Thrilling Action at the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship in Coimbatore

The FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2026 Round 2 in Coimbatore delivered thrilling moments as competitors tackled challenging gravel roads. With Dean Macarenhas clinching victory after a fierce battle, the event showcased remarkable performances from various teams. The rally featured eight stages over two days, with close finishes and unexpected exits. As the dust settles, the motorsport community looks forward to the next rally in Kodagu. Read on for a detailed recap of the event's highlights and class winners.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 20, 2026, 23:59 IST

Exciting Round 2 of the INRC 2026

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 20: The FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2026 made its way to Coimbatore for its second round, showcasing a challenging course that thrilled participants. The Blueband Sports Rally took place on September 19 and 20, featuring 64 competitors, as reported in a press release.

Over the course of two days, participants tackled eight stages covering a competitive distance of 110.80 km, predominantly on gravel terrain. The first day included two runs each on the Black Thunder (13.50 km) and S.M. Agro (14.20 km) stages. On the second day, the same routes were reversed, requiring crews to navigate familiar paths from a different perspective.

Saturday saw Karna Kadur and Musa Sherif from ARKA Motorsports leading the pack, with Kadur finishing the day at the top after dominating the initial stages. Fabid Ahmer and Milen George followed closely, trailing by 5.6 seconds, while Dean Macarenhas and Gagan Karumbaiah secured third place, just over nine seconds behind.

As Sunday unfolded, Macarenhas made a significant move on S.M. Agro (R), reducing the gap to Kadur to a mere 0.148 seconds. On Black Thunder (R), he found a rhythm that Kadur struggled to match, gaining over 14 seconds in a single run. Ultimately, Macarenhas completed the rally in 1:36:19.777, finishing 23.482 seconds ahead of Kadur, who clocked in at 1:36:43.259.

Macarenhas expressed his satisfaction, stating, “Karna and Musa set a strong pace on Saturday, so we knew we had to remain patient. Being nine seconds behind overnight was manageable, and once we found our rhythm on Sunday, we kept pushing. It was a fierce competition, and I’m thrilled to win Round 2.”

Co-driver Gagan Karumbaiah emphasized the importance of pace notes, especially on Sunday when the margins were tight. He noted, “Dean trusted every call, which made a significant difference. Competing against seasoned drivers like Karna and Musa is always a challenge, and we’re excited for the rest of the championship.”

Completing the podium were Jason Saldanha and Srinivas Murthy P V from ARKA Motorsports, finishing 1:30.623 behind the winners. Naveen Puligilla and Santhosh Thomas from Duran Racing took fourth place, followed by Aditya Thakur and Philiposs Matthai, who were the top two in the INRC 2 category. Harkrishan Wadia finished seventh, while Anushriya Gulati from ARKA Motorsports, who won in INRC 3T, secured eighth place.

Class winners included:

INRC: Dean Macarenhas / Gagan Karumbaiah, followed by Karna Kadur / Musa Sherif and Jason Saldanha / Srinivas Murthy P V.

INRC 2: Aditya Thakur / Virendar Kashyap, winning by 35.241 seconds over Philiposs Matthai / Harish K N. Ritesh M. Guttedar / Suraj M secured third.

INRC 3T: Anushriya Gulati / Karan Aukta, winning by 1:10.487 over Arjun Rajiv / Chandra Mouli. Adith K C / Avinash C A finished third.

NRC 3: Venunath V / Sanath G won by 50.606 seconds over Abishek Gowda T C / Mahesh Nandi. Jenu Johnson / Lenin Joseph were third.

JINRC: Tarushi Vikram / Athreya Kousgi claimed victory, with Hoshmand Elavia / Venu Rameshkumar V finishing second.

INRC Women: Tarushi Vikram / Athreya Kousgi narrowly won by 0.207 seconds over Shivani Pruthvi / Vinay Manjunath, with Phoebe Dale / Shahid Salman in third.

FMSCI Gypsy Challenge: Chetan Chengappa / Sujith Chengappa won by 16.472 seconds over Sanjay Agarwal / Dinky Varghese. Kariappa Mekerira / Abhinav Ganapathy were third.

FMSCI Classic Challenge: Lavan Poonacha M.P / Ruthwick B.H took the win, with Sreejesh M P / Anusha N S finishing second.

FMSCI Masters Cup: Pradeep Ravi / Thimmanna Uppapanda won by 2:01.932 over Dinesh Kumar T / Lohith J M. Balakrishna J / Bopanna Nelammakkada were third.

The challenging terrain of Coimbatore proved unforgiving, with Fabid Ahmer and Milen George exiting the rally after seven stages while in podium contention. Other crews, including Rahul Kochar / Ravindra Kumar and Neil Nain / Chirag Thakur, also faced early retirements.

As the dust settles in Coimbatore, attention now shifts to the coffee hills of Kodagu (Coorg), where the next event, the Robusta Rally, is scheduled from November 20 to 22.