Harkrishan Wadia Secures Triple Victory, Phoebe Nongrum Dominates Women's INRC at 47th MMSC South India Rally
In the 47th MMSC South India Rally, Delhi’s Harkrishan Wadia emerged as the champion alongside co-driver Kunal Kashyap, overcoming dramatic moments and stiff competition. Wadia's victories spanned multiple categories, including the AVT Gold Cup FIA APRC-Asia Cup and the Blueband Fmsci Indian National Rally Championship 2024. His main rivals, Pragathi Gowda and Trisha Alonkar, faced setbacks when their car was damaged by a miscreant throwing a stone, leading to their retirement due to fuel shortage just 2kms from the finish of the three-day event's last stage. The second spot was claimed by the pair from Hyderabad, Naveen Puligilla and co-driver Santosh Thomas with Coimbatore's Ramcharan C and co-driver Jeevarathinam, from Bengaluru completing the podium. Meanwhile, former World Rally champion Karamjit Singh expressed disappointment over the turn of events but praised Pragathi's progress, highlighting her talent and potential. In the National Championship, Wadia's triumph was marred by a penalty for late check-in, allowing Aditya Thakur to secure second place. Despite setbacks, Wadia remained grateful for the support of MRF Tyres and expressed satisfaction with his performance, except for one minor mistake during the race. Elsewhere in the competition, Vishak Balachandran and Phoebe Nongrum emerged victorious in the INRC 3 and Women INRC categories, respectively, showcasing their skill and determination. Additionally, Arjun Rajiv showcased his talent by clinching the Junior INRC title, while Baljinder Singh Dhillon impressed in the Fmsci Challenge Gypsy Cup. The rally saw intense action and challenges, with 23 out of 51 crews retiring from the event. Looking ahead, the second round of the INRC is scheduled to take place in Nashik from May 31 to June 2, promising more excitement and competition in the world of rally racing. Provisional classification (after Leg-2): FIA APRC-Asia Rally Cup: 1. Harkrishan Wadia (Delhi) / Kunal Kashyap (Himachal) (Arka Motorsports) (02Hrs, 04mins, 59.8secs); 2. Naveen Puligilla / Santosh Thomas (both Hyderabad) (Pvt.) (02:15:22.0); 3. Ramcharan C (Coimbatore) / Jeevarathinam (Bengaluru) (Arka Motorsports) (02:17:24.1). Blueband Indian National Rally Championship: INRC Overall: 1. Harkrishan Wadia (Delhi) / Kunal Kashyap (Himachal) (Arka Motorsports) (02:04:59.8); 2. Aditya Thakur / Virender Kashyap (both Himachal) (Chettinad Sporting) (02:05:05.0); 3. Vishak Balachandran (Thiruvananthapuram) / Anil Abbas (Ernakulam) (Chettinad Sporting) (02:10:02.6). INRC 2: 1. Harkrishan Wadia / Kunal Kashyap (02:04:49.8); 2. Aditya Thakur / Virender Kashyap (02:05:05.0); 3. Naveen Puligilla / Santosh Thomas (02:15:22.0). INRC 3: 1. Vishak Balachandran / Anil Abbas (02:10:02.6); 2. Daraious Shroff (Mumbai) / Srikanth Gowda (Chikkamagaluru) (Chettinad Sporting) (02:10:48.1); 3. Samrat Yadav (Chandigarh) / Arvind Dheerendra (Bengaluru) (Pvt.) (02:11:48.2). Junior INRC (2 finishers): 1. Arjun Rajiv (Bengaluru) / Vinay Padmashali (Mysuru) (Chettinad Sporting) (02:13:47.9); 2. Ajay Shankar (Kollam)/ S Nitharshan (Kallakurichi) (Mandovi Racing) (02:14:00.0). Women INRC (2 finishers): 1. Phoebe Nongrum (Shillong) / Nash Ross (Hyderabad) (Snap Racing) (02:28:27.4); 2. Harshitha Gowda (Bengaluru)/ Vignesh Mahalingam (Coimbatore) (Pvt.) (02:45:42.8). Fmsci Gypsy Challenge: 1. Baljinder Singh Dhillon (Delhi) / Goutham CP (Chikkamagaluru) (Pvt.) (02:21:51.9); 2. Dr Akarsh Sundar (Chikkamagaluru)/ Ravi Kumar (Bengaluru) (Pvt.) (02:24:45.7); 3. Jayanth Somanathan / R Rajashekar (Both Bengaluru) (Pvt.) (02:24:51.9)."
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