INDIA in F1

Tag: Rally

  • Imran Pasha of TVS Racing wins National title in Class 4: INRC for 2-wheelers

    Imran Pasha of TVS Racing wins National title in Class 4: INRC for 2-wheelers

    File photo of Imran Pasha from a round in 2019.
    Imran Pasha who won the National title in the Super Sport 260 class in Bengaluru on Sunday. Photo by Keshava Murthy

    Bengaluru, 19 Jan 2020: Imran Pasha of TVS Racing astride an Apache RTR 200 hogged the limelight winning the honours in overall classification of the sixth and final round of the MRF Mogrip fmsci Indian National Rally Championship for two-wheelers held at Devanahalli, near here, on Sunday.

    The 2w-rally National Championship was organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) and promoted by Godspeed Racing under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci). With this win Imran Pasha is crowned National champion in Class 4 for Super Sport 260 bikes, even as his title rival, a privateer from Mangaluru, Adnan Ahmed, could finish only one stage and logged a DNF (did not finish).

    Another Bengaluru privateer Yuva Kumar was overall second followed by Sachin D, also of TVS Racing. Yuva Kumar, astride a Hero Impulse, also won Class 1. Ishan Chandra A of Mangaluru on a Hero Impulse clocked a commendable 56:25.5 to win Class 3 while another local lad Rakesh Kumar took Class 2.

    Top TVS rider and National champion Aishwarya Pissay won the ladies class with Ryhana Bee in second while Vijay Prasad of Bengaluru claimed the Star of Karnataka title, also finishing a creditable 5th overall with two compatriots Ansar Mohamed and Sanjay Somashekar finishing in that order.

    Imran Pasha with the Overall and Class 4 trophy on Sunday. Photo: AutoTrack

    Provisional final results (Round 6) (Privateer unless mentioned):

    Overall: 1. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing) 53min, 52.817seconds; 2. Yuva Kumar (privateer) 54:01.915; 3. Sachin D (TVS Racing) 54:25.149.

    Class 1: 1. Yuva Kumar (Pvt.) 54:01.915; 2. Nikhil B (Pvt.) 57:41.844; 3. Santhosh Kour (Pvt.) 1:15:44.990.

    Class 2: 1. Rakesh Kumar 1:00:01.575; 2. Ajin Abraham 1:01:55.919; 3. Azeeb Muhammed 1:03:35.736.

    Class 3: 1. Ishan Chandra A 56:25.520; 2. Pavan BK 58:40.028; 3. Francis PU 58:52.540.

    Class 4: 1. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing) 53:52:817; 2. Sachin D 54:25.149; 3. Samuel Jacob (TVS Racing) 59:18.346.

    Class 5: 1. T Vijay Kumar 1:05:23.335; 2. Uday Ganguli 1:13:45.510.

    Class 6: 1. Devaraj V 58:01.677; 2. Arun Joy M 1: 00:36.275; 3. Arvind Kumar Singh 1:14:11.931.

    Class 7: 1. Syed Asif Ali (TVS Racing) 1:01:41.731; 2. Pinkesh Thakkar 1:02:04.557; 3. Shamim Khan 1:02:26325.

    Class 8: 1. Aishwarya PM (TVS Racing) 1:06:06.791; Ryhana Bee A 1:08:15.208.

    Star of Karnataka: 1. Vinay Prasad 57:21.630; 2. Ansar Mohamed 58:19.685; 3. Sanjay Somashekar 59:05.447.

     

  • Harith Noah makes splendid recovery in Stage 2; Sunderland takes overall lead: #Dakar2020

    Harith Noah makes splendid recovery in Stage 2; Sunderland takes overall lead: #Dakar2020

    Harith Noah makes a grand recovery on Day 2 finishing overall 65th on Monday. Photo by Sherco TVS Rally team

    Al Wajh (Saudi Arabia), 6 Jan 2020: Despite a heavy crash that caused an eye injury on Day 1, Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team finished Stage 2 on Day 2 with flying colours with an impressive recovery from 111th on first day to 51st on second day that brought him an overall ranking of 65 on Monday. The other Indian, experienced ace, CS Santosh of Hero MotoSports Team Rally, too had a fruitful outing on Day 2 as he finished 53rd for an overall ranking of 47. Noah clocked the 367-km Special Stage in 4 hours 54min and 46 seconds while Santosh took 4:59:44.

    Indian ace CS Santosh (with bike/Competition No: 50) said, “It was a really difficult day for me with all this pain in my hand from yesterday’s crash. The stage was really rocky and all the impact was coming onto my hand making it really difficult to hold the bike. I will get this checked now and hopefully will have a better stage tomorrow.”

    Harith Noah gets a blown eye bandaged on Sunday for rest before taking off for Stage 2 on Monday. FB @HarithNoah8

    Meanwhile, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland has finished second on stage two of the Dakar Rally, moving himself into the provisional race lead. Luciano Benavides enjoyed another solid day in Saudi Arabia, finishing fifth. Matthias Walkner and stage one winner Toby Price finished in eighth and 15th places respectively after opening much of the special.

    Stage two at the 2020 Dakar Rally presented riders with several new challenges. The pre-coloured road books used for the first time this year were only given to competitors 25 minutes before the start of the timed special. Also, with the day marking the first half of the event’s Super Marathon stage, riders were only allowed 10 minutes to work on their bikes at the end of the day, with no outside assistance permitted.

    As the fifth rider to enter the day’s 367-kilometre special, Sam Sunderland was able to maximise his advantage and push right from the start. The 2019 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion was able to improve his position throughout that stage to ultimately post the second-fastest time. Sam now enjoys a lead of just over one minute in the provisional overall standings.

    Sunderland wins overall first place after finishing second in Stage 2 on Sunday. Photo by KTM Factory Racing Team

    Sam Sunderland: “It was a really tough day today and it felt very long. There was a huge mix of terrain with high speed tracks and then slower technical sections. In and out of the canyons there were a lot of lines visible and that made navigation more of a challenge. I made a couple of mistakes, but I think everyone did out there today. All-in-all though I had a good run, just trying to stick to a steady rhythm and build up my pace as the race goes on.”

    Luciano Benavides continues to show great pace and consistency at this year’s event. The young Argentinian, in only his third Dakar, placed fifth on the day’s special to elevate himself to seventh in the overall standings. With a strong start position for stage three, Benavides is confident of another good result.

    Luciano Benavides: “It’s been a good day for me – I finished inside the top five and I’m really happy with my rhythm here in Saudi. I enjoyed the stage today but came very close to crashing at one point. Luckily, I was able to stay on and from there I decided to bring the bike home safely and make sure it is good for tomorrow.”

    Despite being the third competitor into today’s stage, Matthias Walkner was able to use his skill and experience to carefully navigate the technically demanding route, making the minimum of errors to complete the stage in a solid eighth place. Now lying an excellent fourth overall, the Austrian rider will enjoy an advantageous start position for the second half of the Super Marathon stage.

    Matthias Walkner: “I had quite a good day today – the navigation was tough but I was able to push on from the start and at about 45 kilometres I was able to catch Toby. From there I opened the piste to the halfway point. We then rode in a group of four until the finish, which can be tricky as the dust from any riders in front makes it difficult to see stones and rocks hidden in the soft sand. Thankfully I was able to look after the bike and it’s all ready to go for tomorrow.”

    Winner of the first day, Toby Price had the unenviable task of opening stage two. That, combined with the limited time to acquaint himself with the road book, made navigating the stage extremely tricky from the front of the pack. Despite the disadvantages, the reigning champion put in a good ride to 15th place and now lies ninth in the provisional overall standings, seven minutes and 34 seconds down on Sunderland.

    Toby Price: “Today was always going to be tough, leading out from the start without having had much time to read the road book. The stage went ok, I lost some time to the others but the most important thing is I looked after my bike and the tyres so should be in good shape to close down on the leaders again tomorrow. There’s still a long, long way to go, but the bike is working great, things are looking good and I’m happy.”

    After a tough day in the Saudi Arabian sand, KTM Factory Racing’s Mario Patrao completed stage two in 41st place. An error early on cost the Portuguese rider some time and he was then forced to ride in a group until the finish. Despite the challenging day, Mario was able to bring his KTM 450 RALLY home in one piece and now looks forward to stage three.

    Mario Patrao: “It was a difficult stage for me today, I made a mistake at kilometre six and was then caught by some other competitors. Riding in dust for the rest of the stage was really tricky as it’s so difficult to see any rocks or other dangers. To stay safe, I hung back a little, which cost me some time. Overall, the bike is good and I’m ready for tomorrow.”

    Tuesday’s stage three of the 2020 Dakar Rally will see riders complete a looped course starting and finishing at the city of Neom. Of the 504 kilometres covered, 427 will be timed special, leading competitors towards the border with Jordon and rising to the highest point in this year’s rally at an altitude of 1,400 metres before returning to the bivouac.

    Provisional Results Stage Two – 2020 Dakar Rally
    1. Ross Branch (BWA), KTM, 3:39:10
    2. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 3:40:34 +1:24
    3. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Husqvarna, 3:41:31 +2:21
    4. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 3:42:50 +3:40
    5. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 3:42:54 +3:44

    Provisional Overall Standings (after stage two) – 2020 Dakar Rally
    1. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 7:05:22
    2. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Husqvarna, 7:06:40 +1:18
    3. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 7:06:54 +1:32
    4. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 7:07:22 +2:00
    5. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 7:09:33 +4:11

    Hero MotoSports– 2020 Dakar Rally
    14. Paulo Goncalves (Portugal) Hero 3:48:42;
    25. Sebastian Bühler (Germany) Hero 3:59:13;
    47. CS Santosh (India) Hero 4:59:44.

    Sherco TVS– 2020 Dakar Rally
    16. Adrien Metge, (France) Sherco TVS 3:57:42;
    19. Johnny Aubert, (France) Sherco TVS 3: 59:14;
    23. Lorenzo Santolino; (Spain) Sherco TVS 3: 57:35;
    65. Harith Noah (India) Sherco TVS 4:54:46.

  • Young and ambitious team for 2020 WRC: M-Sport Ford World Rally team

    Young and ambitious team for 2020 WRC: M-Sport Ford World Rally team

    Photo by M-Sport World Rally team

    Esapekka Lappi will join forces with Teemu Suninen and Gus Greensmith this season as the M‑Sport Ford World Rally Team put youth at the head of their FIA World Rally Championship campaign.

    Taking to the wheel of the EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRCs, the three drivers have an average age of 25 and will be led by a similarly young and ambitious team – the average age of the engineers just 30, and Team Principal Richard Millener a mere 35 years young!

    As a proven rally winner, Lappi will lead the team alongside compatriot co-driver Janne Ferm. The Finns last took to the wheel of a Fiesta in 2012 when they stormed to Finnish Championship success with a clean-sweep of victories behind the wheel of the Ford Fiesta S2000. Eight years later, the popular duo are now regularly challenging for top results on the world stage.

    Securing their maiden win on home soil in 2017, Lappi and Ferm have gone on to secure seven FIA World Rally Championship podiums and claimed the runner-up spot on three occasions last year. Competitive on all surfaces, the Finns have speed in abundance and the team are keen to see what they can do when reunited with the Blue Oval.

    Teemu Suninen and Jarmo Lehtinen continue their partnership as the young Finn contests his second full season at the sport’s highest level. Developing at pace, Suninen made his world rally car debut in 2017, secured his first podium in 2018, and led his first rally in 2019 – so the team are eager to see what he can do in 2020.

    This also marks the first time an all-Finnish line-up has led the team since Mikko Hirvonen was partnered with Marcus Grönholm in 2006 and 2007, and Jari Matti Latvala from 2008 to 2011. Over those six years the Finns delivered two championships, 31 victories, 99 podiums and 592 stage wins; and M-Sport Ford are now looking forward to promoting the next generation of Flying Finns.

    Joining the Finns in the third Ford Fiesta WRC on nine events are British talents Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson. The Brits will get their season underway in Monte-Carlo before events in Mexico, Argentina, Portugal, Sardinia, Finland, Turkey, Germany and Wales.

    The youngsters made a strong debut when they took to the wheel of the top-specification Fiesta for the first time last year – bettering the time of both Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier on their very first speed test; and the team are keen to see them continue their development at the highest level this year.

    Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:

    “We’re going back to our roots in more ways than one this year – fielding a young team and welcoming two sets of Finns back to the family. We enjoyed some fantastic results with Marcus, Mikko and Jari-Matti, and now I’m looking forward to seeing how the next generation of Flying Finns develop.

    “But our core philosophy has always been the promotion and progression of young talent, and in Esapekka, Teemu and Gus we have three talented youngsters who are all capable of delivering some strong results.

    “The team may be a young one, but they have the experience and ambition to go far – and I’m keen to see what they can achieve in 2020.”

    Team Principal, Richard Millener, said:

    “There’s a lot of potential in our 2020 line-up and our aim is to continue challenging for the top results. A rally win is the ultimate goal, and I think we have every chance of achieving that. Everyone is determined to deliver, and we can’t wait to get stuck in.

    “Esapekka is a proven winner and there is no doubting his speed. He finished second three times last year so I’m looking forward seeing how he gets to grips with the Fiesta. And if it’s anything like the last time he got behind the wheel of a Ford then we’re in for one hell of a season!

    “I think a lot of people will be keen to see what Teemu can do too. He and Jarmo work really well together and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw them challenging for the top results on quite a few events this year.

    “It’s also great to see Gus back with nine events in the Fiesta WRC. He had a really strong debut last year and he’s only going to get stronger and more confident as the season progresses. This is very much a learning year for him, but if I know Gus he’ll want to make his mark too!”

    Esapekka Lappi said:

    “I’m really looking forward to this new adventure and I’m excited to see what we can achieve. M‑Sport Ford has a real passion for rally and there were a lot of talented drivers available for this seat, so I’m very happy they put their trust in us – giving myself and Janne an opportunity to show what we can do in 2020.

    “We start testing this week, and I’m really looking forward to discovering the Fiesta. The last time I drove a Ford we had a lot of success and it would be great to see that continue this year. I can’t wait to get started, and hope we can push for some strong results.”

    Teemu Suninen said:

    “I’m really grateful to Malcolm and the team for their belief in me. I feel as though I learnt a lot over the past 12 months, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Jarmo and I can do in 2020. Last year taught me that I need to give everything in all of the rallies if I want to reach the top results – and that’s what I hope to do this year.

    “It’s also really great to be in a team with Esapekka because he was something of a hero to me in my childhood. When I started go-karting as a teenager in Finland, he was in the same team and winning the championship. Three years later I was able to do the same, and now we’re both in rally and both back in the same team!”

    Gus Greensmith said:
    “I have been waiting for this opportunity my whole life, and now I have it. I’ve progressed through M-Sport Ford’s, ‘Ladder of Opportunity,’ from R1, to R2, to R5 and now WRC. I owe a lot to everyone at M-Sport and Ford who has helped me progress as a driver, but there is still a lot more to come.
    “The team may be young, but we’re all ultra-competitive and together I’m sure we can deliver some strong performances. During the off season I have made some big improvements to myself outside of the rally car. I have never been fitter, and I have never been faster, and when the light turns green for the first stage of 2020 I will be ready.”

     

  • Brothers team up to glory in their first year; Dilip Sharan shares his story: INRC 2019 champions

    Brothers team up to glory in their first year; Dilip Sharan shares his story: INRC 2019 champions

    File photo of Chetan Shivram (left) and Dilip Sharan on the podium after winning the K1000 rally, the 4th Round of Champiojns Yacht Club INRC 2019 in Bengaluru in November. INDIAinF1 photo

    Bengaluru, 23 Dec 2019: One of the ever-green and most popular events of the Indian Motorsports calendar, the Indian National Rally Championship, saw new champions take the crown in 2019. The championship concluded on Sunday in Kerala with the Popular Rally, organised by Southern Adventures and Motorsports, and promoted by Champions Yacht Club (CYC), completing four of the six scheduled rounds in the calendar.

    Akshara Team’s Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan, emerged overall champions and bagged their maiden National title. For 41-year-old Shivram, who has been around for over two decades, it is a sweet ending to the campaign, winning the title with his younger brother. This is the first time in the 32-year history of INRC that two brothers won the National title. And winning with a lowly-INRC3 car, after fighting with much-powerful INRC machines is no mean achievement.

    Today, INDIAinF1 caught up with Dilip Sharan, the 29-year-old, who teamed up his brother for the first time in this year’s INRC after a trial run in the curtain-raiser Sprint de Bengaluru proved to be a success.

    The duo was apprehensive of the tarmac terrain in Kerala but realised that it was their golden chance to win the championship, what with a handsome lead they had with two victories. At the start, the fears were thought to be misplaced as both the South India Rally and K1000, were new stages but the brothers performed admirably.

    However, as the Popular Rally began, the unforgiving cruel corner in the very first stage, just after about six km into the rally, saw them suffer a casualty, the second of the four cars to crash at the same corner. “In the very first stage with less than 2-km to the finish we hit a `dip’ and did not realise that we had a low air pressure on the front left (tyre) and we lost control. However with the experience Chetan has, he didn’t give up, and found a way to get the car back and got on to the wheels. Then, unfortunately, we lost a wheel including the hub, and the day ended for us being the leaders of the Overall Championship,’’ he added.

     

    The disaster in the first stage at the Popular Rally. But the duo came back on sunday with FRK Racing getting the car ready for the final 3 stages. Photo By Dilip Sharan

    “With much regret, we sat and thought of things we could do to make sure we start Day 2. As usual, the magical hands of our `Mechanics’ coming for a team which needs no introduction, did get the car ready again.’’ The mechs were none other than from #FRK Racing. “The boys put the magic to work, and gave us a car to start on Sunday. But this would not have been possible without the help of Sumit Punjabi, who generously gave us the parts required to rebuild the car and for it to be ready for Day 2. As we entered the beginning of the stage, Chetan says `Sherry the car is just not handling, it’s all over the place,’ all we did was cruise… to finish the first stage, and stood 10th fastest,’’ went on Dilip talking about how they managed those last three stages.


    “As we waited for Stage 2 to start, the one-and-only #Tiger_Baba (Sanjay Agarwal) asked Chetan what’s happening. So he explained why this is happening as the experience he carries in rallying is more than my age. With the wise advice well digested, we ended the stage 5th fastest and ended the next stage again in the same order to bag three points,’’ he continued.

    Earlier at the start of the season, it all started with an informal chat. In Dilip’s own words, “the year 2019 has ushered in a lot of positive and happy changes in my life, and the most important being the marriage with the love of my life, Angel (Mabel).’’

    During a chat with his elder brother Chetan Shivram and sister-in-law Jessica, the question of navigating for a one-off curtain raiser came up, which eventually turned into a full-season adventure. “I jumped at my brother Chetan’s invitation as I to love sit with him and the preparation of a freshly-built Volkswagen Polo-INRC3 began, but I was nervous…,’’ Dilip quipped and “who would not if one had to call pace notes to a driver like Chetan.’’

    But soon all the doubts vanished as he sat in the car and the duo finished the Recce and the Rally. “For some good reason the bond in the car was so good, and we felt like we had done this few 100 times before,’’ Dilip, who made his rally debut in Chikkamagaluru Coffee Day Rally in 2016, recalled of the gut feeling he had at that time in March.

    In the first round, at the South India Rally’s opening day in Chennai the duo took the lead but toppled on the second day. “After Day 1, we were in the Overall lead but unfortunately we flipped, toppled on Day 2’s first stage and then tried to finish, in vain,” he explained. Then the second rally at Coimbatore saw the pair dishing out splendid stuff when many experienced and talented top guns toppled to the tricky terrain, as they nurtured their car and safely finished the rally on the top step of the podium.

    Many thought it was a fluke and a section of the media too, unprofessionally sidelined their superb showing, but with determination and focused approach, and technically-sound driving, the Bengaluru brothers proved their mettle once again and bounced back.

     “At the legendary K1000, we went in not knowing what to expect as the stages were brand new for all the drivers, after Recce, Chetan had one thing to say, “These are my kind of stages”, and then we set in the good vibes, family and friends there to cheer for the `Home-Town Boys’ to win.

     “As we entered the rally to make sure we win INRC 3, much to our surprise in no time Chetan made sure to endure the car and bring it back to finish on Day 1. Day 2 saw a good battle with Dr Speed (Bikku Babu). And we ended up on the podium with yet another Overall win.

    And as the day ended in Kerala, bringing to close the INRC season, it was history and INRC saw New Champions. The Brothers, who entered as an INRC3 team, not only became the National Champions but managed a Double Dhamaka, also winning the INRC3 class.

    “We are humbled with this success and express our gratitude to all the people who stood with us,’’ said Dilip. “I would like to thank Sumanth Akshara, the Chief, and my dad (Jothinarar Vishwanathan Shivram) and all the family members, for the opportunity and, for persistently believing in us, and giving us the fabulous courage to win,’’ he concluded, with a big thanks to MRF Tyres.

    Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan, right, at the Rally PD. Photo by Anand Philar
  • Borthers Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan, 2019 INRC National Champs; Gill, Musa win Popular Rally

    Borthers Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan, 2019 INRC National Champs; Gill, Musa win Popular Rally

    Kottayam, Dec. 22: Brothers Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan are the National champions. They did not win the Poplular Rally but the experienced duo from Bengaluru conquered the Indian National Rally Championship 2019, thanks to their stunning victories in the second round at Combatore and fourth round in Bengaluru.

    The MRF supported duo of Team Akshara, who had suffered a massive crash in the opening stage on Saturday, returned to complete Day 2’s three stages to protect their lead. They did get three valuable leg points, that put the title beyond Fabid and Dean.

    They garnered enough points in the two previous rallies nurturing their car and negotiating the dangerous terrain when most of the top guns failed to finish. Both these rounds saw most of the experienced and talented drivers bite the dust one after the other. But Chetan, with Dilip calling the notes, carefully and skillfully negotiated to take the wins under these tricky circumstances and those points stood them in good stead and brought them the championship which they richly deserved.

    In cheeful mood after the rally.

    After the K1000 rally, a veteran rally fan  could not help remember an old saying: “To finish first, one has to first finish the rally.’’ Chetan’s rivals, Fabid Ahmer and Dean Mascarenhas, who had a chance to topple Chetan needing 25 and 29 points respectively before the start of the Kerala leg, could not do much on Sunday. While Dean along with co-driver Shruptha Padival finished overall second in the Popular Rally, Fabid, along with navigator Sanath Gopalanhad, missed the INRC3 title by a whisker as a late penalty at the last TC cost them the title by a point. However, the youngster from Palakkad had the consolation of winning the Junior INRC title for 2019.

    Meanwhile, speed maestro Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif, retained the Popular Rally title, as the final round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), promoted by Champions Yacht Club and organised by Southern Adventure and Motorsports concluded here on Sunday. Gill won the Popular Rally for the fifth time.

    The Team Mahindra Adventure driver, supported by JK Tyre won SS9 and finished second in SS10 and SS11 on Day 2 to regain his aura over the weekend. Gill’s teammates, Dean Mascarenhas and Suhem Kabeer, too did well, taking the third and fourth positions in Popular Rally’s overall category.

    Overall Winners: From left: Dr Bikku Babu & Milen George (2nd place), Musa Sherif & Gaurav Gill (winners) and Dean Mascarenhas & Shrupta Padival (3rd). Photo: CYC release

    Chetan, along with Dilip, nursed his car smartly, taking the tenth position in SS9 but revved up to the fifth in the last two stages for a valiant show. Chetan and Dilip also won the INRC3 title for a double dhamaka as Fabid and Sanath, earned a lat penalty.

    In INRC3, Fabid who finished second behind Aditya Thakur and co-driver Virender Kashyap, had been demoted and Jacob KJ and PVS Murthy came second. Kuber Sharma and Karan Aukta finished third.

    Team Champions’ Dr Bikku Babu (Milen George), a local favourite, finished third in the overall category and first in his own INRC 2 for a highly-rewarding Popular Rally. Tied with JK Tyre’s Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival) on 72 points at the start of the round, his win surely fetched him the National title in INRC 2 class.

    In the INRC 4 category was won by Suraj Thomas and co-driver Sob George while Vaibhav Marathe (Arjun SSB) and Rakshith Iyer/Chandrashekhar finished second and third respectively. Vaibhav and Arjun garnered the National title in this class.

    (Note: The results and the report were edited and revised on Dec. 23 at 12 noon after the official results which penalised an INRC3 driver changed the top-3 places and the title winner)

    Provisional Results (Round 5): INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif – 1hour, 25min, 01.7sec; 2. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George – 1:29:16.300; 3. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shrupta Padival – 1:31:02.600.

    INRC 2: 1. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George – 1:29:16.300; 2. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shrupta Padivel – 1:31:02.600; 3. Suhem Kabeer/ Jeeva Rathinam – 1:31:22.000.

    INRC 3: 1. Aditya Thakur/ Virender Kashyap – 1:34:11.300; 2) Jacob K.J/ PVS Murthy – 1:34:46.300; 3. Kuber Sharma / Karan Aukta xx:xx.

    INRC 4: 1. Suraj Thomas/ Sob George – 1:35:02.500; 2. Vaibhav Marathe/ Arjun SSB – 1:37:55.000; 3. Rakshith Iyer/ Chandrashekhar – 1:38:51.400.

    SUV Challenge:  1. Nikhil J / Arjun Dheerendra 1:41:10.200; 2. Abishek Gowda/ Dheeraj Manae 1:42:58.100; 3. Gagan Karumbaiah/ Thimmu Uddapanda 1:44:10.100.

    Junior INRC: 1. Fabid Ahmer / Sanath Gopalan; 2. Rakshith Iyer/ Chandrashekar; 3. Chandan KM/ Suraj M.

    Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan, who rejoined the rally on Sunday. Photo by Angel Mabel

    Action freeze of Fabid Ahmer and Sanath Gopalan (both Palakkad) of Team Champions who missed the INRC3 title by a point but won the National title in Junior INRC on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar

    Vaibhav Marath (Goa) and Arjun SSB (Bengaluru), also of Team Champions, who won the National title in INRC4 class. Photo by Anand Philar

    John D Paul of Kuttukaran Group speaks at the PD as Vicky Chandhok, Chairman of APRC Rally Commission looks on, on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar

  • Gaurav Gill takes the lead; Chetan Shivram crashes out but still in contention for National title

    Gaurav Gill takes the lead; Chetan Shivram crashes out but still in contention for National title

    Gaurav Gill in action on Saturday in Popular Rally. Photos CYC

    Kottayam, 21 Dec 2019: India’s top rally driver Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif of Team Mahindra Adventure stole the honours on the opening day and are set to retain their Popular Rally title in the fourth and final round of the Champions Yacht Club promoted Indian National Rally Championship under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) here on Saturday.

    Organised by Southern Adventures and Motorsports Club, the stage rally had run eight stages today with three remaining for Sunday. There are three physical stages, all tarmac, run multiple times in the same direction and two stages in reverse direction too.

    The JK Tyre supported duo, with Musa Sherif as co-driver, was trailing in the seventh position at the start of the round could well break into the podium if they manage to excel on the final day of the championship too. They have just 29 points after the first four rounds but could end up adding 39 points more if they remain unbeaten on Sunday as well. Despite his fightback, Gill would not be able to surpass the current overall leader, MRF’s Chetan Shivram (co-driver Dilip Sharan).

    Bengaluru’s Chetan along with his brother Dilip a navigator,  who were leading INRC 3 as well, endured a massive crash in the day’s first stage itself and failed to finish even one stage. But their 75 point put them on a safe place with only a mathematical chance still possible for Dean Mascarenhas and Fabid Ahmer to overthrow them for the National title, if they win tomorrow.

    This Cunning Corner was the cause for four casualties including leader Chetan Shivram. Two cars toppled later.

    Another JK Tyre driver, Younus Ilyas (Harish Gowda) of Race Concepts team from Bengaluru, had a good day as they were the fastest in two of the special stages and Dr Bikku Babu, with co-driver Milen George, too posted good timings to stay on top of his class, INRC2. Younus and Bikku Babu are second and third in all the overall lead on Saturday.

    INRC 3’s Fabid Ahmer supported by MRF Tyres, with Sanath Gopalan as navigator, with 51 points and INRC 2’s Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival) with 47 also remain in the fray for podium finishes in the overall category.

    The INRC 2 seemed poised for the most thrilling ending as category leaders Dean Mascarenhas and Dr. Bikku Babu, both with 72 points, put up brave performances on Saturday. Dr Bikku took the first place in seven stages to steal a march over Dean, who chased him furiously. The winner of the two on Sunday could hope to emerge as the king in this class.

    Fabid Ahmer took advantage of Chetan Shivram’s misfortune to give himself a good chance of claiming the INRC 3 title. Starting with 75 points, just 9 behind the leader, he would need to drive with the same care and hope that Chetan doesn’t start on Sunday to pull off a surprise victory. However, it was Aditya Thakur with co-driver Virender Kashyap who took the lead in this class on Saturday and will be gunning for their maiden Popular Rally title on Sunday.

    Kerala duo Suraj Thomas and Sob George in action on Saturday.

    In INRC4, Suraj Thomas and Sob George took the lead in their home rally with the championship table topper Vaibhav Marathe and Arjun SSB lying in third place with three more stages to go on Sunday.

    Provisional unaudited Results (after Leg 1/Day 1):

    INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif – 1hour 2min 49.8sec; 2. Younus Ilyas/ Harish Gowda – 1:03:44.8; 3. Dr. Bikku Babu/Milen George – 1:05:37.9.

    INRC 2: 1. Dr. Bikku Babu/ Milen George – 1:05:37.9; 2. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shrupta Padivel – 1:07:15.9; 3. Suhem Kabeer/ Jeeva Rathinam – 1:08:00.4.

    INRC 3: 1. Aditya Thakur/ Virender Kashyap – 1:10:11.8; 2. Fabid Ahmer/ Sanath G – 1:10:33.7; 3. Jacob KS/ PVS Murthy – 1:10:38.4.

    INRC 4: 1. Suraj Thomas/ Sob George – 1:10:40.3; 2. Shirole Prakhyat H /Bharath SM – 1:10:44.6; 3. Vaibhav Marate/ Arjun SSB – 1:12:45.3.

    Younus Ilyas emerged as No.2 in the overall lead behind Gaurav Gill.

  • Gaurav Gill takes lead in K1000; 24 of the 50 cars that took the start suffer casualties

    Gaurav Gill takes lead in K1000; 24 of the 50 cars that took the start suffer casualties

    Gaurav Gill leads K1000 at the end of Day 1 in Bengaluru on Saturday. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger

    Bengaluru, 23 Nov 2019: Speed Maestro Gaurav Gill touched his wonted form, making an immediate impact as he returned to rallying, by speeding to the first-Special Stage win of the popular K1000 rally, the fourth leg of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) at the Khoday’s stages in Amruthnagar, about 20km, near here, on Saturday. But the champion driver was forced to pay attention and drive with caution as the tough stages took a toll on many an experienced driver during the four stages run on Day 1. Still Gill won two of the four stages but displayed controlled aggression and went steady in the other two.

    Of the 50 cars that took the flag at the ceremonial start on Friday, 24 cars suffered casualities on Day 1 in the demanding and treacherous dirt stages but five cars out of them will not be able to start the final day of the 44th K1000 Rally, promoted by Champions Yacht Club under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). Only 45 cars will take the start on Sunday.

    The Arjuna Awardee and three-time Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner, Gill, dashed with vengeance taking the 18.5km stage in 13min, 43.6sec, the only driver on the day to go under 14-min mark on Special Stage 1. The five-time INRC champion in JK Tyre colours, was followed by talented Karna Kadur, who took 29 seconds more behind him, but kept the pressure on Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) to finish the day in second place. Karna Kadur and navigator Nikhil Pai, of Arka Motorsports, won Special Stage 4 to reduce the deficit and will be gunning for maximum points. Then, it was Dr Bikku Babu who sprang a surprise. Watch Prabhu Kethanoor’s 8-sec Video of Karna Kadur here…

    But it was Dr Bikku Babu and Milen George, who won SS2. The doctor from Kerala, who was involved in reviving the Popular rally along with his team, pelted to take a stunning win and Karna despite losing time and finishing 7th in this stage came back and took the second place behind Gill and Musa Sherif in SS3 and went on to win SS4 to make up enough time and stand second, behind Gill, the Delhi-based master of speed.

    Overall leader before the start of this round, Fabid Ahmer, driving a Volkswagen Polo, with partial sponsorship from MRF tyres, opted for the smart option, driving steadily in each of the four stages, with the finishing post in his mind. He was in the sixth position at the end of the day and could well go full throttle on the big day.

    Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Sanath Gopal, of Team Champions, had their strategy of steady and clean driving as the track took a toll on man and machine on Saturday. Only Popular Rally is remaining in the calendar as the Coffee Day rally at Chikmagalur is likely to be cancelled for want of a sponsor. The Palakkad driver began with caution and was keen on completing the day and could only finish 8th in SS1 but reeled out consistent times and made sure he is safe. The duo was fifth in SS2 but again lost time in SS3 and SS4 finishing 7th and 8th respectively. But Dean Mascarenhas of Mangalore with Shruptha Padival as co-driver has finished the day in overall third and with only 7 points behind to Fabid’s 49, is likely to take the overall lead as INRC goes to Kerala for the last round. Dean has a lead of about 75 seconds to Fabid and will be looking to be cautious on the four stages to be run on Sunday.

    Fabid and Sanath even fell behind brothers Chetan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan, who also compete in INRC3. The Bengaluru brothers are in 5th place at the end of the day. Chetan managed to take the 6th place in the first stage and put in some consistent time finishing 3rd in both SS2 and SS3 and clocked fourth best time in SS4 to finish overall 5th after four stages.

    Mangaluru boy Dean Mascarenhas in action finishing Day 1 in second place in the K1000 at Bengaluru on Saturday. An INDIAinF1 image

    Dean, meanwhile, continued to hold sway in the INRC2 category, although he had Dr Bikku Babu and co-driver Milen George, breathing down his neck, only 9.8 seconds behind. The good doctor was the clear surprise package of the day, going past the winning post in SS2; he even left Gill in his wake in SS4, taking the second place to Gill’s third, and claimed the fifth position in SS3 and the 6th in SS1 to boast of the best show of the day. Shahil Khanna and Rajit Kadian are placed third in INRC2.

    However, all eyes will be on Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pail. The Arka Motorsports duo, who had two disappointing rounds at Chennai and Coimbatore, showed their mettle to take the overall second position behind Gill and also in the INRC class. Karna showed glimpses of his talent and won SS4 with an impressive timing of 12:24.200. The technically sound driver could be a major threat on Sunday if he can control his speed and manage the tough terrain. They are also second in the INRC class behind Gill and are followed by Phalguna Urs and Chandramouli M, who recovered from a bad crash in Jodhpur.

    The INRC 4 class, saw Vaibhav Marate suffering a setback, withdrawing from the first stage itself after a mechanical problem. He should, however, be back in action on Sunday to put his title aspirations back on track, gunning for stage points. In his absence, Mujeeb Rahman and co-driver Gautham CP, privateers on a Honda City took the top position on Day 1. Shirole Prakhyat and Bharath SM, on a Honda City VTech are second, followed by Karthik Arumugam and Lenin Jose in third place.

    Thomas Kuncheria M and co-driver Dwarakanth Sudarshan brought their Maruti Gypsy to the top in the SUV Challenge class. Leaders Gagan Karumbaiah and Thimmu Uddapanda are trailing in second place and will be gunning for the final shot on Sunday to take back the lead. K Shivakumar Reddy and Dheeraj KV, also in a Gypsy, are place third with four more Special Stages to be run on Sunday.

    “It was an exciting day, opening up the championship in this penultimate round,” Hema Malini Nidamanuri, co-promoter of the rally, said. “We got to see some amazing driving and I am sure it’s going to be even more fun on Sunday,” she added.

    Satyapal, communication head, briefing the team at K1000 on Saturday. Photo Moto Port Seena

    Provisional Unaudited Results after Leg 1 (Day 1): 

    Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) (52minutes; 58.200seconds); 2. Karna Kadur/ Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (53:47.800); 3. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shruptha Padival (Privateers) (54:14.300).

    INRC:  1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) (52minutes; 58.200seconds); 2. Karna Kadur/ Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (53:47.800); 3. Phalguna Urs/ Chandramouili M (Snap Racing) (55:37.800).

    INRC2: 1. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shruptha Padival (Privateers) (54:14.300); 2. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George (Team Champions) 54:27.100; 3. Sahil Khanna/ Rajit Kadian (Snap Racing) (56:05.800).

    INRC3: 1. Chetan Shivaram/ Dilip Sharan (Akshara Racing) (54:28.500); 2. Fabid Ahmer/ Sanath G (Team Champions) (55:32.900); 3. Pradeep Kumar/ Ahammad Ansary (Pipes & Pipes) (56:17.400).

    INRC4: 1. Mujeeb Rahaman/ Gautham CP (Privateers) (58:56.100); 2. Shirole Prakhyat H/ Bharath SM (Pvt) (59:11.500); 3.Karthik Arumugam/ Lenin Jose (Pvt) (1:02:11.400).

    FMSCI SUV Challenge: 1. Thomas Kuncheria M/ Dwarakanath Sudarshan (Pvt.) (1:07:09.700); 2. Gagan Karumbaiah/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Team Champions) (1:13:36.800); 3. K Shivakumar Reddy/ Dhiraj KV (Pvt.) (3:03:01.800).

    Note: The report was edited and results added at 10.45 pm

     

  • Fabid Ahmer ready to sustain momentum at K1000; Gaurav Gill back on track

    Fabid Ahmer ready to sustain momentum at K1000; Gaurav Gill back on track

    Documentation by the drivers on Thursday at Resort Area83, the Rally HQ2 for K1000.

    By David Bodapati

    Bangalore, 22 Nov 2019: Overall championship leader Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Sanath Gopalan, from Kerala, are raring to go and are eager to reinforce their lead in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) as the 44th edition of the popular K1000 Rally begins here on Saturday.

    The rally attracted a record number of 55 entries with the number 13 left out of the lot, with no stickering done due to the supposed bad-omen it brings. About 49 cars took the start at the Ceremonial Start on Friday.

    However, Team Champions’ Fabid and Sanath duo, who got their Volkswagen Polo tyres sponsored by MRF, will face stiff competition from rival JK Tyre-supported Dean Mascarenhas and Shruptha Padival, the winners of the season opener in Chennai, also in a VW Polo. But both the pairs will be wary of speed maestro Gaurav Gill, who will be rallying after a gap of two months, after the unfortunate incident in Jodhpur.

    The Mahindra Adventure team’s Gill, navigated by veteran Musa Sherif, stated that he put the `tragedy’ behind him and was eager to get back on wheels in the WRC2 in Australia, but the rally was cancelled due to bush fires and the multiple-Indian National champion lost a chance to get back into the groove. But the three-time Asia Pacific Rally Champion want to be back in full force and it would be a pleasure to see him ease into his own gracious self, thrilling the crowds with speeds, only he can churn out. “I have always enjoyed driving here in the K-1000. I am really looking forward to go out there and enjoying myself. Hopefully, things will turn in my favour this weekend,” said Gill who is currently fifth in the championship along with Musa Sherif.

    Karna Kadur and co-driver Nikhil Pai, are always a threat to any team in K1000, and Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik, the second team of Mahindra Adventure, will also be looking to make amends for a late-season splash. Rahul Kantharaj and Vivek Bhatt, in INRC2 and brothers Chethan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan winners of the Coimbatore rally will be the others to watch out for. The other INRC2 pair of Dr Bikku Babu and Milen George can spring a surprise, or two.

    Gaurav Gill at the Ceremonial Start at the Uru Brewpark in Amruthnagar, on Friday. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger

    Champions Yacht Club promoted National Championship, under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) will enter its final stretch, with its Round 4, the K-1000 Rally at a private property in the Garden City. The premier rally organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club is one of the oldest rallies in the country but after a chequered run, the previous promoters, RRPM, denied K1000 a round in the 2019 National Championship, after many successful decades of running.

    The final round, the Coffee Day Rally at Chikmagalur is a doubtful starter with the Coffee Day said to be withdrawing the full sponsorship support after the death of its founder Siddharth but the postponed Popular Rally is likely to be held in December or January. The Popular Rally was put off due to a PIL filed in a Kerala court but the court refused to stop the rally.

    Along with Fabid Ahmer, INRC4 topper Vaibhav Marate from Goa along with co-driver Arjun, too would get the support from MRF. Both of them are comfortably placed in their categories and look poised to end the year on a high note. Fabid and Sanath, representing Team Champions are also leading INRC 3 class and have a unique style of driving that can be smooth and graceful. Fabid and Sanath, are also leading the Junior INRC class.

    The Mangalore pair of Dean and Shruptha are leading the INRC2 class with 65 points followed by another JK stablemate, Younus Ilyas (42 points).

    “We have a very strong field of 55 teams in this round too, creating a record in itself,” Vamsi Merla, the promoter of INRC, said. “Every category is very closely contested, with the backing of two very strong supporters. This is what motorsport is all about,” he added.

    The rally will have a Special Stage distance of 125km split into two legs. Leg one on Saturday with six Special Stages will run for a distance of 75km while the leg 2 on Sunday will have 50km distance. There are two physical stages, Khoday’s Lakes and Khoday’s Woods. The rally is run completely in private property, in the Resort Area83 and partly in Khoday’s property. The Lakes stage is 18.5km and Woods stage is 6.5km. Both the stages will be run thrice in the same direction on Saturday and twice in reverse direction on Sunday. Fortunately, the liaison distance will be one of the shortest in the recent times with the drivers taking only 13.8km in transport distance. It is a pity that the crowd favourite stage, the Super Special Stage is done away with, this year.

    (Note added on Nov 24: Despite SR on FMSCI (on Nov 22) saying six stages on Day1, only four were run in the actual rally.)

    The Rally offers a prize money of Rs.1 lakh for the top three classes and Rs.75,000 for INRC4, and Rs.40,000 for SUV class. Rally teaser!

    A new clause is added in the Supplementary Regulations, in hind sight, for “Accident Reporting’’: If a driver taking part in a rally is involved in an accident in which a member of the public sustains physical injury, the driver concerned must report this to the next radio point as specified in the road book and signposted on the route according to Article 3.3.3 of the GP’s. If he fails to observe this rule, the Stewards may impose on the crew responsible, a penalty which may go as far as disqualification. The laws of the country must also be complied with in relation to procedures at accidents.

    POINTS TABLE after 3 rounds: INRC: 1. Fabid Ahmed & Sanath G 49 points; 2. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 42 points; 3. Chetan Shivram & Dilip Sharan 40 pts.

    INRC 2: 1. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 65 points; 2. Younus Ilyas & Harish Gowda 42 points; 3. Vinoth G Kumar & Krishna Charan Dasari 35 points.

    INRC 3: 1. Fabid Ahmed & Sanath G 69 points; 2. Chetan Shivram & Dilip Sharan 45 points; 3. Arjun Rao & Rajit Kadian 30 points

    INRC 4: 1. Vaibhav Marate & Arjun SSB 74 points; 2. Rakshith Iyer & Chadrashekar 58 points; 3. Suraj Thomas & Shob George 41 points.

    SUV Challenge: 1. Gagan Karumbaiah & Thimmu Uddapanda 78 points; 2. Sanjay Agarwal & Smitha N 60 points; 3. Nikhil J & Arjun Dheerendra 49 points.

    Find the Rally Location here.

    Link for live Results and start order

    Live Links

  • Ford is official partner of FIA Jr WRC for 2020

    Ford is official partner of FIA Jr WRC for 2020

    Ford to partner Jr WRC in 2020. A Jr WRC image

    The iconic blue oval joins FIA Junior WRC as an official partner for 2020.

    Working with M-Sport Poland, Ford Performance assisted with thedevelopment of the EcoBoost-powered Fiesta R2T – the car that is exclusively used by all FIA Junior WRC competitors. The newpartnership sees Ford extend its commitment to finding the next generation of FIA World Rally Championship superstars offering a clear pathway from the Fiesta R2T to the Fiesta WRC – all using M-Sport built cars with EcoBoost power.

    The most powerful car (per driven axle) in WRC

    Thanks to the 200HP one-litre EcoBoost engine the Fiesta R2T features 200HP per driven axle, which is the highest in the WRC, with the top tier WRC cars delivering 190HP per driven axle.

    Same EcoBoost power, very different conditions

    The EcoBoost powered Fiesta R2Ts use the same base engine as their road going variants and will be put through their paces on both ends of the spectrum of extreme conditions. From the snow and ice of Rally Sweden, where ambient temperatures drop as low as -25°C, to the ruttedand rocky Rally d’Italia, reaching a searing 40°C, FIA Junior WRC’s 2020 crews will demonstrate the capabilities of the EcoBoostpowerplant.

    Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager: “To have Ford join FIA Junior WRC as an official partner underlines the importance of supporting and growing the potential future World Rally Champions to manufactures such as Ford. Elfyn Evans is a great example of a driver that Ford has been involved with since he started his WRC career in the championship when it was known as WRC Academyin 2012 which he won in a Ford Fiesta R2. Elfyn graduated to the WRC 2 category in 2013 with a Ford Fiesta R5 and joined the M-Sport World Rally Team full-time for the 2014 season and took his maiden WRC overall victory in 2017 on Wales Rally GB in an EcoBoost poweredFord Fiesta WRC.”

    Gerard Quinn, Senior Manager Ford Performance Europe: “Ford has been a proud partner and advocate of the JWRC from  its inception several years ago.  Since the foundation of Ford Motor Company we have consistently been at the forefront of making opportunities for talent to flourish in motorsport.  The JWRC provides a valuable opportunity for Ford to be involved in a professional rally series that continues to find world class driving talent.  Obviously we are delighted that the Ford Fiesta continues to be  the competition car of choice for this exciting programme in 2020.”

     

  • Gaurav Gill all set for Rally of Australia: WRC

    Gaurav Gill all set for Rally of Australia: WRC

    Gaurav Gill all set to resume rallying at WRC Australia leg.

    New Delhi, 11 Nov 2019: After the unfortunate incident in Jodhpur in September, during the third round of the INRC, India’s top rally driver Gaurav Gill will be back on familiar territory as he returns to the Rally of Australia, the final round of the prestigious FIA World Rally Championship this weekend.

    Gill, a three-time APRC champion and recent Arjuna Awardee, had taken part in WRC2 of this rally last year too and had come up with an impressive performance.

    The JK Tyre athlete in India, donning JK Racing colours internationally with Macneall Glenn as his co-driver, made his debut as a registered driver in the Rally of Turkey and looked set for a Top 5 finish in his category.

    Gaurav Gill during the test run at Raleigh International Raceway ahead of Rally of Australia from Nov 14. Photo: JK Tyre.

    But mechanical problems hurt him on almost each of the four days, eventually depriving him of the opportunity to excel on the world stage. On the final day, with just 5 kms left to finish the rally, his R5 WRC2 car gave in after a gearbox failure.

    He missed the Rally of Wales in between and is now set for the Kennards Hire Rally Australia from November 14 to 17.

    “I have had very good testing here over the last few days. I have made a lot of changes to the chassis and the handling of the car and I have a good feeling about the new car. I can’t wait to start the rally, since I’ve been here and have had top times in the past I’m confident of a positive result too,” Gill said from New South Wales, shortly after a practice run.

    “I’m loving all the support from rally fans in India as well as many well—wishers on social media,” he added.

    “It’s great to see Gaurav Gill behind the wheel at one of his favourite terrains,” Sanjay Sharma, head of JK Tyre Motorsports, said. “We would like to see him drive in his usual aggressive self and make an impact,” he added.

    Going by his last year’s performance and the field, Gaurav stands a very good chance of making the podium. He needs to make sure that he completes the rally to become the first Indian to achieve this feat.

    The Rally of Australia, however, may be shortened due to the raging fire in the forest stages around the city of Coffs Coast, New South Wales.

    The organisers announced that they were in consultation with emergency services, authorities and local community and would take a final call soon. They were confident of staging the WRC on all four days, even if it’s a shorter affair.