INDIA in F1

Tag: Indian National Rally Championship

  • To SIR with love: From Singapore Streets to South India Stages – Meet Rally’s Newest Couple

    To SIR with love: From Singapore Streets to South India Stages – Meet Rally’s Newest Couple

    CHENNAI, 21 April 2025: When you think of Singapore, you think of skyscrapers, spotless streets, and Formula 1’s Marina Bay Circuit. You don’t think of gravel roads, rally-spec cars, or jungle trails. But for husband-and-wife duo Raguvaran and Amanda, rallying is more than just motorsport—it’s a shared dream that’s defied borders, convention, and even geography.

    This weekend, the duo will be making their competitive debut at the Indu Chandhok Memorial 48th South India Rally, the opening round of the Blueband 2025 Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), representing Pune’s formidable Slideways Industries team. They’re the only international team on the entry list—and their journey here is as heartwarming as remarkable.

    A Rally Dream Born on an Island Without Rallies

    Singapore is a bustling city-state barely 49 km wide, where every inch of land is spoken for. Rallying there? Practically impossible. “There were no rally events. Just no space,” says Amanda, who caught the rally bug long before she ever got behind the wheel. “But I always dreamed of co-driving.”

    After marrying Ragu, a motorsport volunteer since 2012 with some single-seater driving experience, the couple decided to give rallying a serious shot. “Amanda had this undying interest in rallies,” Ragu smiles. “So I said, ‘Let’s go for it’—though I did hit pause when I saw what we were getting into at first!”

    Slideways Industries: The Launchpad

    Their rally aspirations began to take shape when they connected with Slideways Industries, one of India’s most respected rally outfits. With over a decade in the sport and a reputation for nurturing talent through its arrive-and-drive programme, the team gave Amanda and Ragu just what they needed: a fully-prepped rally car, professional training, and logistical support. “All we had to do was show up and drive,” Amanda laughs.

    Slideways has previously fielded legends like Gaurav Gill, Karamjit Singh, and Vikram Mathias, and helped produce champions like Daraius Shroff, the 2024 INRC3 titleholder. Now, they’re backing a team that’s perhaps their most unique yet—Ragama Racing, a name inspired by the couple’s bond (Rag-u and Ama-nda).

    From Organisers to Racers

    Before they strapped into rally suits, Amanda and Ragu spent years on the other side of the barrier. They volunteered, managed events, and served in key positions at Singapore’s motorsport events. In 2017, their paths converged again as friends, which turned to romance in 2022, and soon enough, a motorsport partnership for life.

    The Road to South India Rally

    Their official rally debut comes after just a single testing session last week in Coimbatore. “We only just sat in a rally car for the first time,” Amanda admits. But they’re undeterred. “Our goal is simple: finish the rally, have fun, and make friends.”

    As temperatures soar in Chennai, the couple’s biggest challenge might just be the Indian summer. But spirits are high. “This is a dream come true for us,” says Ragu. “I’m particularly stoked for Amanda. She’s been building up to this moment for much longer than I have.”

    A Rally Debut Unlike Any Other

    Amanda will co-drive, calling the shots from the navigator’s seat, while Ragu takes the wheel. It’s a trial by fire in one of the INRC’s toughest events, but it’s also the kind of story that reminds fans why they fell in love with motorsport in the first place.

    So, if you find yourself at the service park this weekend, look for the couple with matching helmets, mismatched gloves, and big grins of “Ragama Racing.” Stop by. Say hi. They’ll likely be more excited to meet you than you are to meet them.

    Amanda and Ragu would like to give a shout-out to those who have assisted their journey: “This would not have been possible if not for the help of our good friend and world-renowned professional co-driver, Dale Moscatt, and Aniruddha of Slideways Industries. Each of them contributed significantly to getting us well prepared for this event.”

    For Amanda and Ragu, this isn’t just a rally—it’s the start of something incredible. As their team name denotes, it’s music on four wheels!

  • Sizzling Gaurav Gill wins Robusta Rally, back in contention for INRC title

    Sizzling Gaurav Gill wins Robusta Rally, back in contention for INRC title

    Ammathi (Kodagu), 24 Nov. 2024:Seven times National champion Gaurav Gill displayed enough speed and skill to emerge triumphant in the Robusta Rally, the fifth and penultimate round of the Blueband Sports fmsci Indian National Rally Championship 2024 organised by Robusta Adventure and Sports Academy here, on Sanday.

    Notching up his second straight win after the success in the Rally of Hyderabad last month, Arjuna Awardee Gill, along with co-driver Aniruddha Rangnekar, was in superb form and exhibited controlled aggression on the final day for a comfortable win and bagged full 40 points.

    The win saw Gill drawing closer to table topper Karna Kadur (Musa Sherif) of Arka Motorsports, who finished second overall. 2021 champion Aditya Thakur (Virender Kashyap) upped the game in the last stage to pip local favourites Jason Saldanha (Thimmu Uddapanda) by a second to take overall third place.

    “It is a nice feeling to win back-to-back. I must thank my team, probably the smallest with just four mechanics, who have put in a lot of hard work to give me a perfect car. JK Tyre also deserves commendation for the tyres they specially developed for my car. I think I am getting better as a driver. I would say I was in total control in both Hyderabad and here. My first aim this season has been to bring the car home and I am happy that I managed to do that in two consecutive rallies this season.”

    Himachal Pradesh duo Aditya Thakur and Virender Kasyap won the INRC2 class beating the Karnataka pair of Jason Saldanha and Thimmu Uddapanda while Mangaluru’s Dean Mascarenhas (Gagan Karumbaiah) powered his way from 11th to third in the class.

    In INRC 3 class, Daraius Shroff (Mumbai) and Arjun Dheerendra of Chettinad Sporting, the championship leaders won by over a minute to stay at the top. Gurugram-Bengaluru pair of Arnav Pratap Singh and Rohin N of Snap Racing came second and Jeet Jhabakh of Hyderabad with Sekar of Erode as co-driver, also from Chettinad Sporting, pushed his way to the third place. Arnav Pratap also won the Junior INRC.

    Dehradun’s Anushriya Gulati (co-driver Karan Aukta) won the Ladies class followed by talented Nikeetaa Takkale (Raghuram Saminathan) in second and Shillong’s Phoebe Nongrum (Nash Ross).

    Provisional Final Results:

    INRC Overall:

    1. Gaurav Gill (privateers, Delhi)/ Anirudha Rangnekar (Pune) (01 hour, 40 minutes, 36.6 seconds);

    2. Karna Kadur (Arka Motorsports, Bengaluru)/ Musa Sherif (Kasargod) (01:41:57.0);

    3. Aditya Thakur (Chettinad Sporting Solan) / Virender Kashyap (Shimla) (01:44:27.3);

    INRC2:

    1. Aditya Thakur (Chettinad Sporting Solan) / Virender Kashyap (Shimla) (01:44:27.3);

    2. Jason Saldhanha (Arka Motorsports, Hassan)/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Kodagu) (01:44:28.5);

    3. Dean Mascarenhas (Pvt. Mangaluru)/ Gagan Karumbaiah (Virajpet) (01:44:51.8);

    INRC3:

    1. Daraius Shroff (Chettinad Sporting, Mumbai)/ Arjun Dheerendra (Bengaluru) (01:45.02.4);

    2. Arnav Pratap Singh (Snap Racing, Gurugram)/ Rohit N (Bengaluru) (01:46:10.3);

    3. Jeet Jhabakh (Chettinad Sporting, Hyderabad)/ V. Sekhar (Erode) (01:46:53.8);

    Ladies Class:

    1. Anushriya Gulati (Arka Motorsports, Dehradun)/ Karan Aukta (Jubbal) (01:52:20.9);

    2. Nikeetaa Takkale (Pvt, Pune)/ Raghuram Saminathan (Coimbatore) (01:55:07.3);

    3. Phoebe Nongrum (Snap Racing, Shillong)/ Nash Ross (Hyderabad) (02:05:49.0);

    Junior INRC:1. Arnav Pratap Singh (Snap Racing, Gurugram)/ Rohit N (Bengaluru) (01:46:10.3);

    2. Abhin R Rai/ Arvind Dheerendra (Ideal Racing, both Bengaluru) (01:47:53.2);

    3. Arjun Rajiv (Chettinadu Sporting)/ Vinay Padmashali (Both Bengaluru) (01:49:14.6);

  • Gaurav Gill takes lead on Day1: INRC Robusta Rally

    Gaurav Gill takes lead on Day1: INRC Robusta Rally

    Ammathi (Kodagu), 23 Nov. 2024: Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill and co-driver Aniruddha Rangnekar overcame initial hiccups and performed admirably to take the lead after Day 1 in the Robusta Rally, the fifth and penultimate round of the Blueband Sports fmsci Indian National Rally Championship 2024 organised by Robusta Adventure and Sports Academy here, on Saturday.

    The Speed Maestro from Delhi, Gill, was forced to start on a cautious note as their intercom failed resulting in no calls and he had to drive from memory. After losing 17.4 seconds to Karna Kadur, who was fastest in Stage 1, Gill bounced back brilliantly to clock the fastest times in the remaining five Stages and took a handsome lead of over 53 seconds by the end of the day.

    “It has been a perfect day. The stages were rougher than I expected with massive stones and boulders but we managed to overcome all odds as our tyres performed well. We had decent speeds and the goal is to bring back the car home tomorrow,” said the seven-time National champion, Gill.

    Championship leaders Karna Kadur and co-driver Musa Sherif of Arka Motorsports were second overall followed by Hassan’s Jason Saldhanha and local co-driver Timmu Uddapanda. He who overtook former National champion Aditya Thakur (Chettinad Sporting) in the final Stage of the day, was also leading in INRC2 class with Thakur in second place ahead of Jahaan Singh Gill of Snap Racing.

    Chettinad Sporting’s Daraius Shroff from Mumbai, the championship leader in INRC3 category took a 20-second lead over Abhin Rai.

    Fabid Ahmer, Harkrishan Wadia, Philippos Matthai and Chetan Shivram were some of the top casualties on Day 1. Of the 61 cars that took the start, only 43 cars finished the day.

    On Sunday, the rally will run another six Special Stages at Woshully and Margoli estates.

    Provisional Results after Day 1 (Leg 1 – Saturday):

    INRC Overall:

    1. Gaurav Gill (privateers, Delhi)/ Anirudha Rangnekar (Pune) (00, 57 minutes, 35.1 seconds);

    2. Karna Kadur (Arka Motorsports, Bengaluru)/ Musa Sherif (Kasargod) (00:58:28.3);

    3. Jason Saldhanha (Arka Motorsports, Hassan)/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Kodagu) (00:59:05.1);

    INRC2: 1. Jason Saldhanha (Arka Motorsports, Hassan)/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Kodagu) (00:59:05.1);

    2. Aditya Thakur (Chettinad Sporting Solan) / Virender Kashyap (Shimla) (00:59:36.7);

    3. Jahaan Singh Gill (Snap Racing, Chandigarh)/ Suraj K Prasad (Bengaluru) (01:00:31.5);

    INRC3: 1. Daraius Shroff (Chettinad Sporting, Mumbai)/ Arjun Dheerendra (Bengaluru) (01:00.44.3);

    2. Abhin R Rai/ Arvind Dheerendra (Ideal Racing, both Bengaluru) (01:01:06.6);

    3. Arnav Pratap Singh (Snap Racing, Gurugram)/ Rohit N (Bengaluru) (01:01:33.8);

    Ladies Class: 1. Anushriya Gulati (Arka Motorsports, Dehradun)/ Karan Aukta (01:04:08.0);

    2. Nikeetaa Takkale (Pvt, Pune)/ Raghuram Saminathan (Coimbatore) (01:05:52.8);

    3. Phoebe Nongrum (Snap Racing, Shillong)/ Nash Ross (Hyderabad) (01:08:18.2);

    Junior INRC: 1. Abhin R Rai/ Arvind Dheerendra (Ideal Racing, both Bengaluru) (01:01:06.6);

    2. Arnav Pratap Singh (Snap Racing, Gurugram)/ Rohit N (Bengaluru) (01:01:33.8);

    3. Arjun Rajiv (Chettinadu Sporting)/ Vinay Padmashali (Both Bengaluru) (01:04:44.9);

    Fmsci Classic Challenge:

    1. Harish KN Gowda/ Mahesh Nandi (Privateers, both Bengaluru) (01:10:15.1);

    2. Praveen Dwarakanath/ Kariyappa (Kass Motorsports., both Bengaluru) (01:10:29.9);

    3. Thejas S Reddy/ Ravindra Kumar (Pvt. Both Bengaluru) (01:14:32.2);

    Fmsci Gypsy Challenge: 1. Darshan Nachappa/ Abinav Ganapathy (Pvt. Both Kodagu) (01:08:08.4);

    2. Sanjay Aggarwal/ Dheeraj Manae (Pvt. Both Bengaluru) (01:09:00.8);

    3. Dr Akarsh Sundar (Pvt., Chikmagalur)/ Ravi Kumar (Bengaluru) (01:10:14.8);

  • Gaurav Gill back to winning ways; Clinches Rally of Hyderabad: INRC Round 4

    Gaurav Gill back to winning ways; Clinches Rally of Hyderabad: INRC Round 4

    Hyderabad, 20 October 2024: Celebrated motorsports driver Gaurav Gill displayed high skills and admirable car control to come out triumphant in the Blueband Rally of Hyderabad, the fourth round of the Blueband FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2024, which concluded in Shamshabad, near here, on Sunday. The round of the Nationals was organised by Telangana Motors Sports Foundation and promoted Blueband Sports.

    The only Arjuna Awardee in motorsports, Gill, along with co-driver Anirudha Rangnekar, supported by JK Tyre, began the second day with a blistering run in the first stage and the seven-time National champion, eased off to nurture the car with superb consistency thereafter, and notched a well-deserving victory. “This is one of the hottest rallies and the terrain is treacherous. So, we were calm and consistent and that paid rich dividends. We had some new upgrades and new compounds and JK Tyre has been supporting me with a lot of faith and we are happy to get back a win in the middle of the year,” said a visibly happy Gill. When asked if this win can change the fortunes, he paused for a second. “You never know. A win always changes the path to a positive one. If you have noticed, this season we had different winners in all the rallies. And two more rallies with more than 70 points to win. Despite not getting good results, JK has backed me thoroughly and it is time to get back to winning ways,” was his parting shot.

    Former champion Chetan Shivram and co-driver E Shivaprakash of A & A Motorsports took an admirable overall second, with two stage wins, and they also won their class, INRC2. Kerala’s ace driver, Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Milen George, supported by MRF, showed great resilience to grab an overall podium pipping a marauding Arka Motorsports pair, Karna Kadur and co-driver Musa Sherif, by a mere two seconds. However, Karna and Musa, supported by MRF, took the overall lead in the INRC 2024 championships with two more rallies to go.

    Gurugram’s Arnav Pratap Singh and co-driver Rohit of Bengaluru won the INRC3 class and also came out on top in the Junior INRC. Anushriya Gulati of Dehradun with Karan Aukta as co-driver won the Ladies class while the Chikmagalur-Bengaluru pair of Dr Akarsh Sundar and co-driver Ravikumar won the gypsy class.

    “The husband-wife duo of Aneeshnath and Amitha Aneesh from A & A Motorsports won the FMSCI Classic Challenge Cup. ‘We are very happy to clinch victory in this tricky rally,’ said the Bengaluru pair. When asked about having his wife as a navigator, Aneesh replied, ‘It has been wonderful over the last few rallies, and she has played a big part in my success. We share great chemistry both inside and outside the car,’ he quipped, adding a sparkle to the eyes of his life partner.”

    Out of the 55 that took the start, 12 cars logged a DNF as the terrain proved treacherous for many drivers. The next rally will be in Coorg followed by season finale, the popular K-1000 at Tumkur, also in Karnataka.

    Final Provisional Results:

    INRC Overall:

    1. Gaurav Gill (privateers, Delhi)/ Anirudha Rangnekar (Pune) (01hour, 48 minutes, 18.7 seconds);

    2. Chetan Shivram/ E Shivaprakash (A&A Motorsports, Both Bengaluru) (01:49:39.4);

    3. Fabid Ahmer (Chettinad Sporting, Palakkad)/ Milen George (Kottayam) (01:51:06.1);

    INRC2:

    1. Chetan Shivram/ E Shivaprakash (A&A Motorsports, Both Bengaluru) (01:49:39.4);

    2. Fabid Ahmer (Chettinad Sporting, Palakkad)/ Milen George (Kottayam) (01:51:06.1);

    3. Jason Saldhanha (Arka Motorsports, Hassan)/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Kodagu) (01:51:14.0);

    INRC3:

    1. Arnav Pratap Singh (Snap Racing, Gurugram)/ Rohit (Bengaluru) (01:51:46.1)

    2. Daraius Shroff (Chettinad Sporting, Mumbai)/ Arjun Dheerendra (Bengaluru) (01:51.59.4);

    3. Arjun Rajiv (Chettinadu Sporting)/ Vinay Padmashali (Both Bengaluru) (01:52:00.2);

    Ladies Class:

    1. Anushriya Gulati (Arka Motorsports, Dehradun)/ Karan Aukta (01:55:26.0);

    2. Nikeetaa Takkale (Pvt, Pune)/ Arvind Dheerendra (Bengaluru) (01:58:23.3);

    3. Phoebe Nongrum (Snap Racing, Shillong)/ KP Aravind (Bengaluru) (02:11:00.7);

    Junior INRC:

    1. Arnav Pratap Singh (Snap Racing, Gurugram)/ Rohit N (Bengaluru) (01:51:46.1)

    2. Arjun Rajiv (Chettinadu Sporting)/ Vinay (Both Bengaluru) (01:52:00.2);

    3. Abhin Rai (Ideal Racing)/ Moideen Jasheer (both Chikmagalur) (01:53:08.3);

    Fmsci Classic Challenge:

    1. Aneeshnath S (A & A Motorsports)/ Amitha Aneesh (Both Bengaluru) (02:03:48.0);

    2. Shaik Hussain Pasha (Addons Motorsports, Hyderabad)/ Ashfaque Afrid (Sattupalli, AP) (02:30:43.9);

    3. Praveen Dwarakanath (Pvt., Bengaluru). Arun V (Tirupur) (02:39:38.7);

    Fmsci Gypsy Challenge:

    1. Dr Akarsh Sundar (Pvt., Chikmagalur)/ Ravi Kumar (Bengaluru) (02:02:51.2);

    2. Baljinder Singh Dhillon (A & A Motorsports, Delhi)/ Goutham CP (Chikmagalur) (02:04:39.8);

    3.Sachin Singh (Pvt., Hyderabad)/ Anand Raj (Erode) (02:05:47.5);

    Star of Hyderabad:

    1. Uday Pilani (Chettinad Sporting)/ Sheraz Ahmed (01:58.48.7);

    2. Amit Sanghi (Arka Motorsports)/ Dinky Varghese K (02:04:10.9);

    3. Sravan Kumar Kuttoor (pvt.)/ Nash Ross 02:04:32.7).

  • Gaurav Gill cruises into comfortable lead: INRC- Rally of Hyderabad

    Gaurav Gill cruises into comfortable lead: INRC- Rally of Hyderabad

    Hyderabad, 19 October 2024: Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill began with a bang and cruised into his wonted form to take the lead navigating the tricky and rough stages in the Blueband Rally of Hyderabad, the fourth round of the Blueband FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2024, which began at the Special Stages around the Liberty Statue in Shamshabad on Saturday.

    Gill, along with co-driver Anirudha Rangnekar, took the overall lead while the pair of Daraius Shroff and Arjun Dheerendra are leading the INRC3 class and Chetan Shivram and Shivprakash, INRC2 class.

    The final stage, SS4 was red flagged after only four cars crossed the finish flag as a few cars toppled out. Three top guns, 2021 champion Aditya Thakur, defending champ Arjun Rao Aroor and INRC2 leader Harkishan Wadia, suffered causalities. Daraius Shroff is leading INRC3 after three stages and Chethan Shivram tops the INRC2 class, also after three stages.

    Earlier, Delhi’s speed maestro and 7-time National champion, Gill, clocked the fastest time in the first Special Stage and took a commanding lead of 17 seconds on former champion Chetan Shivram (co-driver Shivaprakash) of Bengaluru with Arnav Pratap Singh and Gulbarga’s Rithesh Guttedar following the top guns in the first stage. Gill kept his momentum with a combination of caution and aggression in the next three stages to cruise into a comfortable lead after Day 1. Chethan was fastest in JVR2, the second Special Stage, by 6.2seconds, by Gill bounced back with another 15 seconds margin on Chethan in the third stage and retained his overall lead.

    Of the 55 cars that took the start, 15 cars failed to finish Day 1. However, 13 of them will take a restart on Sunday.

    Provisional Results: (Day 1) (All times after SS3 only)

    INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill (privateer, Delhi)/ Anirudha Rangnekar (Pune) (00hour, 52 minutes, 11.9 seconds); 2. Chetan Shivram/ E Shivaprakash (A&A Motorsports, Both Bengaluru) (00:52:36.0); 3. Jason Saldhanha (Arka Motorsports, Hassan)/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Kodagu) (00:53:29.5);

    INRC2: 1. Chetan Shivram/ E Shivaprakash (A&A Motorsports, Both Bengaluru) (00:52:36.0); 2. Jason Saldhanha (Arka Motorsports, Hassan)/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Kodagu) (00:53:29.5); 3. Ritesh Guttedhar (Pvt. Gulbarga)/ Suraj M (Bengaluru) (00:53:47.9).

    INRC3: 1. Daraius Shroff (Chettinad Sporting, Mumbai)/ Arjun Dheerendra (Bengaluru) (00:54.13.0); 2. Shashank Jamwal (Arka Motorsports, Himachal)/ Aseem Sharma (Chandigarh) (00:54.03.8); 3. Arnav Pratap Singh (Snap Racing, Gurugram)/ Rohit (Bengaluru) (00:54:07.6)

    Ladies Class: 1. Anushriya Gulati (Arka MS, Dehradun)/ Karan Aukta (00:56:43.2); 2. Nikeetaa Takkale (Pvt, Pune)/ Arvind Dheerendra (Bengaluru) (00:58:14.7); 3. Phoebe Nongrum (Snap Racing, Shillong)/ KP Aravind (Bengaluru) (01:06:35.6);

    Junior INRC: 1. Abhin Rai (Ideal Racing)/ Moideen Jasheer (both Chikmagalur) (00:54:55.6); 2. Arjun Rajiv (Chettinadu Sporting)/ Vinay (Both Bengaluru) (00:54:26.1); 3. Ajay Sankar (Pvt. Coimbatore)/ Vybhav Mukund (Bengaluru) (00:56:06.5);

    Note: Only five cars finished the SS4, the final stage of the day before the stage was red flagged. So all the rest of the cars were given scratch times based on SS2 times.

  • Karna Kadur-Musa Sherif duo clinches Rally of Maharashtra in style: INRC Round 2

    Karna Kadur-Musa Sherif duo clinches Rally of Maharashtra in style: INRC Round 2

    Nashik, 2 June 2024: Bengaluru’s Karna Kadur, a two-time Overall National champion, along with experienced co-driver Musa Sherif, switched up gears and annexed the Rally of Maharashtra in style, as the second round of the Blueband Sports fmsci Indian National Rally Championship for four-wheelers successfully concluded here on Sunday.

    With seven-time National co-driver champion Musa Sherif calling the pace notes, Karna Kadur, trailing in third place by a good two minutes on Saturday, focussed on consistency and gained advantage with skilful driving to win the Overall honours on Sunday. Overnight leaderd, Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Milen George of Chettinad Sporting, lost over five minutes in Special Stage 9 which pushed them down to overall 8th place in the final standings.

    Karna Kadur, left, and Musa Sherif of Arka Motorsports, after winning the Rally of Maharashtra in Nashik on Sunday. INDIAinF1 photo by arrangement

    Kolkata-Mangaluru pair of Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik, a former two-time National champions, also managed to secure a well-deserved second place ahead of young guns Arnav Pratap Singh and Rohit N. Apart from a noteworthy Overall third, the New Delhi-Bengaluru duo from SNAP Racing topped their Class, INRC3.

    Kerala’s Fabid Ahmer and George Milen of Chettinad Sporting won the INRC2 class while talented lady driver Pragathi Gowda came second. Pragathi roped in co-driver Sujith Kumar BS, a veteran multiple National champion and sports administrator, who sat for stand-alone rally. Pragathi’s regular navigator, Trisha Alonkar, is recovering after a surgery. Privateers Shaik Hussain Pasha and co-driver Roshan Claver Crasta won the Classic class while Arnav Pratap Singh also bagged the Junior INRC. Nikeeta Takkale of Pune and co-driver Shivani Parmar of Mumbai won the Ladies class while Baljinder Singh Dhillon and Goutham CP clinched the Gypsy Challenge.

    The four stages today were completed by 11 O’clock and provided enough challenges for the drivers on the tarmac roads which were broken and narrow at many places. Of the 53 cars, 13 logged DNF.

    From left: Premnath K Promoter presenting trophy to Karna Kadur while Ashwin Pandit, right, CoC and founder of WISA presenting trophy to Musa Sherif, co-driver.

    Provisional Unaudited Overall classification (final)

    1. #3 Karna Kadur/ Musa Sherif (Arka Motorsports) 01hours, 47 minutes; 52.9seconds;

    2. #11 Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (AART) 01:49:08.0;

    3. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:49:29.2;

    4. #5 Jeet Jabhakh/ V Sekar (Chettinad Sporting) 01:49:45.5;

    5. #17 Daraius Shroff /Arjun Dheerendra (Chettinad Sporting) 01:49:53.6;

    6. #21 Dean Mascarenhas/ Gagan Karubaiah (DB Motorsport) 01:50:08.7;

    7. #40 Abhin Rai/ Moideen Jasher (IDR)  01:50:14.9;

    8. #29 Fabid Ahmer/ George Milen (Chettinad Sporting) 01:51:10.7;

    9. #49  Nikhil J/ Arvind Dheerendra (Pvt.) 01:54:23.5;

    10. #23 Pragathi Gowda/ Sujith BS (Chettinad Sporting) 1:59:32.1;

    INRC 2

    1. #29 Fabid Ahmer/ George Milen (Chettinad Sporting) 01:51:10.7;

    2. #23 Pragathi Gowda /Sujith Kumar BS (Chettinad Sporting) 01:59:32.1;

    3. #16 Yashas M Nayaka/ Sudhindra BG (Pvt.) 01:59:40.5;

    Pragathi Gowda and co-driver Sujith Kumar in action at Nashik. Photo courtesy Sujith FB

    INRC3

    Arnav Pratap Singh and co-driver Rohit N, who won INRC3 in action. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan

    1. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:49:29.2;

    2. #5 Jeet Jabhakh/ V Sekar (Chettinad Sporting) 01:49:45.5;

    3. #17 Daraius Shroff /Arjun Dheerendra (Chettinad Sporting) 01:49:53.6;

    Gypsy Challenge

    1 #45 Baljinder Singh Dhillon/ Goutham CP (Pvt.) 01:58:12.3;

    2. #52 Dr Akarsh Sundar/ Ravi Kumar (A & A Motorsports) 01:59:07.7;

    3. #37 Sachin Singh/ Prakash M(Pvt.) 02:04:25.5;

    Classic

    1. #55 Shaik Hussain Pasha/ Roshan Claver Crasta (Pvt.) 02:27:50.9;

    2. #45 Aneeshnath S/ Amitha Aneesh (A&A Motorsports) 02:42:22.5;

    Junior INRC

    1. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:49:29.2;

    2. #40 Abhin Rai/ Moideen Jasher (IDR)  01:50:14.9;

    3. #42 Nikeeta Takkale/ Shivani Parmar (Pvt.)  02:00.17.5;

    Ladies Class

    1. #42 Nikeeta Takkale/ Shivani Parmar (Pvt.)  02:00.07.5;

    2. #34 Phoebe Nongrum/ Rahul Sancheti (SNAP Racing) 02:05:24.4;

    3. #14 Harshitha Gowda/ M Srivatsa (A & A Motorsports) 02:19:26.7;

    eom

  • Fabid Ahmer steals the lead on Day 2: INRC Round 2, Nashik

    Fabid Ahmer steals the lead on Day 2: INRC Round 2, Nashik

    Nashik, 1 June 2024: Ace Kerala driver Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Milen George of Chettinad Sporting, shod on MRF Tyres, stormed to the front after a tough day that saw Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill and defending champion Aroor Arjun Rao suffer casualties in the Rally of Maharashtra, the second round of the Blueband fmsci Indian National Rally Championship here on Saturday.

    Fabid Ahmer, a talented driver, who lost course in the last couple of years due to mechanical failures and punctures, is back on track with a measured performance in Red colours, to take the Overall lead on Day 1. The Kerala duo also topped their class INRC2. With a healthy lead of over one minute, Fabid, who narrowly missed the national championship, a couple of years back, looks good to challenge the title this year.

    Aroor Arjun Rao was fastest in the first stage of the Day (SS2) but soon he went out. Then Fabid Ahmer was fastest in three stages today. While Harkrishan Wadi set the fastest time in SS5, the fourth stage today, Amittrajit Ghosh, topped the timesheets in the last stage of the day.

    Crowds watching the Rally of Maharashtra. INDIAinF1 photo

    Fast-improving Sardarji, Harkrishan Wadi and Kunal Kashyap of Arka Motorsports, who were threatening to topple the best, clocked the second best Overall time once again and will fight for the win till the end, with four more stages left on Sunday. Former Overall champions Karna Kadur, who had the privilege of the best navigator in the field, Musa Sherif, notched up a hard-fought Overall third placing with four stages still to go. Following Fabid, Harkrishan is trailing in second place in INRC 2 class and Ramcharan is in third place. If Ramcharan can retain his place on the last day tomorrow, it would be a good maiden result for him and experienced navigator Jeevarathinam.

    Pragathi Gowda to trail behind Nikeetaa (not in pic) in Ladies Class. She had co-driver Sujith Kumar, who is making a comeback after several years. Her regular co-driver Trisha Alonkar recently underwent a surgery and is still recovering. Photo courtesy Sujith BS

    In INRC 3 class, Ajay Sankar and Nitharshan (Mandovi Racing) were leading the class. Hyderabad’s racing driver, who shifted to rallying recently, Jeet Jabhakh and co-driver V Sekar from Chettinad Sporting are placed second. Skilled youngster Arjun Rajiv is trailing in third behind. Along with Mysore’s Vinay Padmashali as co-driver, the Bengaluru driver needs to up the game tomorrow as the three are within 10 seconds. Arnav Paratp Singh, Abin Rai and Daraious Shroff are all behind them within 30 seconds..

    Baljinder Singh Dhillon and co-driver Goutham CP topped the Gypsy class at the end of Day 2 followed by Dr Akarsh Sundar and Ravi Kumar. Privateer veteran Sanjay Agarwal and Dheeraj Manae are placed third after Leg 1. The Classic class saw only two finishers on the day.

    A rare photo of three cars of a rally in one frame. INDIAinF1 image

    Of the 53 cars that took the start on Day 2 on Saturday, 23 cars suffered retirements. However, 17 will take the restart on the final day on Sunday. Gaurav Gill, Jehaan Gill, Aditya Thakur, Anushriya Gulati, Naveen Puligilla and Praveen Dwarakanath logged DNF (Did Not Finish). Chandan Gowda was out dut to MPL.

    The Rally of Maharashtra run on tarmac and broken tarmac roads provided a completely virgin stages that were not run previously in the INRC which ran till 2016. The stages were run in Nashik and Palghar Districts, close to the areas of Jyotirlinga temple and Trimbakeshwar. These new stages offered extremely challenging terrain and put the crews and machines to the highest test. The scorching heat also exhausted the man and machines and high competition is set for Sunday.

    A vantage point for spectators to watch cars perform from close quarters.

    Provisional Results: Overall: After Leg 1 (Day 2):

    1. #29 Fabid Ahmer/ George Milen (Chettinad Sporting) 01hours, 07 minutes; 05.8seconds;

    2. #69 Harkrishan Wadia/ Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) 01:08:08.8;

    3. #3 Karna Kadur/ Musa Sherif (Arka Motorsports) 01:09:20.1;

    4. #11 Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (AART) 01:09:55.6;

    5. #36 Ajay Sankar/ Nitharshan (Mandovi Racing) 01:10:00.0;

    6. #5 Jeet Jabhakh/ V Sekar (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:09.8;

    7. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:13.8;

    8. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:10:38.4;

    9. #40 Abhin Rai/ Moideen Jasher (IDR)  01:10:46.0;

    10. #17 Daraius Shroff /Arjun Dheerendra (Chettinad Sporting) 01:11:05.0;

    INRC 2

    1. #29 Fabid Ahmer/ George Milen (Chettinad Sporting) 01: 07: 05.8;

    2. #69 Harkrishan Wadia/ Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) 01:08:08.8;

    3. #33 Ramcharan C/ Jeevarathinam (Pvt.) 01:15:09.0;

    INRC3

    1. #36 Ajay Sankar/ Nitharshan (Mandovi Racing) 01:10:00.0;

    2. #5 Jeet Jabhakh/ V Sekar (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:09.8;

    3. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:13.8;

    Junior INRC

    1. #36 Ajay Sankar/ Nitharshan (Mandovi Racing) 01:10:00.0;

    2. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:13.8;

    3. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:10:38.4;

    Ladies Class

    1. #42 Nikeeta Takkale/ Shivani Parmar (Pvt.)  01:16.33.7;

    2. Pragathi Gowda /Sujith Kumar BS (Chettinad Sporting) 01:19:07.6;

    3. Phoebe Nongrum/ Rahul Sancheti (SNAP Racing) 01:20:52.6

    Gypsy Challenge

    1. #45 Baljinder Singh Dhillon/ Goutham CP (Pvt.) 01:15:44.7;

    2. #52 Dr Akarsh Sundar/ Ravi Kumar (A & A Motorsports) 01:15:48.4;

    3. #37 Sanjay Agarwal / Dheeraj Manae (Pvt.) 01:16:11.9;

    Classic

    1. #55 Shaik Hussain Pasha/ Roshan Claver Crasta (Pvt.) 01:33:06.3;

    2. #45 Aneeshnath S/ Amitha Aneesh (A&A Motorsports) 01:45:51.5;

    (Note: Car number is given after position number)

  • Gaurav Gill tops time-sheets on tarmac Super Special: INRC Nashik rally

    Gaurav Gill tops time-sheets on tarmac Super Special: INRC Nashik rally

    Nashik, 31 May 2024: Arjuna Awardee and three-time APRC winner Gaurav Gill, along with co-driver Aniruddh Rangnekar topped the timesheets with a blistering run in the Super Special Stage in the Rally of Maharashtra, the second round of the Blueband fmsci Indian National Rally Championship here on Friday.

    A total of 53 cars, including a guest driver in Daksh Gill, took the start in Triple S. There are six cars led by Gaurav Gill in the top INRC class. Western Indian Sports Association, popular as WISA, is conducting an INRC round after 2016. The outfit headed by Ashwin Pandit boasts of a dedicated team and is known to excel in good organisation and conduct of the rally both for the drivers and spectators.

    The Delhi daredevil, Gill, has been going through a difficult period for want of a well-prepared machine, has recently partnered with a new co-driver in Pune’s Aniruddh Rangnekar and is raring to go in one of his favourite destinations on tarmac at the Nashik rally, which is held on picturesque foothills of Sahayadri hill ranges. Backed by JK Tyre, the seven-time INRC overall champion, Gill, showed glimpses of his prowess on tarmac clocking more than six seconds faster time than the nearest rival Mangalore’s Aroor Arjun Rao and co-driver Satish Rajagopal of Bengaluru, the defending champions. Rao and Rajagopal of Mandovi Racing team, did well to beat seasoned Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik to third, while INRC 3 driver Arnav Pratap Singh along with Rohit N came a stunning fourth in the Overall classification and first in his class, INRC 3.

    Jason Saldanha and Thimmu Uddapanda topped the INRC 2 class and also came a creditable sixth in Overall classification after the 2.10km Super Special Stage. Pragathi Gowda in MRF colours, along with new co-driver Sujith Kumar BS came second in the INRC2 class. Trisha Alonkar, her regular navigator, who underwent a surgery recently is still under recovery and rehab. Delhi’s Philippos Matthai and PVS Murthy, also in MRF colours, were third today, but are expected to give a fight on the actual stages from tomorrow.

    Defending champions Aroor Arjun Rao and Satish Rajagopal were second fastest in the Super Special Stage at Nashik on Friday. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan
    Arnav Pratap Singh and Rohit N were a creditable overall fourth and also topped their class INRC 3. Super Special Stage is a short 2.10km tarmac sprint that is designed to attract spectators.

    In INRC3, Arnav Pratap Singh and co-driver Rohit N came out triumphant setting the top time while another youngster Arjun Rajiv along with Vinay Padmashali were second. Venunath V and Arun V were third fastest in the Super Special.

    Veteran Sanjay Agarwal and co-driver Dheeraj Manae clocked the top time in the Gypsy class.

    Former champions Aditya Thakur and Virender Kashyap during SSS.
    Philippos Matthai and PVS Murthy, overall 8th in Triple S.

    Including a liaison distance of about 263 km, the total rally distance will be 384.35km. There will be three Special Stages namely, Amboli which is 5.96km long, Dandwal, 22.25km, the longest stage and Poshera stage of 9.31km. All the three stages will be run twice on Saturday. On Sunday, Amboli will be run twice and the two other stages will be run once each making it 10 special stages. This year, there will be no INRC 4 category but NR4 class is included. Since the wear and tear is expected to be negligible on a tarmac stage, Amboli will be run four times with special permission. That will make the rally meet the required distance of Special Stages.

    As the real test begins tomorrow, another 118.52km of Special Stage distance needs to be conquered on Saturday and Sunday to claim the honours.

    Pragathi Gowda and Sujith Kumar BS, who is sitting for injured Trisha Alonkar, did well in MRF Colours to take the 7th spot in Triple S. The times are only ornamental in nature as real battles start on Saturday. PHOTOS by Srinivasa Krishnan
    Dean Mascarenhas and Gagan Karumbaiah during SSS.

    Provisional SSS Results: Overall:

    1. #4 Gaurav Gill/Aniruddh Rangnekar 1min, 34.5seconds;

    2. #1 Aroor Arjun Rao/Satish Kumar Rajagopal 1:40.7;

    3. #11 Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik 1:42.3;

    4. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N 1:44.8;

    5.#31  Younus Ilyas/ Nitin Jacob 1:44.9;

    6. #9 Jason Saldanha/ Thimmu Uddapanda 1:45.9;

    7. #23 Pragathi Gowda/ Sujith Kumar 1:46.0;

    8. #64 Philippos Matthai/ PVS Murthy 1:46.8;

    9. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali 1:47.0;

    10. #26 Jahaan Singh Gill/ Suraj Keshav Prasad 1:47.2;

    INRC

    1. #4 Gaurav Gill/Aniruddh Rangnekar 1min, 34.5seconds;

    2. #1 Aroor Arjun Rao/Satish Kumar Rajagopal 1:40.7;

    3. #11 Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik 1:42.3;

    INRC 2

    1. #9 Jason Saldanha/ Thimmu Uddapanda 1:45.9;

    2. #23 Pragathi Gowda/ Sujith Kumar 1:46.0;

    3. #64 Philippos Matthai/ PVS Murthy 1:46.8;

    INRC3

    1. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N 1:44.8;

    2.  #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali 1:47.0;

    3. #41 Venunath V/ Arun V 1:47.7;

    Gypsy Challenge

    1. #47 Sanjay Agarwal/ Dheeraj Manae 2:00.3;

    2. #52 Dr Akarsh Sundar/ Ravi Kumar 2:03.4;

    3. #45 Baljinder Singh Dhillon/ Goutham CP 2:04.5;

    Classic

    1. #44 Praveen Dwarakanath/ Kariappa KB 2:05.0;

    2. #45 Aneeshnath S/ Amitha Aneesh 2:08.4;

    3. #55 Shaik Hussain Pasha/ Roshan Claver Crasta 2:13.3;

    ends

  • Samuel Jacob begins 2024 campaign on a winning note; Tanika tops Ladies class

    Samuel Jacob begins 2024 campaign on a winning note; Tanika tops Ladies class

    Nashik, 7 April 2024: Samuel Sajan Jacob of Petronas TVS Racing began the season on a winning note snatching the Overall victory from teammate Rajendra RE in the MRF Rally of Nashik, the first round of the MRF Mogrip fmsci Indian National Rally Championship for two-wheelers here on Sunday.

    “I am feeling really happy wining the first round of Indian National Rally Championship. A winning beginning after a long break is always welcome and I thanks all the Petronas TVS Racing team for all the support and specially for the wonderful bike. I have trained very hard for this win and am happy to get the overall victory. The stages were full of tarmac, yes for about 60 per cent of the terrain and the rest is broken tarmac and I like it as it was a fast track,” said Jacob after the rally.

    Samuel Jacob with the Overall trophy in Nashik.

    While Petronas TVS Racing riders bagged three classes, with Imran Pasha (Supersport 260 Group B) and Syed Asif Ali (Scooters) also winning their classes, the lady rider from Satara, Tanika Shanbagh, kept the flag flying for Hero Motosports. Apart from winning the Ladies class, the two-time National champion finished Overall 30 in the field of 90 bikes. The TVS riders, however, swept the top class winning all the podium places in the Superbike Pro-Expert Group A with multiple national champion Aishwarya Pissay finishing fourth after the boys.

    The first round of the bike Nationals organised by AW Events and promoted by Godspeed Racing attracted 90 entries and 85 bikes finished the rally with five logging a DNF which included Arjun Joy and Karthik Naidu. Zeitmesser provided the live timings to the thousandth of a second.

    Former champion R Nataraj of Bengaluru won the Superbike Expert Group A Class 2 defeating compatriot Amogh Nag while Asad Khan of Chikkamagaluru finished third.

    Shivamogga’s Abdul Reheman won the Supersport 165cc Group B class while Rajesh Narajan Swamy won the Supersport 400cc class. Bengaluru’s Suhail Ahmed won the SS 550cc class and Arshad Muhammed of Thrissur won the 450cc Group D class. Amarendra Sathe of Pune won the Star of Karnataka local class.

    VS Naresh took a podium in the Supersport 550 Group B class on Sunday.

    Provisional Final Results: (#Bike number) (All privateers unless mentioned)

    Class 1: Superbike Pro-Expert Group A:

    1. #2 Samuel Jacob (Udupi, Petronas TVS Racing) (25 minutes, 03.831 seconds);

    2. #3 Rajendra RE (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (25:12.092);

    3. #1 Abdul Waheed Tanveer (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (25:32.225);

    4. #4 Aishwarya Pissay (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) 29:41.198.

    Class 2 Superbike Expert Group A:

    1. #5 Nataraj R (Bengaluru) (26:53.905);

    2. #6 GS Amogh Nag (Bengaluru) (27:43.780);

    3. #7 Asad Khan (Chikkamagaluru) (27:51.600).

    Class 3 Supersport 165cc Group B:

    1. #15 Abdul Reheman (Shivamogga) (29:29.776);

    2. #14 Bharat L (Bengaluru) (29:31.202);

    3. #89 Arshad Ali AT (Kannur) (29:41.877).

    Classs 4: Supersport 260 Group B:

    1. #26 Imran Pasha (Mysore, TVS) (26:07.655);

    2. #30 T Arun (Hassan, Hero Motosports) (26:34.469);

    3. #29 Yuva Kumar (Bengaluru, Hero Motosports) 26:45.720.

    Class 5: Supersport 400cc Group B:

    1. #42 Rajesh Narajan Swami (Pen) (28:03.998);

    2. #45 Anish Shetty (Bengaluru) (28:58.518);

    3. #41 Akhand Pratap Singh (Rorkee) (29:29.648).

    Class 6: Supersport 550 Group B:

    1. #52 Suhail Ahmed (Bengaluru) (28:44.853);

    2. #47 Naresh VS (Bengaluru) (29:40.304);

    3. #48 Darshan Chaure (Nashik) (30:52.412);

    Class 7: Scooters up to 210cc Group B:

    1. #56 Syed Asif Ali (Bengaluru, TVS) (29:59.732);

    2. #59 Venkatesh Shetty (Mumbai, Aprilia SR 150) (32:11.799);

    3. #60 Goutham N (Bengaluru) (32:27.604).

    Class 8: Women’s Class Group B:

    1. #62 Tanika Shanbhagh (Hero MotoSports, Satara) (30:11.762);

    2. #65 Somyya Chaudhary A (New Delhi) (31:31.733);

    3. #64 Remya Ravi (Thiruvananthapuram) (35:10.889).

    Class 9: Super Stock up to 450cc Group D:

    1. #69 Arshad Muhammed (Thrissur) (29:53.709);

    2. #72 Udayakumar M (Coimbatore) (30:15.197);

    3. #68 Shivam Thakur (Kullu) (30:30.249).

    Class 10 Star of Karnataka:

    1. #85 Amarendra Sathe (Pune) (31:59.690);

    2. #83 Lokesh Anik Bhosale (Pune) (32:29.292);

    3. #84 Kishore Jadhav (Pune) (32:36.992).

    Overall: (top-10 riders)

    1. #2 Samuel Jacob (Udupi, Petronas TVS Racing) (25 minutes, 03.831 seconds);

    2. #3 Rajendra RE (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (25:12.092);

    3. #1 Abdul Waheed Tanveer (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (25:32.225);

    4. #26 Imran Pasha (Mysore, TVS) (26:07.655);

    5. #30 T Arun (Hassan, Hero Motosports) (26:34.469);

    6. #29 Yuva Kumar (Bengaluru, Hero Motosports) 26:45.720.

    7. #5 Nataraj R (Bengaluru) (26:53.905);

    8. #27 Sachin D (Bengaluru, TVS) 926:56.007);

    9. #32 Banteilang Jyrwa (TVS) (26:56.905);

    10. #28 Sabarish R (Coimbatore) (27:32.179).

  • Harkrishan-Kunal clinch the victory in APRC Asia Cup; claim INRC hattrick of wins

    Harkrishan-Kunal clinch the victory in APRC Asia Cup; claim INRC hattrick of wins

    Chennai, 17 March 2024: On a day of drama, Delhi’s Harkrishan Wadia (co-driver Kunal Kashyap, Himachal) of Arka Motorsports emerged champions in the 47th MMSC South India Rally, the first round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) Asia Cup round and the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) here on Sunday.

    Wadia and Kashyap, who won the last two rounds in the 2023 calendar, made it a hattrick of wins in the INRC and also won the prestigious APRC round even as several leading title contenders retired due to various issues with their vehicles.

    Wadia not only topped the round of AVT Gold Cup FIA APRC-Asia Cup but also the season-opener of the Blueband Fmsci Indian National Rally Championship 2024 besides taking the P1 spot in the INRC 2 category for a triple crown.

    His main rivals in Asia Cup, SIDVIN-MRF Tyres sponsored Bengaluru pair of Pragathi Gowda and co-driver Trisha Alonkar, in a Subaru Impreza 4-wheel drive car whose windshield was shattered when hit by a stone thrown by a miscreant in the penultimate Stage, failed to finish as they ran out of fuel two Kms from the finish of the three-day event’s last stage.

    Consequently, second spot went to Hyderabad pair of Naveen Puligilla and co-driver Santosh Thomas with Coimbatore’s Ramcharan C (co-driver Jeevarathinam, Bengaluru) of Arka Motorsports completing the podium. Only three of the nine starters in the Asia Cup completed the event.

    Former World Rally champion (Production Cars), Karamjit Singh from Malaysia who is training Pragathi, was a shattered man. “We lost P2 in the Asia Cup. We are still figuring out how they ran out of fuel, but on the positive side, I am happy at the progress Pragathi made in the past one week. She was stepping up the pace Stage by Stage and getting comfortable with the car. She has a lot of talent and potential,” said Karamjit.

    In the National Championship, Wadia won the Overall and INRC 2 titles with overnight leader Himachal’s Aditya Thakur and co-driver Virender Kashyap (Chettinad Sporting) were docked a 30-second penalty for late check-in as they stopped to repair a damaged exhaust pipe after completing a Stage, and had to be content finishing second in INRC Overall and INRC 2 categories.

    Earlier, overnight leader in the Asia Cup, Aroor Arjun Rao (co-driver Satish Rajagopal) of Mandovi Racing, packed up after the day’s first Stage when he lost power steering. Also retiring was Day-1 leader Dean Mascarenhas (co-driver Gagan Karumbaiah) of DB Motorsport due to a fuel pump issue in the day’s penultimate Stage.

    Harkrishan, son of former Rally ace Anil Wadia, could barely stop smiling. “I pushed hard today as I had to make some time. The car was great and I am thankful to MRF Tyres for all the support. I made just one mistake when I overran a corner, but fortunately, it did not impact my position on the leaderboard. Overall, a good start to the season.”

    A dejected Thakur rued that he slipped to second after looking primed to win. “We had an exhaust issue. So, after SS-11, we stopped on the transport section to carry out some running repairs. It cost us time and we had to take a 30-second penalty for check-in at the next Time Control. We are extremely disappointed but hope to do better in the next round,” said Thakur.

    Kerala’s Vishak Balachandran (co-driver Anil Abbas), supported by MRF Tyres, took the honours in the INRC 3 while Shillong’s Phoebe Nongrum (co-driver Nash Ross, Hyderabad) of SNAP Racing, topped the Women INRC category with two front runners, Anushriya Gulati and Tarushi Vikram retired with mechanical problems. MRF Tyres-backed Arjun Rajiv from Bengaluru (co-driver Vinay Padmashali, Mysuru) of Chettinad Sporting drove well to clinch the title in the Junior INRC category.

    Delhi’s Baljinder Singh Dhillon (co-driver CP Gautam, Chikkamagaluru) emerged on top in the Fmsci Challenge Gypsy Cup.

    Of the 51 crews who started the Rally, 23 retired. The second round of the INRC is scheduled to be held in Nashik from May 31 to June 2.  

    Provisional final results:

    FIA APRC-Asia Rally Cup:

    1. Harkrishan Wadia (Delhi) / Kunal Kashyap (Himachal) (Arka Motorsports) (02Hrs, 04mins, 59.8secs); 2. Naveen Puligilla / Santosh Thomas (both Hyderabad) (Pvt.) (02:15:22.0); 3. Ramcharan C (Coimbatore) / Jeevarathinam (Bengaluru) (Arka Motorsports) (02:17:24.1).

    Blueband Indian National Rally Championship:

    INRC Overall: 1. Harkrishan Wadia (Delhi) / Kunal Kashyap (Himachal) (Arka Motorsports) (02:04:59.8); 2. Aditya Thakur / Virender Kashyap (both Himachal) (Chettinad Sporting) (02:05:05.0); 3. Vishak Balachandran (Thiruvananthapuram) / Anil Abbas (Ernakulam) (Chettinad Sporting) (02:10:02.6).

    INRC 2: 1. Harkrishan Wadia / Kunal Kashyap (02:04:49.8); 2. Aditya Thakur / Virender Kashyap (02:05:05.0); 3. Naveen Puligilla / Santosh Thomas (02:15:22.0).

    INRC 3: 1. Vishak Balachandran / Anil Abbas (02:10:02.6); 2. Daraious Shroff (Mumbai) / Srikanth Gowda (Chikkamagaluru) (Chettinad Sporting) (02:10:48.1); 3. Samrat Yadav (Chandigarh) / Arvind Dheerendra (Bengaluru) (Pvt.) (02:11:48.2).

    Junior INRC (2 finishers): 1. Arjun Rajiv (Bengaluru) / Vinay Padmashali (Mysuru) (Chettinad Sporting) (02:13:47.9); 2. Ajay Shankar (Kollam)/ S Nitharshan (Kallakurichi) (Mandovi Racing) (02:14:00.0).

    Women INRC (2 finishers): 1. Phoebe Nongrum (Shillong) / Nash Ross (Hyderabad) (Snap Racing) (02:28:27.4); 2. Harshitha Gowda (Bengaluru)/ Vignesh Mahalingam (Coimbatore) (Pvt.) (02:45:42.8).

    Fmsci Gypsy Challenge: 1. Baljinder Singh Dhillon (Delhi) / Goutham CP (Chikkamagaluru) (Pvt.) (02:21:51.9); 2. Dr Akarsh Sundar (Chikkamagaluru)/ Ravi Kumar (Bengaluru) (Pvt.) (02:24:45.7); 3. Jayanth Somanathan / R Rajashekar (Both Bengaluru) (Pvt.) (02:24:51.9).