Gaurav Gill Clinches Victory in Robusta Car Rally Held in Kodagu(Coorg)

Gill, partnered with co-driver Aniruddha Rangnekar, maintained his dominant form, clinching full 40 points with a time of 01:40:36.6.

Ammathi: Seven-time national rally champion and Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill showcased his driving prowess to secure a commanding victory in the Blueband Sports Robusta Rally, the fifth and penultimate round of the fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2024. Organised by the Robusta Adventure and Sports Academy, the event concluded on Sunday with a thrilling display of skill and speed on the rugged terrains of Kodagu.

Gill, partnered with co-driver Aniruddha Rangnekar, maintained his dominant form, clinching full 40 points with a time of 01:40:36.6. This back-to-back win, following his success in the Rally of Hyderabad last month, brings him closer to overtaking the championship leader, Karna Kadur, who finished second with co-driver Musa Sherif.

“It feels great to win consecutive rallies. I owe this success to my dedicated team of just four mechanics, who ensured my car was in perfect condition. Special thanks to JK Tyre for the custom tyres that made a huge difference. I feel I’m improving as a driver, focusing on consistency and bringing the car home safely,” said Gill after his triumph.

Intense battles across categories

The rally witnessed fierce competition across all categories. 2021 INRC champion Aditya Thakur, with co-driver Virender Kashyap, finished third overall after edging out local favourites Jason Saldanha and Thimmu Uddapanda by just one second in the final stage.

In the INRC2 class, Thakur and Kashyap emerged victorious, followed by Saldanha and Uddapanda, with Mangaluru’s Dean Mascarenhas and Virajpet’s Gagan Karumbaiah taking third.

The INRC3 class was dominated by Daraius Shroff (Mumbai) and Arjun Dheerendra (Bengaluru) of Chettinad Sporting, who maintained their championship lead with a win by over a minute. Gurugram-Bengaluru duo Arnav Pratap Singh and Rohit N secured second place, with Hyderabad’s Jeet Jhabakh and Erode’s V. Sekhar claiming third. Singh also bagged the Junior INRC title with an impressive performance.

Spotlight on women competitors

The Ladies Class saw a stellar performance by Dehradun’s Anushriya Gulati, paired with co-driver Karan Aukta, who finished first. Pune’s Nikeetaa Takkale and Shillong’s Phoebe Nongrum secured the second and third spots, respectively, demonstrating growing female participation and excellence in the sport.

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