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Tag: INRC
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Karna Kadur, Musa Sherif clinch APRC Round 1, along with INRC for a grand double
Chennai, 27 April 2025: After a lapse of three years, Bengaluruโs reigning National champion Karna Kadur of Arka Motorsports won a round of the FIA-Asia Pacific Rally Championship 2025 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday.
It was a near-flawless drive in the Volkswagen Polo by the 36-year-old Kadur who was greatly aided by his experienced co-driver Musa Sherif from Kasargod as the duo combined beautifully to also clinch the crown in the first round of the Blueband Fmsci Indian National Championship 2025.
Finishing second in APRC was Kadurโs team-mate and England-based former National champion Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik, Mangaluru) while Delhiโs Harkrishan Wadia (co-driver Harish KN, Bengaluru) completed the APRC podium after Philippos Matthai (Harish KN), who was running third, retired with a mechanical problem about five Kms from the finish of the dayโs last Special Stage.
Wadia, who drove brilliantly today, made a lot of ground to make up a two-minute penalty he had received yesterday for an early check-in at the Start Time Control to win the Junior APRC (28 years and younger) class ahead of overnight leader Arnav Pratap Singh (Rohit N) and Abhin Rai (Moideen Jasheer KM).
Kadur attributed his success to a judicial blend of caution and aggression. โAfter a long time, we had a trouble-free run. The car was great and just about everything fell into place. We had carefully planned our strategy, and it was executed flawlessly. We could have gone faster, but in view of the rising temperature, we had to exercise some caution. A few competitors suffered as they did not back off and having seen this, I kept something in reserve in case I needed to push hard. Anyway, itโs a good start to the season. Also, my co-driver Musaโs calls were spot-on, and it greatly helped,โ he said.
Ghosh had to overcome a misbehaving VW Polo which was put together about three days before the event after his Mahindra XUV 300 packed up during testing. โWe had issues with the car throughout the weekend. Today, we lost the clutch, and it slowed us down. But considering everything, including having only a few days to prepare this VW Polo, we did pretty well.โ
Wadia could hardly believe his luck in finishing third in APRC and topping the INRC2 category. โThe two-minute penalty I copped yesterday for early check-in at the start, hurt me a lot. Though I was on pace through the two days, two minutes kept getting added to my time. However, I guess, I got lucky in the end with Philippos retiring while I made 50-plus seconds on my rivals today.โ
Another notable performance came from Bengaluru-based Tarushi Vikram (Vybhav Mukund Rao) who took the honours in the Women INRC class, displaying good pace and control.
Out of the 49 cars that started the rally, 13 cars failed to finish.
Provisional Final classification:
FIA-APRC (Asia Cup): 1. Kadur / Musa Sherif (Arka Motorsports) (02 hours, 03 mins, 44.0 secs); 2. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Arka Motorsports) (02:04:35.8); 3. Harkrishan Wadia / Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) (02:07:38.5) (including 2min penalty).
Junior APRC: 1. Harkrishan Wadia / Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) (02:07.38.5); 2. Arnav Pratap Singh / Rohit N (SNAP Racing) (02:09:25.9); 3. Abhin Rai/ Moideen Jasheer KM (Pvt.) (02:10:16.9).
INRC Overall: 1. Kadur / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Fabid Ahmer / Milen George (Chettinad Sporting) (02:06:09.5).
INRC1: 1. Kadur / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Suhem Kabeer / Vinay Padmashali (Pvt.) (02:12:15.2).
INRC2: 1. Fabid Ahmer / Milen George (Chettinad Sporting) (02:06:09.5); 2. Pragathi Gowda/ Chandramouli M (Pvt.)ย (02:07:23.5); 3. Wadia / Kashyap;.
INRC3: 1. Arnav Pratap Singh / Rohit N (SNAP Racing) (02:09:25.9); 2. Vishak B / Chiranth Jain (Chettinad Sporting) (02:09:27.4); 3. Abhin Rai / Moideen Jasheer KM (Pvt.) (02:10:16.9).
INRC 3T (Turbo): 1. Ramcharan C / Vignesh Mahalingam (Falkon Motorsports) (03:15.3); 2. Naveen Puligilla / Santosh Ritchy Thomas (Pvt.) (02:28:34.9); 3. Jeet Jhabhak / Sekar V (Pvt.) (02:59:09.9).
Women INRC: 1. Tarushi Vikram / Vybhav Mukund Rao (Chettinad Sporting) (02:17:07.0); 2. Phoebe Nongrum Dale / Nash Ross (Pvt.) (02:20:17.9); 3. Anushriya Gulati / Karan Aukta (Arka Motorsports) (02: 48:58.8).
Junior INRC: 1. Abhin Rai / Moideen Jasheer (Pvt.) (02:10:16.9); 2. Ajay Shankar / Venu Ramesh Kumar (Falkon Motorsports) (02:11:47.0); 3. RB Kharbirymbai/ Dhanush CP (Snap Racing) (02:14:26.1).
Fmsci Gypsy Challenge: 1. Sanjay Agarwal / Dheeraj Manae (Pvt.) (02:22:23.0); 2. Kariappa Mekerira / Supreeth Sagar (Pvt.) (02:24:49.7); 3. Pankaj Dutt / Jibran Ahmed (Pvt.) (02:33:15.9).
Fmsci Classic Challenge: 1. Pramod Raman / Dheeraj KV (Pvt.) (02:21:01.0); 2. Siddhartha Santhosh / Sawan Satyanarayan (Pvt.) (02:22:13.6); 3. Satish P / Dr. Dinesh S (Pvt) (02:31:54.8).
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Karna Kadur takes control of APRC with a comfortable lead: South India Rally
Chennai, 26 April 2025: Bengaluru ace Karna Kadur came up with a mature drive to open a sizable lead in theย FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship promoted by Vamcy Merla which is part of the Indu Chandhok Memorial 48thย South India Rally, here on Saturday. With only four Special Stages to be run on the morrow, Kadur and his co-driver Musa Sherif have victory in their sights.
Kadur leads his Arka Motorsports team-mate and the Delhi-Himachal Pradesh combination of Harkrishan Wadia and Kunal Kashyap by over a minute. In third place is their team-mate and former National champion Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) who nursed his patched-up Volkswagen Polo, a late replacement for his Mahindra XUV 300 which blew its engine during a test run a few days before the event.
In the INRC category of the Blueband Fmsci Indian National Rally Championship Round-1 powered by Vamcy Merla, Kadur leads Ghosh with Suhem Kabeer (Vinay Padmashali) in third spot.
About his performance today, Kadur said: โI was a bit conservative in the first loop, especially the first Special Stage (AAVISA) which had some small rocks on the road. In the second run, I did not hold back since I knew the terrain would have been swept clean by the cars. So, I was able to make over a minute on my own time. Tomorrow is another day, but I will try to hold position and push only if I must. The main goal is to bring the car home in one piece.โ
Two of the front-runners in the APRC, Jason Saldanha and Chetan Shivram had issues with their respective cars and lost time that saw them drop down the order. The other big disappointment was the retirement of Hyundai i20 which is making its debut in the Indian motorsports scene with Hyderabadโs Jeet Jhabakh packing up with a driveshaft problem but he is likely to rejoin the rally on Sunday, if the car is fully repaired.
Meanwhile, the competition in the National championship was as razor sharp as ever with positions changing by the minute while Bengaluru-based Tarushi Vikram displayed impressive pace to lead the Women INRC class.
Provisional, unaudited classifications (After Leg-1):
FIA-APRC/Overall: 1. Karna Kadur / Musa Sherif (Arka Motorsports) (01 hr, 05 min, 25.4 secs); 2. Harkrishan Wadia / Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) (01:06:34.2); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Arka Motorsports) (01:06:39.8).
INRC: 1. Kadur / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Suhem Kabir / Vinay Padmashali (Pvt.) (01:09:03.9).
INRC2: 1. Wadia / Kashyap; 2. Philippos Matthai / Harish KN (Arka Motorsports) (01:06:51.3); 3. Fabid Ahmer / Milen George (Chettinad Sporting) (01:06:56.1).
INRC3: 1. Arnav Pratap Singh / Rohit N (SNAP Racing) (01:07:37.8); 2. Vishak B / Chiranth Jain (Chettinad Sporting) (01:07:52.8); 3. Abin Rai / Moideen Jasheer KM (Pvt.) (01:08:34.1).
INRC 3T (Turbo): 1. C Ramcharan / Vignesh Mahalingam (01:14:40.1).
Women INRC: 1. Tarushi Vikram / Vybhav Mukund Rao (01:11:51.0).
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Slideways Industries Gears Up for South India Rally; Reigning champ Shroff to miss Ro1
By Aniruddha Rangnekar
Pune, 21 April 2025: With over a decade of relentless passion and performance, Team Slideways Industries returns to the Blueband Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for the 2025 season, ready to take on the dust, speed, and competition. Based in Pune and proudly backed by the Pinnacle Group, Slideways Industries has grown into a household name in Indian motorsport, known for its consistency, innovation, and champion pedigree.
The team will be fielding two cars for the Indu Chandhok Memorial 48th South India Rally, the opening round of the Blueband 2025 INRC season, set to take place in Chennai. Despite the absence of key drivers Daraius Shroff, Aniruddha Rangnekar, and Shivani Parmarโall sitting out this round due to personal commitmentsโSlideways is raring to go with a dynamic new lineup.
A Global Touch and a Youthful Spark
Adding an international flair to the rally is the Singapore-based husband-wife duo, Raguvaran V and Amanda Chew Jia Ying. The pair brings global experience and enthusiasm to the INRC, making them the only international entry in this edition of the rally.
Alongside them, promising young talent Tarushi Vikram from Chikkamagaluru will be piloting the second Slideways car, showcasing the teamโs commitment to nurturing new talent in Indian motorsport. Both entries are part of Slidewaysโ highly acclaimed Arrive & Drive programme in the INRC3 category.
Revolutionising Grassroots Rallying
Slideways Industries has been a pioneer of the Arrive & Drive format in India, offering aspiring racers a seamless entry into professional rallying. Under this program, the team handles everythingโfrom logistics, testing, and car prep to full service supportโso that drivers can focus solely on what they do best: driving. Itโs a one-of-a-kind initiative that has opened doors for both young hopefuls and motorsport enthusiasts to experience the thrill of INRC.
A Legacy of Champions
Over the years, Slideways Industries has built an enviable legacy. Their 2024 INRC3 Drivers Championship win with Mumbai’s Daraius Shroff is just one of the many accolades to their name. The team has also collaborated closely with Gaurav Gill, Indiaโs only Arjuna Awardee in motorsport and multiple Asia Pacific Rally Champion.
Their long-standing partnership with the Gaurav Gill Advanced Driving Academy further strengthens their grassroots impact, with Slideways drivers doubling up as instructors to groom the next generation of Indian rally stars.
Legends Behind the Wheel
Slideways has had some iconic names behind the wheel of their machines, including Karamjit Singh, the legendary multiple Asia Pacific Rally Champion, and Vikram Mathias, a stalwart of Indian rallying. These associations not only speak volumes about the teamโs engineering prowess but also about their stature within the motorsport community.
As the engines rev and the dust begins to rise in Chennai, Team Slideways Industries stands poised yet again to inspire, compete, and win. Watch this space as one of Indiaโs most-loved rally teams hits the ground running in the 2025 INRC season!
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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.
โIt 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.โ
Himachal Pradesh duo Aditya Thakur and Virender Kasyap won the INRC2 class beating the Karnataka pair of Jason Saldanha and Thimmu Uddapanda while Mangaluruโs 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.
Dehradunโs Anushriya Gulati (co-driver Karan Aukta) won the Ladies class followed by talented Nikeetaa Takkale (Raghuram Saminathan) in second and Shillongโs 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);
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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.
โIt 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,โ said the seven-time National champion, Gill.
Championship leaders Karna Kadur and co-driver Musa Sherif of Arka Motorsports were second overall followed by Hassanโs 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 Sportingโs 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);
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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. โThis 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,โ said a visibly happy Gill. When asked if this win can change the fortunes, he paused for a second. โYou 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,โ 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. Keralaโs 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.
Gurugramโs 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).
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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, Delhiโs 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 Gulbargaโs 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.
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Dr KV Premlal suffers cardiac arrest, passes away during INRC at Coimbatore
Coimbatore, 27 July 2024: KV Premlal, a doctor from Kannur, passed away due to a heart attack during the transport section after Special Stage in the third round of the Blueband fmsci Indian National Rally Championship for four wheelers here on Saturday.
Dr Premlal, the rally driver who passed away during INRC round at Coimbatore. He was 47 and survived by his wife, Dr Smija Aravind, a neurosurgeon and two children, Vishnu Premlal and Anika Premlal. He was the son a famous doctor, late Dr A V Govindan and late K V Prema.
After completing SS2, the duo stopped and Premlal had a gulp of water and suddenly collapsed, according to an eye witness. His co-driver Thrissurโs KR Rishikesh, also a doctor, tried to revive him through resuscitation but in vain. He was driving an INRC3 spec Volkswagen Polo as part of Team Chettinad Sporting.
Thyagarajan, Team Principal and all the team members of Chettinad Sporting conveyed their deep condolences to the bereaved family. Blueband Sports, the promoters of INRC, condoled the unfortunate death and conveyed their condolences to all the family, friends and teammates.
The funeral will be held at Kannur on Monday, after his sister, who is in UK, arrives.
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Karna Kadur-Musa Sherif duo clinches Rally of Maharashtra in style: INRC Round 2
Nashik, 2 June 2024: Bengaluruโs 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.
Keralaโs 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. Pragathiโs 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 Oโclock 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
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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 Mysoreโs 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)
