Gaurav Gill explaining the stages at Jodhpur on Friday. Photo by David Bodapati
Jodhpur, 20 Sept. 2019: Fresh from the WRC2 campaign, speed maestro Gaurav Gill of JK Racing, looked excited and confident after the recce here on Friday. The reigning champion took a liking to the fast and flowing stages of Rally Jodhpur, the Maxperience Rally 2019, which serves as Round 3 of the Champions Yacht Club fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) powered by MRF here on Friday.
In the orange colours of Mahindra Adventure in an SUV 300 on JK Tyres, Gill, who just returned from Rally Turkey, said that the stages were very fast. “The stages are perhaps the fastest I ever saw in an INRC event in the past few years. I am really excited and looking forward to tomorrow’s run. We have good upgrades to the car and am confident of a good result,” he said.
During Mahindra Adventure testing on Thursday Gaurav Gill took a huge jump on the route which will be part of the INRC stages. Mahindra Adventure photo: G Harinath
Both in Chennai and Coimbatore, he dominated the proceedings before he was let down by the car. Gill, along with his co-driver Musa Sherif, is currently fifth on the championship standing with 22 points and will be eager to move up quickly.
Another driver who took a liking to the fast stages, is Fabid Ahmer of Team Champions. The youngster from Palakkad, with co-driver Sanath Gopalan, is currently leading the championship table after two rounds with 49 points. “The stages are very quick and the stretches are fast with free-flowing corners. They are a driver’s delight and we are looking for another good outing,” Fabid said.
Dean Mascarenhas talking to media after the road show in Jodhpur on Friday. Photo David Bodapati
Seven points behind him is another youngster from Mangaluru. Dean Mascarenhas, also from the Team Champions, with co-driver Shruptha Padival, is supported by JK Racing. They won the opening round and showed his class in Round 2 as well, jumping 32 places to finish 10th overall and second in his INRC 2 category. He 42 points from two rounds. With three more rallies after Jodhpur, the battle is still
However, it won’t be easy for both of them as Younus Ilyas will be breathing fiercely down their neck. The Race Concepts driver from Kochi, along with his navigator Harish Gowda, was in stellar form in the last round and finished second overall missing the top podium by just 04.600 seconds. He however won his INRC 2 category. He is placed fourth in the INRC overall category with 31 points.
Arka Motorsports Karna Kadur along with Nikhil Pai, Chetan Shivram, with brother & co-driver Dilip Sharan, will also be in the mix and will look to maintain to gain some valuable points.
The Akshara Racing driver Shivram, surprised everyone in the last round by winning the overall title as well as his own INRC 3 category.
Shivram showed great opportunism as he made the most of the top contenders’ misfortune.
He surged ahead on Day 1 itself and drove smartly the next day to avoid all the pitfalls that lurked in the stages, just off Coimbatore.
Fabid Ahmer, the current overall leader, in Jodhpur on Friday.
Fabid Ahmer along with Sanath G of Team Champions has been the stand-out performer of the season so far and will start as the dark horse once again. While the big names have been fighting it out to stay in the hunt, Fabid slowly clawed him way up the table to lead the championship with 49 points. He is also leading the INRC 3 category with 69 points.
Suhem Kabeer along with Jeeva Rathnam is another driver to watch out for in Round 3 of the INRC. Even though he is placed 7th overall, the position does not exactly tell the tale. He was in the hunt for a podium in the last round and was hot on the heels of the eventual winner Chetan Shivram. But, bad luck struck him mid-way into the final where he got stuck in the slush which saw him lose six minutes to slip out of contention.
Vaibhav Marate has been unbeaten in the INRC 4 category winning both the rounds. He is on top of the charts with 79 points and will hope to extend his lead in Jodhpur.
The Rally of Jodhpur, to be run on gravel, will cover about 300 kms over the two days, including 125 kms of Special Stages. As many as 51 teams will be seen in action in what promises to be a fast and furious affair.
The rally not only provides the drivers a great opportunity to prove their mettle but will also offer fans a great opportunity to catch the stars live in action in their mean machines.
Fabid Ahmer kicks up the dust but manouvres the corner in a smooth manner in the Avisa stage of the South India rally in this June photo by Srinivasa Krishnan
Jodhpur, 19 Sept. 2019: Fresh from his WRC2 campaign in Rally Turkey, JK Racing’s Gaurav Gill will be looking to go all-out for the elusive win this season as he spearheads a strong 51-car Jodhpur Rally, termed as Maxperience 2019, the third round of the Champion Yacht Club promoted Indian National Rally Championship from September 20 to 22.
Organised by Madcap Adventure Xperiences in association with Coimbatore Auto Sports Club under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci), the event will witness two days of intense Stage Rallying which returns to the city after a gap of nine years. The action will be spread over 126.5 kms of Special Stage distance and along with 258.6 kms of liaison will make it a total distance of 385.22 kms.
Gaurav Gill file photo by JK Racing
Piloting the Mahindra XUV 300, along with experienced Musa Sherif as navigator, the champion rally driver, who became the first athlete from motorsports to receive Arjuna Award recently, is raring to go in the orange colours of Team Mahindra Adventure here. Deeply focussed to post a victory and log some valuable points with three more rounds remaining in Bengaluru, Kuttikanum, and Chikkamagaluru, the speed maestro is capable of turning the tables for his 7th INRC title. But the battle is not going to be easy despite 117 points on offer from the three remaining rallies as Team Mahindra is struggling to set-up the optimum car for him, run now on JK Tyres. However, Gill’s teammate, Ghosh, will continue on MRF tyres.
Fabid Ahmer poses with his car during one of his rallies in the 2019 campaign.
But for now, `Mr Clean & Consistent’, Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Sanat Gopalan, who have shown tremendous application and grit with some smooth driving are rewarded with the overall first in the leaderboard after three rounds with 49 points. The Team Champions youngsters from Palakkad in their No#11 Volkswagen Polo are competing in both the INRC3 and Junior INRC classes. But they are keen to continue their good run and keep the lead in the overall category with another good showing in Jodhpur.
Dean’s file photo by Anand Philar
Close on their heels will be Dean Mascarenhas who is second in the standings with 42 points and Chetan Shivaram (40). Younus Ilyas has 31 points with Gill, way behind at fifth place, wtih just 22.
Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik will be the other Mahindra team entry in the top class and will have #3 Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pai of Arka Motorsports in a Polo along with the other 2 INRC competitors of Snap Racing, Phalguna Urs and Srikanth Gowda, and Girija Shankar Joshy and co-driver Chandramouli M, both also in rally-prepared Volkswagen Polos.
The other teams to watch in the INRC2 class will be Younus Iyas and Harish Gowda of Race Concepts in a Mitsubishi Cedia and Rahul Kantharaj and Vivek Bhatt of Arka Motorsports. These two teams are expected to face a tough fight from Team Champions’ team Dean Mascarenhas and co-driver Shrupta Padival, and Vikram Rao Aroor and Somayya AG, also from Team Champions both behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Polo.
The daughter-mother duo of Shivani Pruthvi and Deepti, in the #26 Mitsubishi Cedia is the only all-woman team and will vie for honours in INRC3 and Junior INRC class.
Two physical stages of Camel Hump consisting of 13.45km and Roller Coaster covering 13.70km will be run thrice on Saturday for a total of 121.45km of Special Stage distance on Day 1. On Sunday, four more stages will be run. The two stages of 9.35km Drift Run and 13.2km Precision Drive will be run twice each for a Stage distance of 45.1km on Sunday, the Day 2.
There are 15 teams which are supported by Team Champions vying for honours in every class. “Champions Yacht Club believes in producing champions so we are supporting many teams. That is our mission as we step in to run the INRC,” said Shubakara Rao of Champions Group. “We are now providing an ideal platform to many talented drivers who always suffered because of lack of sponsorship and we also intend to promote them at international competitions on world-class routes,” said Vamsi Merla of Champions Yacht Club.
He also informed that the competitors with valid FMSCI Competition License have been insured for Rs.5 lakh personal accident & Rs. 5 lakh towards medical expenses. Even 100 Officials come under a cover Rs.25 lakh for personal accidents and Rs. 1 lakh for medical expenses.
The Ceremonial Flag-off from Hotel Lariya Resort near the Jaisalmer bye-pass will be at 5 pm on Friday after the Drivers’ Briefing and Press Conference. The prize distribution and podium ceremony on Sunday will be at 5 pm also at the same venue, which is also the Rally Head Quarters 2 (hq2).
Gaurav Gill in action on Saturday. Photo courtesy M-Sport
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson are back in the lead of the FIA World Rally Championship’s premier support series – leading the way in the WRC 2 Pro category with their Ford Fiesta R5 Mk II.
The new Fiesta secured its maiden victory in the hands of Anders Grøndal at Norway’s Rally Tron last weekend, and Greensmith continues to showcase the power and performance of M-Sport’s latest global rally car at this weekend’s Rally Turkey.
Despite picking up a puncture through the early stages (SS3), the young Brit rebounded with stage-winning pace throughout the weekend – now holding more than a minute’s lead with just 38.59 competitive kilometres left to contest.
In the WRC 2 category, Gaurav Gill and Glenn MacNeall were back in action and getting to grips with the notoriously challenging terrain. The pairing showed good speed, but their bad luck continued into the second day of competition with two punctures (SS10 and SS11) and a broken damper on the penultimate speed test (SS12).
Gus Greensmith said: “It’s been a much better day for us today. We took a bit of a gamble this afternoon with only one spare and just pushed as much as we could which really paid off. We’ve jumped into a good lead in WRC 2 Pro now, and from where we were after the second stage on Friday [when we lost time having to stop and change a puncture] I’d say we’re doing pretty well.”
Gaurav Gill said: “We were still learning the car in the first stage morning, but had some good speed in the next ones and I was happy with the confidence and the feeling of the car. We wanted to build on that over the second loop but unfortunately we had an issue with the damper which meant we had to cruise through the last stage and get the car back to service in one piece. I guess that’s the nature of this event and that these things can happen, but overall I think it’s been a positive day and we can be happy with the speed.”
New Delhi, 14 Sept 2019: Seasoned Indian rallyist Gaurav Gill showed great grit and tenacity to bounce back from Day 2’s reverses to catapult to the sixth position in WRC2 by the end of Stage 12 in the Rally of Turkey on Saturday.
Gaurav (along with co-driver Glenn Macneall), driving as a registered driver for JK Racing in the WRC 2 category of the World Rally Championship for the first time, was cruising on Friday too before a mechanical failure prompted him to withdraw for the day with two more stages to go.
Taking advantage of the scratch time plus seven minutes penalty for three stages that he could not complete, the Arjuna Awardee drove with typical elan to emerge as one of the top drivers on Saturday. He finished the 12 stages so far in 3:51:39.2 hours to be poised for a podium finish in WRC2.
In the overall scheme too, he is placed 17th despite driving a totally new car with barely any testing time in it. The Rally of Turkey is anyway rated among the toughest in the world, with long rough stretches and unrelenting terrains.
Starting the day from the 10th position, Gaurav got off to a slow start, taking 27:33.5 minutes to finish the 33-km long eighth stage. Hence finishing 5th fastest in wrc 2. Once he felt comfortable in the car, he began to push and took just 7.28.3 minutes in the ninth stage, posting the third fastest time.
He was equally impressive in the 10th stage, once again finishing with the third best time of 7.51.6 minutes.
As the day progressed, the three-time APRC champion seemed to be in his groove, coming up with yet another impressive performance in the 11th stage, setting the third fastest time (27.56.5 minutes) for the third consecutive time.
In the 8.75-km long 12th stage, he took 8.49.5 minutes with a seized damper but the rhythm he displayed today should position him for a top 5 finish.
Marmaris (Turkey), 13 Sept 2019: Ace Indianrallyist Gaurav Gill showcased his skill and speed in the Rally of Turkey by dazzling in the opening four stages on Friday but had a puncture in the evening and later suffered a suspension damage.
Meanwhile, Jan Kopecky and Pavel Dresler (Cze.Cze) took the lead in the WRC2 Pro-category after Day 2 fo the 11th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Rally Turkey Driving for JK Racing, Gaurav, along with Glenn Macneall of Australia as co-driver, proved his mettle in one of the world’s toughest rallies and set the pace from the word `go’ in his new untested EcoBoost-powered R5 MkII Ford Fiesta, clocking the fastest time in the shakedown on Thursday.
Gaurav, who was recently bestowed with the Arjuna Award, the first motorsport person from India to achieve the feat did not have enough time to test his car as the vessel carrying the vehicle docked in late leaving him little time to have a test ride. And despite all the odds, he proved his worth behind the wheels and stayed in contention to finish on the podium, giving the WRC regulars a run for their money. He was in ominous form despite facing setbacks with his car and was poised for his maiden podium finish in the WRC 2 before a series of unfortunate incidents hit him.
Gaurav Gill during the WRC2 run in Rally of Turkey. Photos M Sport
He was on the threshold of making it a perfect start to his 2019 international campaign and at one stage, after SS2 in fact, he had moved up to the third position to put himself in line for a podium finish.
In the first spectator friendly super special stage on Friday night, he got off the blocks a little slow but still posted a time of 2:12.1 minutes, the fifth fastest in his category. The second stage was replete with drama, with his car spinning mid-way through the run and also developing a puncture in the later part.
Despite that, Gaurav managed to complete the 24.85 km long second stage in a mere 19:45.1 minutes to move up the ladder.
Placed third after SS2, it looked like that the three-time APRC champion, driving as a registered driver in the WRC2 for the first time, would close the gap in the next stage but bad luck followed him again. He endured a flat tyre after he hit a hole and lost out on precious minutes to end the stage with a time of 33:03.5 minutes.
He recovered brilliantly in the fourth stage, posting a time of 13:10.1 minutes to remain four minutes adrift of the leader and three minutes off the third place.
With an eye to close the gap on the leaders, Gaurav started well in the fifth stage but with just 4.5 kilometres into SS5, he suffered a front-left suspension damage cutting short his day.
“It was just bad luck. We had a mechanical failure and our lower arm joint under braking snapped. The car did not face any damage but we were lucky that the malfunction did not happen in the corner as that would have seen us slide down the hill,” Gaurav sighed after the fifth stage.
The Rally of Turkey, considered one of the toughest rallies in the world, covers a total distance of 988.50 kms with 310.10 kms earmarked for 17 special stages. Most of the stages will be on gravel, with a few of them running on concrete tiles and tarmac too.
The WRC2 has seen many major changes, with one category set aside for manufacturer-supported entries and the other for independent drivers. Gaurav is in the latter, having the option of the buying or hiring a car from a manufacturer and operating his own team.
His best six scores count towards a driver’s championship, giving him a very good chance this year.
New Delhi, 6 Sept. 2019: India’s first and only Arjuna Awardee in motorsports, Gaurav Singh Gill, is all set to take part in FIA World Rally Championship 2, in the Rally of Turkey from September 12 to 15.
The three-time APRC and six-time INRC champion will be driving a 1.6 Turbo R5 that has been developed by M-Sport. Supported by JK Tyre Motorsport, the rally ace will fancy his chances as most of the stages in the Rally of Turkey will be run on gravel, something that he relishes.
“We will carefully pick and choose the rallies that I will participate in this year, keeping in mind the car, the terrain and my strengths,” Gill revealed at a press interaction here on Friday. “I am excited about my first stint with a renowned team and a new support system in formidable JK Tyre Motorsport,” he added.
Gaurav Gill in his new JK Racing attire. Photos: JK Racing
The recently decorated Arjuna Awardee has already had a satisfying exploration in the WRC-2 2018, having taken part in four rallies, one each in Italy, Finland, Wales and Australia as an unregistered driver. He won 11 stages despite facing challenges, underlining his prowess and skill at the top level.
Gaurav Gill was felicitated by JK Tyre Motorsport for his Arjuna Award recognition at the press interaction. The company’s Marketing Director Vikram Malhotra congratulated the champion, declaring the award as a watershed moment for Indian motorsport.
“JK Tyre is the pioneer in promoting motorsport in India. 90% of the kids racing abroad have come from JK’s programmes. Our association with Gaurav Gill has also started yielding results in developing our tyres, with the last two domestic rallies leading to the development of 3 variants of rally tyres. With top performances in international events, our victories with Gaurav will only add to our excitement and result in strengthening our programmed that will benefit Gen Next,” Mr. Vikram Malhotra, Marketing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd, said.
Gill will be competing as a registered driver for the first time and will be picking up championship points, making it a huge landmark for Indian motorsport.
“I have worked with Gaurav briefly last year and it’s great to be able to continue that collaboration with him again this year. As a three-time Asia Pacific Champion, Gaurav is a talented driver with a lot of potential and we’re all looking forward to seeing how he progresses in the FIA World Rally Championship’s WRC 2 series,” Team Principal, Richard Millener, said.
“He’ll be taking to the wheel of our latest rally car – the all-new EcoBoost-powered R5 MkII which made its competitive debut earlier this summer. A lot of work and technology has gone into the design and development of this new car, and we’re all excited to see what some of the world’s best drivers can do behind the wheel – Gaurav included,” he added.
“This will change the way all stakeholders will look at Indian motorsport. Youngsters can hope for brighter prospects in the sport as schools and colleges will acknowledge Gaurav’s recognition and will treat it at par with any other sport. Sponsors will see more value in associating with the sport too, beyond using it as a testing ground. I wish Gaurav all the luck ahead of this important sojourn and hope that he will be able to live up to the expectations of the entire country,” Mr. Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre, said.
The 2019 Rally of Turkey will see the drivers cover a total distance of over 988.50 kms with 310.10 kms earmarked for 17 special stages. Most of the stages will be gravel with few of the stages running on concrete tiles and tarmac. The WRC will be broadcast live over 40 countries, featuring registered drivers and also could be seen online by registering on WRC+.
Former Sports Editor and respected senior journalist, Anand Philar, who specialises in motorsports, has tracked Arjuna Award winner Gaurav Singh Gill from his nascent days, and chronicled and photographed his exploits throughout his career, both at home and abroad.
In a special article to IndiaInF1, he shares his thoughts on Gaurav Gill.
Gaurav Gill receiving the Arjuna Award from the President of India on August 29, the National Sports Day. Photo courtesy @GauravGill FB page
By Anand Philar
Bengaluru, 30 August 2019: Back in 2005, a new sensation called Gaurav Gill burst on to the National Rally scene as a “replacement driver” for Vikram Mathias who was injured in a major crash the previous round in Delhi. Vikram’s navigator, Sujith Kumar, was asked to partner the tearaway Gill at a time when few were willing to sit in the co-driver’s seat. Gill finished Overall second to JK Tyre’s lead driver, VR Naren Kumar, after dominating most of the event by clocking seriously fast Stage times. Gaurav Singh Gill has arrived.
The following year, in Pune, it was the turn of veteran Farooq Ahmed, to partner Gill who again finished behind Naren Kumar, who went on to win the championship. Both Sujith and Farooq sang praises of not just Gill’s extreme pace, but his “phenomenal memory”.
Sujith recalled: “I have never sat with any driver with such memory. I realised then that he was a special talent and a superstar in the making.” Farooq said much the same. “Just phenomenal talent Anand. He will go places. I have never co-driven for a guy with such raw pace and memory. I mean, he remembered every corner and dip. I wondered whether he needed a navigator at all!”
File photo of Gaurav Gill negotiating a corner in the Coffee Day Rally 2017. Photos by Anand Philar
For sure, Gill had cast a magical and mesmeric spell on the Indian motorsport fraternity which continues to this day. MRF Tyres, taking note of his immense talent, was quick to sign up Gill and thus began the Delhi lad’s long journey to international stardom. APRC titles in 2013, 2016 and 2017, cemented Gill’s status as a World-class driver. At home, his dominance was even more absolute as National titles came his way.
From the raw pace of the youth to mature driving of the experienced, Gill has come a long way. “Over the years and with experience, I learned to pace myself in a rally. It meant, knowing when to push and when to nurse your position without taking undue risks. It has made me a better driver and in rallying, much like a good wine that tastes better with age,” he had told me in a rare moment of introspection as we drove to Chikmagaluru for the Coffee Day India Rally a couple of years ago.
Gaurav Gill signals six, after his sixth win in a row. He won the APRC for the third time, winning all the rounds. Photo by Anand Philar
Through his decade-long campaign in the APRC with MRF team, Gill was pitted against more experienced team-mates, not necessarily in terms of age, but seat time and the number of competitions.
“These guys do about 20 to 25 rallies in a year as against five or six in my case, and another few in INRC. A couple of my team-mates have been factory drivers, constantly testing the cars that were being prepared for APRC. They literally lived in them! So, straight away, I am at a disadvantage going into an APRC round. Yet, I am able to match and beat them on the Stages. This is what people back home should know, understand and appreciate,” has been Gill’s constant refrain each time we met at an APRC event abroad.
For me, there is more to Gill than the titles (including one track racing championship). Statistics do no justice to his talent that is so apparent even to a novice watcher. For Indian motorsport, he is once-in-a-lifetime beacon leading the way and setting benchmarks.
The Arjuna Award came his way exactly 20 years after he made his rally debut on a bike before switching to cars. Through those two decades of living on the edge, as it were, Gill has maintained his focus and motivation, while blossoming into a man who is officially certified fit enough to pilot a monstrous Formula 1 speedboat!
Gaurav Gill takes a huge jump during the APRC Malaysian round in 2017. Photo by Anand Philar
For Gill, speed is the elixir of life, beautifully complemented by his unshakable belief and confidence in his ability to drive quick but safe, take calculated risks that would deter a lesser mortal, the special bonding with the car that becomes an extension of self, quickly learning its limits to push it to the very edge and, sometimes, beyond – all traits of a man who belongs to the elite class of motorsport drivers.
Gill is a natural. “Give him a bullock cart, and he will still be the quickest!” This is not said in jest, but with awe and admiration. I have had the privilege of sitting with him in the Skoda ahead of Rally of Hokkaido. I barely noticed the stunning acceleration, the cornering, and braking. The silken touch and precision driving had me mesmerised, just like it has always been when I focussed my camera on his car power-sliding through the corner or attacking a crest!
Family Time: Gaurav Gill with family at the Coffee Day round in 2017. Photo by Anand Philar
Hailing from a family of rally drivers, his uncle Dicky Gill (Team MRF) being the best known among them, Gaurav took to driving like a duck to water. “I learned to drive very early in life, taking our family car out without informing anyone. Then came the Play Station games and the bikes, which are still my first love, before I moved to cars. So, I grew up in such an environment and here I am, driving Rally cars!”.
Hopefully, the Arjuna Award would not only motivate Gaurav further, but also spawn a generation of young guns who will not just emulate him, but go a step further. He has waited long for this overdue National recognition, dealing with frustrations and triumphs with supreme equanimity, never once taking his eyes off the goals he had set. Now, looking to his 38th birthday on December 2, Gill has his sights set on the big stage, the WRC. “My ultimate wish is to compete with the best in the World and prove to myself first that I belong to.” His words, spoken over a year ago. It’s time we all got behind this maverick of a driver.
Pursue your dreams champ and conquer new horizons.
Chetan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan of Team Akshara win the overall title in the Rally of Coimbatore. Photo by Venu Ramesh
Coimbatore, 11 August 2019: Brothers Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan of Team Akshara, played a cautious game and focussed on keeping the car on track with a safety-first approach, to chalk-out a deserving win in the Rally of Coimbatore, the second round of the fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), promoted Champions Yacht Club, at the Windmill farms of Kethanur, near here on Sunday.
Chetan painted the town yellow in his stock Volkswagen Polo prepared by FRK Racing and supported by Ideal Racing and displayed controlled aggression with his brother Sharan calling the notes. The focussed Bengaluru duo weathered a sustained challenge from Race Concepts’ Younus Ilyas and Harish Gowda, the INRC Sprint champions and won by a narrow margin of 4.6 seconds. Further behind, the talented youngster from Kerala Arakkal Fabid Ahmer, with co-driver Sanath Gopalan, also in a Polo prepared by Chettinad Sporting came third for Team Champions. Fabid who was trailing 5th overnight also won the second place in the INRC 3 class.
Chetan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan on the podium. Photo. Chetan’s FB post
Nurturing their four-second lead was made easy as overnight second-placed privateer Suhem Kabeer and co-driver Jeevarathinam clocked 14min, 43.10sec and lost time in the 6th stage to Chetan’s 8:21.30, as they got stuck in the slush but behind them Younus Ilyas (Harish) of Race Concepts who were running third, started reducing the 19-second gap. Chetan Shivaram, however, managed to cling on to the lead and not only won the overall title but also topped the INRC 3 category. Despite losing six minutes or so, Suhem held on to the third place in INRC 2 class but lost the overall podium finishing 15th. Younus was ahead in two of the three stages but that was not enough as they settled for overall second place.
But Younus and Harish had the consolation bagging the title in the INRC 2 category. For the record, it was the doctor from Kerala, Bikku Babu, along with co-driver Milen George who won all the three stages today with top-notch driving. But the experienced Kerala duo found it too difficult to make up the time, over an hour, which they lost in SS5 on Saturday.
Vaibhav Marate and Arjun Balachandran’s Honda City flying through windmill stages. Photo Prabhu Kethanur
But the highlight of the day was the drive from talented youngster from Mangalore Dean Mascarenhas, who fielded his VW Polo as a privateer along with navigator Shruptha Padival. The duo who are leading the championship coming into Round 2, lost a lot of time on Saturday but made tremendous progress jumping 32 places to finish overall 10th and had the bonus of a second place in the INRC 2 category.
While many started today to get leg points, 17 cars failed to finish among the 57 that took the start on Saturday. Pre-event favourites Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif of Team Mahindra Adventure once again suffered for want of dependable machine and finished 44th in line with teammates Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik who were 43rd. Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pai of Arka Motorsports too had a forgettable event finishing 50th overall.
Younus Ilyas and Harish Gowda pose during the Rally of Coimbatore. Photo: FB
In the SUV Challenge, Team Champions swept the podium winning all the top-three places. Lokesh Gowda and co-driver Sudhindra BG won the support class while Gagan Karumbaiah and Thimmu Uddapanda pair came second followed by veteran Sanjay Agarwal and Smitha N.
The next round of the championship will move to Jodhpur in Rajasthan from Septemeber 20 to 22. Kochi, Bengaluru, and Chikkamagaluru will host the last three rounds respectively in November and December.
Gagan Karumbaiah and co-driver Thimmu Uddapanda who won the SUV Challenge cruising on Saturday stages. Photo: Venu Ramesh
Chetan Shivaram (left) and Dilip Sharan who took the lead after Day 1. An INDIAinF1 image
Coimbatore, 10 August 2019: On a day full of surprises, INRC 3’s Chetan Shivram of Akshara Racing jumped into the early lead in the Rally of Coimbatore, Round 2 of the Champions Yacht Club FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship, here on Saturday. The overnight rains made the terrain at the Kethanur Windmill farms in Palladam very slushy and only 33 cars of the 58 that started finished the day.
Chetan and his brother co-driver Dilip Sharan were most comfortable in the treacherous terrain, marked by slushy conditions and loose sand, posting a total time of 1:05:32.900 hours to complete Day 1’s five stages to be ahead of a record field.
Suhem Kabeer (with Jeevarathinam) and Younus Ilyas (Harish Gowda) were hot on the tail of the leader, taking the second and third positions by the end of the day. The two JK Tyre drivers, both INRC 2 contenders, were in their elements, with Suhem showing consistency in all the stages while Younus won the last two stages to climb into the top three.
Hot favourite Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif) of Mahindra Adventure gets stuck in the INRC on Day 1, Saturday at Coimbatore. An INDIAinF1 image by Prabhu Kethanur
Hot favourite Mahindra Adventure’s Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif) began on a positive note, scoring the fastest times in the first three stages before he picked up a puncture in SS 4 and had to eventually pull out with a malfunction.
Even Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pai of Arka Motorsports and comeback boy Vikram Mathias, along with co-driver Sujith Kumar of Race Concepts had a rough day, falling out of contention after the third stage. Round 1 winner Dean Mascarenhas managed to finish but a very poor second stage that got his car stuck in slush hurt him badly, sliding him to the 20th position.
Rahul Kantharaj and co-driver Vivek Bhatt negotiate slushy terrain on Saturday. Photo: Venu Ramesh Kumar
“After continuous rainfall last night, it suddenly became sunny in the morning leading to the surface becoming really hard. There were stones all over the stages which made it difficult. I am obviously not happy with my current scenario but would say that I would take it as a learning experience and I will bounce back strong,” Gaurav said after the end of Day 1.
Interestingly, none of the 6 INRC entries managed to finish on the first day.
Right behind Suhem and Younus in the INRC 2 category was Ritesh Guttedar (& Lokaranjan H.J) of Team Champions, who is well-placed in the overall category too, finishing fourth.
Coimbatore, 9 August 2019: Multiple National champion and APRC winner Gaurav Gill and his trusted co-driver Musa Sherif, will start a firm favourites despite Dean Mascarenhas stealing a victory at the South India Rally with navigator Shrupta Padival in the season opener of Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) at Irungattukottai, as the second round starts at the rain-beaten windmill sections of Coimbatore from Saturday.
Round 1 winner Dean of Mangaluru will aim to consolidate his lead at the top of the leader-board, as the Rally of Coimbatore, the Round 2 of the Champions Yacht Club promoted National event begins under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) here over the weekend.
Dean, who beat a last-minute rush to get his car ready due to some unavoidable situation, heads his INRC 2 table (with co-driver Shruptha Padival) will, however, need to be at his best as he tackles a 65-strong field and slushy conditions out here. He will keep his eye firmly on INRC 3’s Fabid Ahmer (co-driver Sanath.G) of Team Champions, who showed great skill and composure to take the second overall place in the Chennai round.
Sporting the yellow colours, Dean will, however, be wary of his JK Tyre teammate Gaurav Gill, a three-time APRC champion. Gill and Musa Sherif spearhead Mahindra Adventure’s campaign and will be looking to make amends for missing out on the top podium place in the opening round.
Gill had shown remarkable recovery, after struggling with his car in the initial stages, to finish third. He comes into this round on the back of a thrilling win in the Dakshin Dare and will come out all guns blazing for his seventh INRC title.
Arka Motorsport’s Rahul Kanthraj (along with Vivek Bhatt) is just a second off Gill in the overall standings and will also be a driver to look out for. He is currently second in the INRC 2 category.
Team Champions’ Arjun Rao (along with navigator Shanmuga Sundaram) will be another top driver who will look to maintain his good run in the championship. He is second in the INRC 3 category and will be keen to topple his teammate Fabid from the top spot.
The Rally of Coimbatore has attracted a record number of 65 teams, with Team Champions fielding as many as 25 teams, a record of sorts in the INRC.
The rally will span over two days covering a total distance of 141.09 kms, with 119.70 kms earmarked for eight special stages.
The three-day rally was flagged off on Thursday evening at Kethanur on the outskirts, where it be run around 120 kms at special stages on gravel and dirt tracks, Club Head Gautham Shantappa said earlier.
Four women teams are participating in the event. A woman contestant, Shivani from Davangere in Karnataka, who was present said women were receiving good encouragement to participate in such rallies.
The third round will be held in Rajasthan in September, followed by events in Kochi in November, Bengaluru in November and the sixth and final round in Chikkamagaluru in December, Gautham concluded.
