Gill sets hot pace in Asia Rally Cup

CHENNAI: Driving a Subaru Impreza, Gaurav Gill, along with first-time co-driver Aniruddha Rangneskar, set the pace on the opening day in the FIA-APRC (Asia Rally Cup, Round 2) segment of the 46th South India Rally at the Madras International Circuit here on Friday.

The rally is also a round of the Blueband Sports FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2023 that is being organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC).

Toyota Rally Team’s Thai driver Mana Pornsiricherd (co-driver Meenil Thanyaphat) was placed second, while reigning National champion Karna Kadur (co-driver Nikhil Pai) was in the third spot at the end of two loops of the Super Special Stage. Incidentally, Kadur leads the INRC field.

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION (Leg 1, Section 1): FIA-APRC (Asia Rally Cup): 1. Gaurav Gill/Aniruddha Rangnekar (India) (02 minutes, 46.700 seconds); 2. Mana Pornsiricherd/Meenil Thanyaphat (Thailand) (02:49.900); 3. Karna Kadur/Nikhil Pai (India) (02:53.100).

INRC: 1. Karna Kadur/Nikhil Pai (02:53.100); 2. Dean Mascarenhas/Gagan Karumbaiah (03:00.100); 3. Aroor Arjun Rao/Satish Rajagopal (03:03.400). INRC-2: 1. Suhem Kabir/Jeeva Rathinam (02:58.700); 2. Dr. Bikku Babu/Milen George (02:59.200); 3. Charen Chandran/Vignesh Mahalingam (03:03.400). INRC-3: 1. Mohammed Sahil/Eldo Chacko (03:04.500); 2. Himanshu Arora/Kunal Kashyap (03:08.700); 3. Pragathi Gowda/Trisha Alonkar (03:15.100). INRC-4: 1. Jagbir Nirwan/Karanpreet Mattu (03:22.100); 2. Abhin Rai/D Uday Kumar (03:23.800); 3. Ruthuparna Vivek/Santhosh Thomas (03:27.400)