The MRF Indian National Racing Challenge 2W 2026 returns to the Madras International Circuit (MIC) in Chennai this weekend, with 130 entries lined up to contest 18 races across the third round of the championship from 30 October to 1 November. Organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club, the event resumes after a six-week break, with championship battles tightening across every category.

Premier Class Standings and a High-Profile Debut

The Super Sport 301-400cc Open class — the premier category — is currently led by a trio of teenagers riding for Petronas Racing. Sarthak Chavan of Pune heads the standings with three wins from four starts, flanked by Rakshith Dave of Chennai and Chiranth Vishwanath of Bengaluru in second and third respectively.

The category will, however, be without Rahil Pillarisetty of Hyderabad, who rides for RACR. Pillarisetty sustained a right-arm injury in a crash during the Electric RTE race in Round 2 and has since undergone surgery, ruling him out of Round 3. He had remained a strong contender in the premier class before the setback.

Stepping in as his replacement is 16-year-old Kabilesh Rajini Krishnan of Chennai, son of 11-time National champion Rajini Krishnan. Kabilesh will make his debut in the Super Sport 301-400cc class aboard a Yamaha R3 prepared by his father. Notably, the teenager already leads the Super Stock 301-400cc standings, having won three consecutive races across the opening two rounds.

Ann Jennifer Dominates Women's Field

Ann Jennifer, the former women's National champion from Chennai, has been among the most impressive performers of the season. Riding for Motul Sparks Racing, she has won all four races contested in the Super Stock 165cc Intermediate class — outperforming more experienced male competitors in the mixed-gender field. Her unbeaten record through two rounds makes her one of the championship's standout stories heading into the weekend.

Competitive Grids Across All Categories

The Stock 301-400cc and Stock 165cc Novice categories have both produced tightly contested racing, with large grids and multiple different race winners emerging from the opening rounds. The Pro-Stock 200cc class has similarly kept the championship equation open, adding to the uncertainty across the grid.

The Petronas One-Make Championship runs alongside the main classes, featuring three sub-categories: the Expert class on the Apache RR 310, and both the Rookie and Women's classes on the RTR 200. The series selects riders through nationwide trials before providing on-track training.

In the Expert category, Rajender Beedani of Hyderabad and Kamal Navas of Chennai have each secured two victories. In the Rookie class, 16-year-old Dev Agastya of Bengaluru and Vignesh Pothu from Mancherial, Telangana have also won twice apiece. Poojitha Anil Kumar of Bengaluru leads the Women's category, having won both races held this season.

What the Organisers Said

Manoj Dalal, Chairman of the Event and Race Director, expressed confidence in the quality of talent on display. 'The Indian National Racing Challenge 2W has proven itself as an event of immense quality. The competition among the riders has been fierce up and down the grid and across all categories. The event is an eyeopener in terms of the plethora of talent that is on parade. We extend a warm welcome to the competitors from across the country and the stakeholders to a weekend of exciting races,' he said.

With championship positions still fluid and multiple contenders in contention across classes, the Round 3 weekend at MIC is set to be a defining stretch of the 2026 season.