Chennai, Jan 4 (NationPress) In an impressive display of skill, Pune teenagers Arjun Chheda and Sai Shiva Sankaran outpaced their competitors from Bengaluru, seizing victory in the MRF Formula 2000 and Formula 1600 races, respectively, as they launched their campaign in the third round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2025 at the Madras International Circuit on Sunday.

17-year-old Arjun Chheda took full advantage of a challenging start by pole-sitter Ishaan Madesh from Bengaluru, claiming victory in the MRF F2000 race. Following closely behind was another competitor from Bengaluru, Tarun MB, who briefly occupied second place before losing ground to Ishaan Madesh in the opening lap. Reflecting on his performance, Ishaan, the recently crowned National karting champion, lamented, "It was my signature start, but I aim to improve tomorrow." Arjun expressed his satisfaction at achieving his fourth win of the season, stating, "I had my moments, but managed to maintain control throughout the race."

Meanwhile, in the MRF F1600 race, Sai Shiva Sankaran, also 17 and from Pune, began from pole position and fended off challenges from two Bengaluru racers, Arjun S Nair and Nigel Abraham Thomas, solidifying his lead in the points standings. Sai Shiva admitted, "I made several mistakes early on but found my rhythm in the final three laps. I'm hopeful to avoid those errors tomorrow."

In a different class, Biren Pithawalla from Surat (N1 Racing) capitalized on a retirement from championship leader and pole-sitter Arjun Balu (Race Concepts), whose vehicle encountered electrical issues during the formation lap, resulting in an effortless victory in the prestigious Indian Touring Cars (ITC) category. This race ran concurrently with the ITC 1625, Indian Junior Touring Cars, and the Super Stock class, featuring a grid of 19 cars.

Pithawalla, the defending champion, missed the qualifying session earlier due to a driveshaft failure on the out-lap. He praised his team, saying, "They worked tirelessly to prepare the car (Volkswagen Polo) quickly for the race." Starting from fifth place, he surged into the lead on the first lap and maintained his position, finishing ahead of Dhruv Chavan from Lonavla (Buzzing Hornet) and Perajun Krishnan from Malaysia (Performance Racing).

In the ITC 1625 class, Nikhanth Ramabalu emerged victorious, with his 80-year-old teammate Vidyaprakash Damodaran finishing second, creating an all-Coimbatore podium.

Bengaluru's Rithwik Thomas (Race Concepts) outmaneuvered Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing) from Nellore to clinch the IJTC category, while veteran Diljith TS from Thrissur sailed past Kesara Godage from Sri Lanka (Performance Racing) in the Super Stock class.

In another highlight, Tarushi Vikram from Chikkamagaluru delivered a stunning performance to lead the MRF Saloons race despite starting from the pit lane. However, she was later penalized with a 10-second time addition for exceeding track limits while overtaking Akshay Muralidharan (Coimbatore), who subsequently took the win. Siddharth Kountinya from Bengaluru finished in a distant third.

The day concluded dramatically as Vinith Kumar triumphed in the Formula LGB 1300 race despite a semi-spin at the final corner on the last lap, with Joel Joseph finishing a close second and Lokith Lingesh Ravin rounding out the podium.