Gaurav Gill wins his fifth Popular Rally

Meanwhile, Bengaluru's Chetan Shivram seems set to take the overall victory at the INRC 2019

Gaurav Gill maintained his supremacy in the Popular Rally, the final round of the Champions Yacht Club FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship, winning the title for a record fifth time.

The Team Mahindra driver, with co-driver Musa Sherif, won SS9 and finished second in SS10 and SS11 on Day 2. Gill’s teammates, Dean Mascarenhas and Suhem Kabeer, too did well, taking the third and fourth positions in Popular Rally’s overall category.

Bengaluru’s Chetan Shivram, however, seems set to take the 2019 INRC champion, courtesy his twin triumphs in the Rally of Coimbatore and the K1000 in Bengaluru. The MRF-supported driver, who had suffered a massive crash in the opening stage on Saturday, returned to complete Day 2’s three stages to protect his lead.

Chetan of Team Akshara, with co-driver Dilip Sharan, took the tenth position in SS9, climbing to fifth in the last two stages. A second crown, the INRC 3 category, however, may well have eluded him as Fabid Ahmer (co-driver Sanath G) pipped him to the post. Fabid finished second behind Aditya Thakur (co-driver Virender Kashyap) nudging Chetan off the top.

Team Champions’ Dr Bikku Babu (co-driver Milen George), finished third in the overall category and first in his own INRC 2 for a highly rewarding Popular Rally. Tied with JK Tyre’s Dean Mascarenhas (co-driver Shruptha Padival) on 72 points at the start of the round, his win has surely fetched him the INRC 2 title for the season too.

In the INRC 4 category, Suraj George along with co-driver emerged supreme, while Vaibhav Marathe (co-driver Arjun SSB) and Rakshith Iyer (co-driver Chandrashekhar) finished second and third.

Results (Round 5)

INRC Overall

1) Gaurav Gill/Musa Sherif - 1:25:01.7 hour

2) Dr. Bikku Babu/Milen George - 1:29:16.300 hour

3) Dean Mascarenhas/Shrupta Padivel - 1:31:02.600 hour

INRC 2

1) Dr. Bikku Babu/Milen George - 1:29:16.300 hour

2) Dean Mascarenhas/Shrupta Padivel - 1:31:02.600 hour

3) Suhem Kabeer/Jeeva Rathinam - 1:31:22.000 hour

INRC 3

1) Aditya Thakur/Virender Kashyap - 1:34:11.300 hour

2) Fabid Ahmer/Sanath G - 1:34:38.900 hour