APRC 2025: Karna Kadur and Musa Sherif Lead at Indu Chandhok Memorial South India Rally
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Synopsis
At the Indu Chandhok Memorial 48th South India Rally, reigning champion Karna Kadur of Bengaluru takes an early lead in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, showcasing his skill alongside co-driver Musa Sherif. The event kicked off at the Madras International Circuit, with competitors vying for top positions in various categories.
Key Takeaways
- Karna Kadur leads the FIA APRC standings after Day 1.
- Arka Motorsports secured the top three positions.
- Newly introduced turbocharged vehicles are making waves in the rally.
- 49 competitors are participating in this three-day event.
- Day 2 promises more thrilling action with more stages ahead.
Chennai, April 25 (INAS) Current national champion Karna Kadur from Bengaluru set the initial pace, securing a narrow lead in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship after two rounds of the short Super Special Stage, which marked the commencement of the Indu Chandhok Memorial 48th South India Rally at the Madras International Circuit on Friday.
Kadur, driving for Arka Motorsports with experienced co-driver Musa Sherif from Kasargod, not only led the APRC (Asia Cup) segment but also topped the standings in the Blueband FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2025 Round-1, finishing just half a second ahead of teammate Jason Saldanha from Mangaluru, who was assisted by co-driver PV Srinivasa Murthy from Bengaluru.
Former national champion Amittrajit Ghosh alongside Ashwin Naik secured third place, rounding out a 1-2-3 finish for Arka Motorsports at the close of Day 1.
Kadur experienced a few hiccups during the first loop of the 1.45 km circuit, finishing second behind Saldanha. However, he regained his rhythm and control in the second loop, piloting the Volkswagen Polo to earn pole position ahead of Saturday’s Special Stages.
Commenting on his performance, Kadur remarked: “I made a couple of mistakes in the first loop, fluffing the start and then hitting a small bund that we had overlooked during the recce. It unsettled the car, but I managed to keep it all together. In the second run, I felt much more at ease and had a solid drive. Today was just a warm-up; the main event is tomorrow.”
Further down the leaderboard, Saldanha led the INRC-2 class, while Sheshank Janwal with co-driver Raghu topped the INRC-3 category, and Pragathi Gowda with co-driver Chandramouli M. led the Women's INRC.
Meanwhile, the turbocharged Hyundai i20, making its debut in the Indian rally scene, garnered significant attention as Jeet Jhabakh with co-driver V. Sekhar from Coimbatore finished 12th overall but topped the newly introduced INRC 3T class. “I am still acclimating to the new car and getting used to the turbo engine. I was exiting corners a bit slowly due to turbo lag, which I need to improve on. Overall, it was an acceptable outing, and my learning process will continue,” Jhabakh noted.
A total of 49 competitors began this three-day event, which will conclude on Sunday afternoon.
The results (Leg-1, Section-1, Provisional):
FIA APRC/Overall: 1. Karna Kadur / Musa Sherif (Arka Motorsports) (02mins, 50.9 seconds); 2. Jason Saldanha / PV Srinivasa Murthy (Arka Motorsports) (02:51.4); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Arka Motorsports) (02:51.8).
INRC-1: 1. Kadur / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Chetan Shivram / E. Shiv Prakash (Pvt.) (02:53.5).
INRC-2: 1. Jason Saldanha / PV Srinivasa Murthy (Arka Motorsports) (02:51.4); 2. Philippos Matthai / Harish KN (Arka Motorsports) (02:53.8); 3. Fabid Ahmer / Milen George (Pvt.) (02:54.8).
INRC-3: 1. Sheshank Jamwal/ Raghu (Pvt.) (02:56.2); 2. Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (Snap Racing) (02:57.7); 3. Vishak B/ Chiranth Jain (Chettinad Sporting) (02:57.9).
INRC-3T (Turbo): 1. Jeet Jhabhak / Sekar V (Pvt.) (03:00.0); 2. Naveen Puligilla / Santosh Ritchy Thomas (Pvt.) (03:02.4); 3. Ramcharan C / Vignesh Mahalingam (Falkon Motorsports) (03:15.3).
Women INRC: 1. Anushriya Gulati/ Karan Aukta (Arka Motorsports) (03:02.6); 2. Athira Murali / Arun Chakkalakkal (Pvt.) (03.06.7); 3. Tarushi Vikram / Vybhav Mukund Rao (Chettinad Sporting) (03:10.2).
FMSCI Gypsy Challenge: 1. Akash Sundar / Arjun Dheerendra (03:19.7); 2. Kariappa Mekerira / Supreeth Sagar (03:20.8); 3. Sanjay Agarwal / Dheeraj Mane (03:29.2).
FMSCI Classic Challenge: 1. Siddhartha Santhosh / Sawan Satyanarayan (Pvt.) (03:14.8); 2. Pramod Raman / Dheeraj KV (Pvt.) (03:19.5); 3. Aditya Naik / Rishikesh KR (Pvt) (03:21.8).
