INRC 2026 Round 2 Day 1: Photo finishes and comebacks at Kari Motor Speedway
Synopsis
Day 1 of INRC 2026 Round 2 at Coimbatore's Kari Motor Speedway was defined by margins so small they defy belief — a 0.032-second win, a 0.237-second family-team finish, and a driver hauling himself from 15th to victory. This was Indian motorsport at its most compelling.
Key Takeaways
Augustine Boby (DTS Racing) won the F1300 Novice Cup by just 0.032 seconds over Shatveer Shetty after a safety-car restart.
Deepak Ravikumar recovered from 15th on the grid to win the second Indian Junior Touring Cars race by 0.308 seconds .
Mehul Agarwal won the LGB Formula 4 race by 0.237 seconds over teammate Arya Singh across 15 laps .
Kabir Sahoch (Vadodara) extended his winning run in the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup Amateur class , winning by 0.979 seconds despite two red-flag interruptions.
Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) swept both JK Tyre Levitas Cup Gentleman class races from pole, with Kaveen Rajapaksa completing a rookie double in second.
Team Performance Racing dominated the Indian Junior Touring Cars , locking out the podium in Race 2 at Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore .
Day 1 of Round 2 of the Indian National Car Racing Championship (INRC) 2026 at Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore, on 15 November 2026 delivered a series of breathtaking finishes, last-lap duels, and remarkable turnarounds across multiple categories. Mehul Agarwal and Deepak Ravikumar produced decisive late overtakes to claim victories in the LGB Formula 4 and Indian Junior Touring Cars, while Augustine Boby edged out Shatveer Shetty by a razor-thin 0.032 seconds in the F1300 Novice Cup.
LGB Formula 4 and F1300 Novice Cup Highlights
Mehul Agarwal won a tightly fought 15-lap LGB Formula 4 race, edging out teammate Arya Singh by just 0.237 seconds in one of the day's closest finishes. The margin underscored the intensity of competition within the same garage, with both drivers separated by less than a quarter of a second at the chequered flag.
In the F1300 Novice Cup, DTS Racing's Augustine Boby claimed victory over Meco Racing's Shatveer Shetty by a mere 0.032 seconds — arguably the day's most dramatic finish. A late safety-car restart compressed the field and set up a frantic closing sequence. Pranav Ramasamy had led early before Boby charged through from fifth on the grid. Shetty, who started from pole, dropped down the order but recovered impressively to pass Ramasamy for second in the closing laps. Boby also set the fastest lap of the race at 1:16.953.
Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup: Sahoch Survives Chaos
Kabir Sahoch of Vadodara extended his winning streak in the Amateur class of the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup, triumphing by 0.979 seconds over Saurav Sanjay Dey after a race disrupted by two red-flag interruptions. Sahoch briefly surrendered the lead to Dey during the race but reclaimed it to seal the win. Drama unfolded further back as Paramjeet Singh and Pushpendra Kumar Markandey collided on the final lap, allowing Brandon Dsouza — who started ninth on the grid — to capitalise and finish third. Dey set the fastest lap of 1:19.396.
In the Pro class, Anish Shetty of Bengaluru converted pole position into a dominant pole-to-flag victory, finishing 3.089 seconds clear of Senthil Kumar. Navaneeth Kumar completed the podium in third.
JK Tyre Levitas Cup and Super Saloon Action
Mumbai's Pratik Sonawane was the standout performer in the JK Tyre Levitas Cup Gentleman class, sweeping both races from pole position. In the first race, he posted the fastest lap of 1:24.059 to secure victory. In the second, he again led from the front, clinching the win by 1.418 seconds over Kaveen Rajapaksa, who completed a rookie double with two runner-up finishes.
In the Super Saloon category, Arjun Narendran of Arka Motorsports cruised to a comfortable win by 7.288 seconds, holding off Arjun Balu. Meanwhile, in the Indian Touring Cars, Balaprasath A of Team Performance Racing took the top step, ahead of Ramcharan Chandran and Vidyaprakash Damodaran.
Indian Junior Touring Cars: Ravikumar's Remarkable Comeback
Team Performance Racing dominated the Indian Junior Touring Cars across both races. In the first, Srinivas Teja held off a stern challenge from teammate Anirudha Arvind to take victory, with Deepak Ravikumar completing the podium after an extraordinary recovery from 15th place on the grid.
The second race produced an even more gripping inter-team duel. Ravikumar led for the majority of the contest before Teja passed him on lap nine. Ravikumar responded immediately, reclaiming the lead and crossing the line first by 0.308 seconds, with Arvind finishing third to complete an all-Team Performance Racing podium. The championship battle at Kari Motor Speedway resumes on Day 2, with standings across all categories set to tighten further.
Point of View
Suggesting the INRC talent pool is broadening. Team Performance Racing's dominance in Junior Touring Cars, however, raises a question the series organisers may need to address — when one team locks out podiums across multiple races, the spectacle gains, but the championship narrative risks narrowing.
NationPress
15 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at INRC 2026 Round 2 Day 1 at Kari Motor Speedway?
Day 1 of Round 2 of the Indian National Car Racing Championship 2026 at Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore on 15 November 2026 featured multiple photo finishes, last-lap collisions, and dramatic comebacks across categories including LGB Formula 4, Indian Junior Touring Cars, the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup, and the F1300 Novice Cup.
Who won the F1300 Novice Cup at INRC 2026 Round 2?
Augustine Boby of DTS Racing won the F1300 Novice Cup by 0.032 seconds over Meco Racing's Shatveer Shetty, in one of the closest finishes of the day. A late safety-car restart set up the frantic final lap, with Boby also recording the fastest lap of 1:16.953.
How did Deepak Ravikumar stage his comeback in the Indian Junior Touring Cars?
Deepak Ravikumar started the first Indian Junior Touring Cars race from 15th on the grid and worked his way through the field to finish third. In the second race, he led for most of the contest, was briefly overtaken by teammate Srinivas Teja on lap nine, then reclaimed the position to win by 0.308 seconds.
What happened in the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup Amateur class?
Kabir Sahoch of Vadodara won the Amateur class by 0.979 seconds over Saurav Sanjay Dey despite two red-flag interruptions, briefly losing the lead to Dey before reclaiming it. A last-lap collision between Paramjeet Singh and Pushpendra Kumar Markandey allowed Brandon Dsouza, who started ninth, to claim third place.
Which driver dominated the JK Tyre Levitas Cup at Coimbatore?
Mumbai's Pratik Sonawane swept both Gentleman class races from pole position, setting the fastest lap of 1:24.059 in the first race and winning the second by 1.418 seconds over Kaveen Rajapaksa, who recorded a rookie double with two second-place finishes.
