Thrilling Start to Indian National Car Racing Championship 2026 at Kari Motor Speedway

The Indian National Car Racing Championship 2026 kicked off at Kari Motor Speedway with thrilling races across various categories. Arya Singh emerged as a standout in the LGB Formula 4, while Kabir Sahoch dominated the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup. The day was filled with intense competition, dramatic finishes, and notable performances from both amateurs and professionals. As the championship continues, early leaders will look to maintain their edge, while challengers aim to make a comeback. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting motorsport event!

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 24, 2026, 23:55 IST

Exciting Season Opener at Kari Motor Speedway

The CTR-JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2026 kicked off with a bang at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on Saturday.

With nine races spanning eleven categories, the day was filled with nail-biting finishes, remarkable comebacks, and a rain-soaked finale that necessitated a red flag and a safety car start. By the end of the first day, leaders had emerged in each category, with numerous contenders closely trailing.

LGB Formula 4 Highlights

Arya Singh established himself as the frontrunner in the LGB Formula 4 race, which was shortened to 11 laps following four laps under the safety car. As the race resumed, Singh and Mehul Agarwal engaged in a fierce battle, while Raghul Rangasamy from Meco Racing surged into second place. Agarwal briefly regained the lead but spun out just before the finish, allowing Singh to claim victory by 2.456 seconds. Dark Don rookie Aditya Patnaik secured third place, edging out Agarwal by a mere 0.120 seconds. Notably, Dhruv Goswami made an impressive recovery from 19th on the grid to finish sixth.

Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup Results

In the Amateur category, Kabir Sahoch dominated with consecutive wins, finishing Race 1 with a time of 2.298 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor and setting the fastest lap at 1:19.880. He followed up with another victory in Race 2, winning by 3.218 seconds. Saurav Sanjay Dey from Mumbai showed remarkable skill, moving from tenth to fifth in Race 1 and from fifth to second in Race 2. The Pro class saw Coimbatore's Senthil Kumar narrowly win Race 1 by just 0.025 seconds over Anish Shetty, who recorded the fastest lap at 1:15.546. Navaneeth Kumar triumphed in Race 2, finishing 1.245 seconds ahead of Senthil.

JK Tyre Levitas Cup Insights

Pratik Sonawane from Mumbai took the lead in the Gentleman class with a commanding pole-to-flag victory, finishing 8.574 seconds ahead of Sidharth Balasundaram. Mira Erda made a notable ascent from eighth to third place, while a collision between Vinith Kumar and Ashwin Pugalagiri ended Pugalagiri's race prematurely. Aadam Junaid clinched the Rookie class win, followed closely by Ajay Sankar and Vikram A B.

Super Saloon Categories Overview

In the Indian Super Touring Cars, Arjun Narendran from Arka Motorsports led the race from start to finish, winning by 10.042 seconds. Meanwhile, Aman Nagdev from Noida dominated the Indian Touring Cars category, finishing 20.631 seconds ahead of his competitors. In the Indian Junior Touring Cars, Deepak Ravikumar of Team Performance Racing surged from 12th to win by 5.043 seconds. DTS Racing's Diljith T S also had a remarkable performance, winning the Super Stock category by 15.8 seconds.

F1300 Novice Cup Recap

Shatveer Shetty from Meco Racing took the lead in the F1300 Novice Cup with a significant 10.865-second victory. The race saw several competitors, including Avishek Datta and Sanjay Balakrishnan, unable to finish due to early incidents. Augustine Boby from DTS Racing secured second place after Pranav Ramasamy retired late in the race. Aadam Junaid and Yash Vikram Singh also made impressive moves up the ranks.

Looking Ahead

The excitement continues tomorrow at the Kari Motor Speedway as Round 1 concludes. Early leaders will aim to solidify their positions, while challengers will strive to make their mark.