Mascarenhas–Karumbaiah Dominate Day 1 of Robust Rally 2025 in Kodagu

Dean Mascarenhas in action behind the wheel of a Peugeot. (Blueband photo by Suresha)

Ammathi: Dean Mascarenhas and Gagan Karumbaiah of Team TSI Racing delivered a commanding performance to seize a strong lead on the opening day of the Robust Rally 2025, the third round of the Blueband Sports fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), held in Ammathi on Saturday.

The Mangaluru–Kodagu duo were in complete control throughout Leg 1, winning all six special stages and clocking the fastest time on each. Driving a left-hand-drive Peugeot 208 Rally4, they completed the day with a total time of 58 minutes, 02.9 seconds, tackling tight, rocky and technical terrain with precision, according to release.

“We kept it controlled and cautious because the stages were tight, twisty and littered with boulders and stumps. The MRF tyres, the car and everything from the team has been amazing. But being a left-hand drive, I’m learning something new every run. We’ll set the pace while keeping an eye on bringing the car home,” Mascarenhas said after completing the day.

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The rally, however, proved unforgiving for several front-runners. Team MRF’s Karna Kadur and co-driver Musa Sherif, who were positioned second, were forced to retire merely four kilometres from the finish due to an electrical failure, after earlier battling a handbrake issue. Mascarenhas’ teammate Aditya Thakur (with Virender Kashyap) also exited early when his car suffered a driveshaft failure in SS1 following a stump impact. Other major retirements on Day 1 included former champions Chetan Shivram (brake failure), Arjun Rao Aroor, and Fabid Ahmer.

Delhi driver Harkrishan Wadia and co-driver Kunal Kashyap of Shimla finished the day in overall second place, followed by fellow Delhi driver Philippose Matthai and Bengaluru’s Harish KN. Wadia and Matthai also secured the top two positions in the INRC2 category, while Mumbai’s Daraius Shroff and Arjun Dheerendra completed the class podium.

In other categories, Thiruvananthapuram’s Vishakh Balachandran leads INRC3, while Hyderabad’s Naveen Puligilla–Santosh Thomas top the 3T class. Kottayam’s Athira Murali heads the women’s category, and Madikeri’s Abhin Rao holds the advantage in the Junior INRC.

With six more stages scheduled on Sunday, an intense battle awaits competitors on the final day. Provisional results remain subject to changes after the application of scratch times, stated in the release.

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