INRC 2W 2026: Chavan wins from last row; Jennifer, Kabilesh shine at MIC
Synopsis
A teenager who flew overnight from Spain and missed all practice sessions still won from last on the grid — that is the headline of INRC 2W 2026 Round 2. Sarthak Chavan's comeback drive, combined with Ann Jennifer's grid-last fairytale and 16-year-old Kabilesh Rajini Krishnan's dominant Super Stock win, made Chennai's Madras International Circuit the stage for one of Indian motorsport's most compelling single-day stories this year.
Key Takeaways
Sarthak Chavan (19, Pune) won the Super Sport 301-400cc Open from the last grid position at Madras International Circuit on 12 September 2026 , despite flying overnight from Spain and missing all practice and qualifying.
Petronas TVS Racing swept the entire podium in the premier class — Chavan, Rakshith Dave , and Chiranth Vishwanath finishing first, second, and third.
Former national women's champion Ann Jennifer AS (Chennai) won the Super Stock 165cc Intermediate race from last on the grid after a qualifying crash.
Kabilesh Rajini Krishnan , son of racing legend Rajini Krishnan , won the Super Stock 301-400cc Open dominantly at just 16 years old .
Rajender Beedani (Hyderabad) claimed his second Expert class win in three outings; Poojita Anil Kumar (Bengaluru) won the Women's class for the second race running.
Sarthak Chavan, a 19-year-old racer from Pune, delivered a stunning comeback victory in the premier Super Sport 301-400cc Open race at the second round of the Indian National Racing Challenge (INRC) 2W – 2026, held at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai on 12 September 2026. Chavan started from the last row of the grid after arriving from Spain at 6 am that morning, having missed Friday's practice and qualifying sessions entirely due to an overnight intercontinental journey.
Chavan's Remarkable Recovery Drive
Racing on no sleep and battling jet lag, Chavan found his pace when it mattered most. He acknowledged that race leader Rahil Pillarisetty's retirement on the penultimate lap played a role in his eventual victory, but the drive itself — from the back of a competitive field — was remarkable by any measure. Chavan completed the six-lap race in 11 minutes, 03.311 seconds.
His victory also sealed a clean podium sweep for the Petronas TVS Racing team. Rakshith Dave, a teenager from Chennai, finished second (11:03.506), while Chiranth Vishwanath from Bengaluru took third (11:06.187) — himself having started last after missing Friday's sessions due to a bout of food poisoning.
Jennifer's Fairytale Win From Last on the Grid
Former national women's champion Ann Jennifer AS from Chennai, racing under the Motul Sparks Racing banner, scripted an equally stirring victory in the Super Stock 165cc Intermediate race. Jennifer had been forced to start from the back of the grid after a crash during qualifying prevented her from setting a time. She crossed the line in 12 minutes, 46.048 seconds, ahead of teammate D Annish Samson from Bengaluru (12:53.234) and Anandhu KK from Chennai (12:55.971).
Kabilesh Rajini Krishnan and Other Class Winners
Kabilesh Rajini Krishnan, son of former multiple national champion Rajini Krishnan, produced a dominant display in the Super Stock 301-400cc Open race. The 16-year-old from Chennai, competing for RACR Castrol Power1, won convincingly to close out the day's programme, clocking 11:38.273. Kamal Navas (Chennai, Rockers Racing) and Seshadri (Bengaluru, Motul Gusto Racing) completed the top three.
Mohamed Mikail from Thiruvallur, riding for Team MRA, took the Pro-Stock 200cc Open in a tight finish, crossing the line in 11:51.610 — just 0.221 seconds ahead of Amarnath Menon K from Kozhikode. In the Stock 301-400cc Novice class, Anandhu KK (Veedol C2 Racing) benefitted after race leader Kavicholairasan (Speed Up Racing) crashed out, while Yashwant Varma led a 1-2 finish for Motul Sparks Racing in the Stock 165cc Novice class.
One-Make Championship Results
Hyderabad's Rajender Beedani notched his second win in three outings in the Expert (Apache RR 310) class, holding off AS James from Bengaluru by a margin of just 0.113 seconds. In the Women (Apache RTR 200) category, Poojita Anil Kumar from Bengaluru recorded her second consecutive victory, finishing 29 seconds clear of second-placed Hannah Akkineni Joshitha from Hyderabad. Pothu Vignesh from Mancherial topped the Rookie (Apache RTR 200) category, edging out Bengaluru's Dev Agastya.
The INRC 2W – 2026 continues, with both Chavan and Jennifer's grid-last victories likely to rank among the most talked-about performances of the season.
Point of View
And all three still finished on the podium or won outright. Chavan's intercontinental journey and last-to-first drive would be remarkable in any paddock; that it happened at a domestic national championship says something about the level of talent now competing in the INRC. Kabilesh Rajini Krishnan's emergence at 16 also warrants attention — if he continues this trajectory, Indian motorsport may have found its next generational name sooner than expected.
NationPress
13 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Super Sport 301-400cc Open at INRC 2W 2026 Round 2?
Sarthak Chavan from Pune won the Super Sport 301-400cc Open at the Madras International Circuit on 12 September 2026. The 19-year-old started from the last row of the grid having flown overnight from Spain, missing all practice and qualifying sessions.
How did Ann Jennifer win the Super Stock 165cc Intermediate race?
Ann Jennifer AS, a former national women's champion from Chennai racing for Motul Sparks Racing, won the Super Stock 165cc Intermediate race despite starting last on the grid. She had been unable to set a qualifying time after a crash during the morning session.
Who is Kabilesh Rajini Krishnan?
Kabilesh Rajini Krishnan is a 16-year-old Chennai-based racer and the son of former multiple national champion Rajini Krishnan. He won the Super Stock 301-400cc Open race for RACR Castrol Power1 at INRC 2W 2026 Round 2.
What is the Indian National Racing Challenge (INRC) 2W?
The Indian National Racing Challenge 2W is India's premier national motorcycle racing championship, held across multiple rounds at circuits including the Madras International Circuit in Chennai. The 2026 edition's second round took place on 12 September.
Which team dominated INRC 2W 2026 Round 2 at Chennai?
Petronas TVS Racing dominated the headline Super Sport 301-400cc Open class, sweeping all three podium positions through Sarthak Chavan (first), Rakshith Dave (second), and Chiranth Vishwanath (third).
