Last-corner chaos, a 0.004-second photo finish and a rain-called finale close Round 1 of FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2026
Chaos, photo finishes, and rain define Round 1 of the FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2026 at Kari Motor Speedway.
The opening round of the CTR-JK Tyre Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) Indian National Car Racing Championship 2026 delivered a weekend of high-octane drama at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore. The final day, held on Sunday, was a rollercoaster of emotions featuring a last-corner collision in the touring cars, a breathtaking 0.004-second photo finish in the Novice F1300 category, and a rain-soaked finale that forced officials to wave the red flag.
LGB Formula 4: Rain and Resilience
Meco Racing’s Dhruvh Goswami proved to be the man of the hour in the first LGB Formula 4 race. Despite multiple safety-car interruptions and a tense final lap, Goswami maintained his composure to secure victory by 0.356 seconds. His win was highlighted by a daring outside overtake on Mehul Agarwal to reclaim the lead, while Arya Singh rounded out the podium in third. Rookie Ashwin Kumar KP also impressed, securing an eighth-place finish overall.
However, the second race was a completely different story. Torrential rain and near-zero visibility forced the race to start behind the safety car. The conditions became too hazardous, leading to a red flag on lap nine. Balaprasath, starting from pole, managed to hold off his teammate Mehul Agarwal to win by 0.392 seconds. Raghul Rangasamy finished third, while the brutal weather claimed six drivers, including Deepak Ravikumar and Ashwin Kumar KP.
Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup: Dominant Displays
In the Pro class, Anish Shetty from Bangalore put on a masterclass. Starting from fifth on the grid, Shetty sliced through the field to win by a comfortable 4.091 seconds over Navaneeth Kumar, clocking the fastest lap of the race at 1:15.648. Senthil Kumar recovered from a poor start to claim the third spot.
The Amateur category saw Kabir Sahoch of Vadodara complete a perfect weekend hat-trick. Sahoch navigated early chaos—including a clash between Shyamal Das and Akash Boro—to win by 1.793 seconds. Harish Yodhin made a strong surge from fifth to finish second, ahead of Saurav Sanjay Dey.
JK Tyre Levitas Cup: The Clean Sweeps
Mumbai’s Pratik Sonawane was untouchable in the Gentleman class, achieving a weekend sweep with a pole-to-flag victory. Sonawane dominated the race, winning by 5.053 seconds over Sidharth Balasundaram and setting the fastest lap (1:24.681). In a late-race twist, Vinith Kumar snatched third place from Mira Erda on the penultimate lap.
In the Rookie class, Sri Lanka’s Aadam Junaid continued his winning streak, securing his second victory in two starts, finishing fifth overall in the combined standings ahead of Shreyans Mittal and Ajay Sankar.
Super Saloon Categories: Final Corner Chaos
The Indian Super Touring Cars finale was nothing short of chaotic. Biren Pithawalla of Team N1 Intervalve emerged victorious by 2.480 seconds after a multi-class collision at the final corner stripped Arjun Narendran of the lead.
This late-race mayhem paved the way for Aman Nagdev to secure back-to-back wins in the Indian Touring Cars, finishing a massive 18.137 seconds ahead of Vidyaprakash Damodaran. Meanwhile, in the Indian Junior Touring Cars, Deepak Ravikumar of Team Performance Racing completed a weekend double, beating his teammate Srinivas Teja in a nail-biting drag race to the finish line by just 0.115 seconds.
DTS Racing’s Diljith T S enjoyed a flawless run in the Super Stock category, completing a clean sweep with a victory margin of 10.635 seconds over Krishanu Dutta Bhuyan.
F1300 Novice Cup: Clinical Precision
Shatveer Shetty of Meco Racing mirrored the dominance seen in other categories, converting his pole position into a clinical victory by 8.866 seconds to complete a weekend double. The race was not without drama; an early crash by Kek Qian Jun into the tyre barrier triggered the safety car, followed by a three-car collision that knocked out Hardik L Lakiphangal and Kaveen Rajapaksa.