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Virajpet: Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill, partnered by co-driver Aniruddha Rangnekar, displayed remarkable skill to take the lead after Day 1 of the Robusta Rally, the fifth round of the Blueband Sports FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2024, organized by Robusta Adventure and Sports Academy on Saturday.
Gill faced early challenges when an intercom failure in Stage 1 forced him to drive from memory, costing him 17.4 seconds to Karna Kadur, the stage winner. However, the seven-time National Champion rebounded spectacularly, clocking the fastest times in the subsequent five stages to secure a commanding lead of over 53 seconds.
“It has been a perfect day despite rough conditions. The stages were tougher than expected, but our tyres performed exceptionally. The goal now is to finish strong tomorrow,” said Gill.
Championship leader Karna Kadur, with Musa Sherif as his co-driver, finished second overall. Hassan’s Jason Saldhanha and Kodagu’s Thimmu Uddapanda, who overtook Aditya Thakur in the final stage, secured third place and led the INRC2 category.
In the INRC3 category, Daraius Shroff maintained a 20-second lead over Bengaluru duo Abhin Rai and Arvind Dheerendra. Among the Ladies’ Class, Anushriya Gulati claimed the top spot, while Junior INRC saw Abhin Rai lead the standings.
The rally witnessed major upsets, with Fabid Ahmer, Harkrishan Wadia, and others facing setbacks. Sunday will feature six special stages at Woshully and Margoli estates, deciding the event’s ultimate winners.
Provisional Results (Day 1):
INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill (57:35.1), 2. Karna Kadur (58:28.3), 3. Jason Saldhanha (59:05.1).
INRC2: 1. Jason Saldhanha, 2. Aditya Thakur, 3. Jahaan Singh Gill.
INRC3: 1. Daraius Shroff, 2. Abhin R Rai, 3. Arnav Pratap Singh.
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