The Indian National Car Racing Championship (INRC) 2026 roared to life at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore on Saturday, 24 October, with rain, red flags, and breathtaking finishes defining the season's opening day. Of the 11 races on the card, nine ended in photo-finishes, making Round 1 one of the most dramatic season openers in recent memory.

LGB Formula 4: Arya Singh capitalises on Agarwal's spin

Arya Singh claimed victory in the LGB Formula 4 race, which was curtailed to 11 laps after four laps were run under the safety car. Mehul Agarwal and Singh had occupied the front row, with Meco Racing's Raghul Rangasamy forcing his way up to second. Agarwal, who had been leading, spun a full 360 degrees, handing the advantage to Singh, who took the chequered flag. Rangasamy crossed in second, while Dark Don rookie Aditya Patnaik secured third ahead of the recovering Agarwal.

Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup: Kabir Sahoch dominates both races

In the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup amateurs category, Kabir Sahoch put on a commanding display, winning both races of the day. He claimed Race 1 by 2.298 seconds, recording the day's quickest lap of 1:19.880, and followed it up with a Race 2 victory by 3.218 seconds. Mumbai's Saurav Sanjay Dey emerged as a strong contender, charging from tenth to fifth in Race 1 and from fifth on the grid to second in Race 2. In the Pro class, Senthil Kumar won Race 1 from pole ahead of Anish Shetty, while Navaneeth Kumar claimed Race 2 by 1.245 seconds over Senthil.

JK Tyre Levitas Cup and Super Categories: Drama and dominant wins

The JK Tyre Levitas Cup threw up considerable drama. Pratik Sonawane of Mumbai led the Gentleman class with a race win, but behind him the action was fierce — Mira Erda made a stunning charge from eighth on the grid to third overall. A collision between Vinith Kumar and Ashwin Pugalagiri ended the latter's race, while Erda held off Aadam Junaid for the position.

In the Super Saloon categories, Arjun Narendran of Arka Motorsports delivered a flawless pole-to-flag victory, winning by 10.042 seconds. Noida's Aman Nagdev stormed to victory in the Indian Touring Cars, finishing 20.631 seconds clear from fourth on the combined grid, with Yug Jagdishkumar Italiya and Ramcharan Chandran completing the podium.

The Super Stock race saw DTS Racing's Diljith T S win by 15.8 seconds from seventh overall, with Lal Kattikulam Bharathan and Deepa S John separated by just 0.412 seconds behind him.

F1300 Novice Cup: Shatveer Shetty leads after chaotic opener

In the F1300 Novice Cup, Meco Racing's Shatveer Shetty emerged as the early leader with a 10.865-second win from pole. However, the race was marred by early-lap incidents that eliminated Avishek Datta, Sanjay Balakrishnan, Geetvika Rajni Patsamatla, and Amanjeet Singh Gilard in opening-lap tangles.

What to expect on Sunday

Action resumes on Sunday, 25 October with the final day of Round 1. Early leaders across categories will look to consolidate their positions, while challengers who suffered misfortune on Saturday will be targeting a response. With rain still a variable at the Kari Motor Speedway, further drama remains squarely on the cards.