Karnataka 1000 Rally: Gill Secures Day 1 Lead; Thakur and Kadur Remain Competitors

Tumakuru (Karnataka), Dec 14 (NationPress) - Arjuna Award winner Gaurav Gill and his co-driver Aniruddha Rangnekar commenced the rally with a measured approach but concluded Day 1 with a lead of 25 seconds ahead of Aroor Arjun Rao and Satish Rajagopoal during the Karnataka 1000 Rally, the sixth and concluding round of the fmsci Indian National Rally Championship 2024 on Saturday.

However, the championship battle remains intense as leaders Karna Kadur (co-driver Musa Sherif) from Arka Motorsports and Himachal Pradesh’s Aditya Thakur with navigator Virender Kakshyap, currently in second place, are still in the race. The pair from Himachal Pradesh ended Day 1 in fourth place overall in this event organized by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club.

By the end of four stages on Saturday, Jason Saldanha and Timmu Uddapanda were in third position.

Gill, from Delhi, encountered power issues following a water crossing, resulting in time loss during the initial two stages of the day. Jason Saldanha and co-driver Thimmu Uddapanda were the quickest in the SS1, while Aroor Arjun Rao and co-driver Satish Rajagopal recorded the best times in SS2 and SS4.

The seven-time national champion remained composed and regained time in the third stage after finishing sixth and seventh in the first two stages.

Meanwhile, championship frontrunner Karna Kadur and co-driver Musa Sherif faced challenges when they got stuck in a bush during the second stage, significantly impacting their performance. They will be competing again on Sunday but have lost crucial points that could affect their title aspirations.

Hassan's Jason Saldanha and local co-driver Timmu Uddapanda are currently leading the INRC2 class, followed by Aditya Thakur (with Virender Kashyap) and Fabid Ahmer (co-driver Milen George).

On Sunday, the rally will feature two more special stages.

Provisional Results after Day 1 (Leg 1 - Saturday):

INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill (privateers, Delhi) / Anirudha Rangnekar (Pune);

2. Aroor Arjun Rao (Mandovi Racing, Mangaluru) / Satish Rajagopal (Bengaluru);

3. Jason Saldhanha (Arka Motorsports, Hassan) / Thimmu Uddapanda (Kodagu);

INRC2: 1. Jason Saldhanha (Arka Motorsports, Hassan) / Thimmu Uddapanda (Kodagu);

2. Aditya Thakur (Chettinad Sporting Solan) / Virender Kashyap (Shimla);

3. Fabid Ahmer (Chettinad Sporting, Palakkad) / Milen George Cherian (Kottayam);

INRC3: 1. Daraius Shroff (Chettinad Sporting, Mumbai) / Arjun Dheerendra (Bengaluru);

2. Arjun Rajiv (Chettinad Sporting) / Vinay Padmashali (Both Bengaluru);

3. Vishak Balachandran (Chettinad Sporting) / Anil Abbas (both Ernakulam);