/ Anita Nanjappa, Team MRF

    9?. Hyderabad, Dec ??; 5th Charminar Challenge ??

    Rallies in 1987* (Champions: N Leelakrishnan, CV Jayakumar)

    1. Rally de Endurance, July 1987, Vicky Bharat Chandhok and Manoj Dalal.
    2. Cochin, 24-25 July 1987, 5th 1000-km Popular Rally,
    3. Bangalore, August 1987, Karnataka 1000, Kamlesh Patel/ KD Madan, Team MRF.
    4. Madras, September 1987, 23th South India Rally, MS Zachariah/ Jagdish Bhatia, Team MRF.
    5. Coimbatore, October 1987, Scissors Action Rally, Subash Chandra
    6. ???, November 1987, Great Himalayan Rally, Nikhil Taneja/ Manjeev Singh Bhalla, Team MRF. (To be confirmed if this round is part of National championship)
    7. Chikmagalur, Nov 1987, Coffee 500, N Leelakrishnan/CV Jayakumar.
    8. Hyderabad, December 1987, 4th Charminar Challenge, N Leelakrishnan/CV Jayakumar.

    *Status of National Championship was not confirmed in 1988

    ends/17apr2020/last updated 2mar2021 11pm; to be updated…

  • South India Rally postponed to June 21

    South India Rally postponed to June 21

    Chennai, 15 March 2020: Organisers the Madras Motor Sports Club announced on Sunday that the South India Rally, scheduled for March 20 to 22 is postponed to June 19 to 21 in view of the escalation in the COVID-19 virus situation across the country, according to the Chairman of the event, Vicky Chandhok.

    The South India Rally also doubles up as a round of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and the first round of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (4-wheelers). Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) has advised all concerned to take note of the government advisory and put off events till May-end.

    Chandhok, who is also the president of Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) Working Group, said: “After much discussion internally, and following the lockdown in various States and territories across India, besides travel advisories and restrictions on public assembly, we have decided to postpone South India Rally to June 19-21.

    Chikmagalur Coffee Day INRC rally run along with APRC. A file photo of 2017 by Anand Philar

    “We were confident of running the event on schedule as we had put in place all measures and infrastructure complying with Government of India’s health advisories to provide a safe environment to all the stakeholders. However, developments in the past couple of days forced us to rethink and decide on postponing South India Rally,” said Chandhok in a statement.

  • Ban on Prithviraj illegal and unjust, says Appellate panel

    Ban on Prithviraj illegal and unjust, says Appellate panel

    Bengaluru, 15 March 2020: The Indian Motor Sports Appellate Committee of FMSCI consisting of Justice KP Sivasubramaniam (Retd.), Mr S Silambanan (Advocate) and Mrs. Lita Srinivasan (Advocate) gave a clean chit to Mr J Prithvi Raj, the President of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) and dismissed the ban imposed on him by the FMSCI Council on 21 November 2019. The Committee said that the Council does not have the power to ban either through the Sporting Code or through the Articles of Association and “…the action per se is improper and illegal.”

    The Appeal was upheld and the ban was dismissed on 11th March 2020.

    In a 6-page verdict signed by all the three members, it also said that the 3-year ban and the demotion as DCoC thereafter for a year, “is clearly illegal and cannot stand any test of reasonable conduct.”

    J Prithviraj

    Prithvi Raj was the Clerk of the Course for the Maxperience Rally, Jodhpur, a round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) that was held in September 2019. The rally was organised by Max Experience Private Limited and co-organised by Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC). In the opening stage, three died in an accident and the rally was cancelled.

    After a review meeting on 26 Sept 2019 by FMSCI, its Rally Commission on Oct 4 constituted a committee to inquire into the incident and suggest measures to prevent any such mishaps in the future. On Nov 5, the panel imposed a ban for three years and thereafter a one-year mandatory DCoC period on Prithvi Raj and also fined CASC for Rs.5 lakh.