Exciting Conclusion to Round 1 of the FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2026
FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2026 Round 1
The concluding day of Round 1 of the CTR-JK Tyre Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) Indian National Car Racing Championship 2026 featured eight thrilling races at the Kari Motor Speedway on Sunday. Highlights included a dramatic last-corner collision in the touring cars, a nail-biting 0.004-second finish for fourth place in the Novice F1300 race, and a rain-affected LGB Formula 4 finale that had to be halted. The weekend's events have left the championship battles wide open, with early leaders extending their leads while others fought back.
LGB Formula 4
Dhruvh Goswami from Meco Racing stood out on Sunday, maintaining his composure through several safety-car interruptions and a hectic final-lap clash to secure victory in the first race by 0.356 seconds. After an additional formation lap and some early mechanical issues for Ahura Racing, Goswami overtook Mehul Agarwal to reclaim the lead, with Arya Singh finishing in third place. In the rookie category, Ashwin Kumar KP impressively finished eighth overall. The second race was marred by heavy rain and poor visibility, starting behind the safety car and ultimately being red-flagged after nine laps. Balaprasath, starting from pole position, clinched victory by 0.392 seconds ahead of teammate Agarwal, while Meco Racing's Raghul Rangasamy took third, finishing 1.056 seconds behind the winner. The race saw heavy attrition, with six drivers, including Deepak Ravikumar and Ashwin Kumar KP, unable to finish. Goswami and Balaprasath each claimed a win, with Agarwal, Singh, and Rangasamy emerging as key competitors.
Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup
In the Pro class, Anish Shetty from Bangalore surged from fifth on the grid to win by 4.091 seconds over Navaneeth Kumar, achieving the fastest lap at 1:15.648. Senthil Kumar, after a slow start, managed to secure third place. In the Amateur category, Kabir Sahoch from Vadodara completed a remarkable hat-trick, overcoming early chaos and a collision between Shyamal Das and Akash Boro to win by 1.793 seconds, also recording the fastest lap at 1:19.452. Harish Yodhin from Srivilliputtur climbed from fifth to second, finishing ahead of Saurav Sanjay Dey. Shetty and Sahoch are the frontrunners, while Kumar, Yodhin, and Dey are also strong contenders.
JK Tyre Levitas Cup
Pratik Sonawane from Mumbai achieved a perfect weekend in the Gentleman class, winning from pole position by 5.053 seconds over Sidharth Balasundaram, while also setting the fastest lap at 1:24.681. Vinith Kumar managed to overtake Mira Erda on the second-to-last lap to secure third place. In the Rookie class, Aadam Junaid from Sri Lanka continued his winning streak, finishing fifth overall ahead of Shreyans Mittal and Ajay Sankar. Sonawane is currently the driver to beat, with Balasundaram, Kumar, and Junaid also in contention.
Super Saloon Categories
Biren Pithawalla from Team N1 Intervalve triumphed in a chaotic, rain-affected Indian Super Touring Cars finale, winning by 2.480 seconds over Arjun Narendran amidst a multi-class collision at the final corner. Aman Nagdev capitalized on the chaos to secure back-to-back wins in the Indian Touring Cars, finishing 18.137 seconds ahead of Vidyaprakash Damodaran. In the Indian Junior Touring Cars, Deepak Ravikumar from Team Performance Racing completed a weekend double, narrowly defeating stablemate Srinivas Teja by 0.115 seconds. In Super Stock, Diljith T S from DTS Racing achieved a clean sweep, finishing 10.635 seconds ahead of Krishanu Dutta Bhuyan. Nagdev, Ravikumar, and Diljith are the key competitors, with Pithawalla, Narendran, and Teja also in the mix.
F1300 Novice Cup
Shatveer Shetty from Meco Racing completed a dominant weekend with a second victory, converting pole position into an 8.866-second win. The race faced interruptions when Kek Qian Jun collided with the inside tyre barrier, prompting a safety car deployment, and a subsequent three-car collision ended the races for Hardik L Lakiphangal and Kaveen Rajapaksa. Upon restart, Augustine Boby held off Aadam Junaid by 0.458 seconds for second place, while Ruthvik Reddy from Momentum Motorsports narrowly claimed fourth from teammate Yash Vikram Singh by just 0.004 seconds on the final lap. Shetty is the standout driver, with Boby, Junaid, and Reddy also showing promise. The next round will take place from November 13 to 15 at the Kari Motor Speedway, where early leaders will aim to maintain their positions while challengers seek to capitalize on any errors.