ITANAGAR: India’s top rallyist Gaurav Gill will be hoping to inch closer to his sixth national title as the Rally of Arunachal, Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018, unfolds here over the weekend.
Gill, the Team Mahindra Adventure spearhead, who won the grueling Dakshin Dare Rally last month, has been in imperious form through the season, winning the first two rounds with consummate ease.
Along with his trusted co-driver Musa Sherif, Gill is expected to thrill the local crowds with his speed and daredevilry behind the wheel.
He will have to keep his eye on his team-mate Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik), though, who will be aiming to upstage him.
Ghosh is currently in the second position and has been driving a lot more assuredly, even though he had to drop out of contention in the Dakshin Dare Rally owing to vehicle malfunction.
Team Mahindra Adventure will be wary of Arka Motorsports’ Karna Kadur, who is likely to enjoy a slight edge over the tarmac stretches.
Kadur has a new driver by his side, PVS Murthy, and is leading the charts in the INRC 2 category. He is third behind Gill and Ghosh in the overall championship standings.
His team-mate Rahul Kanthraj (co-driver Vivek Y Bhatt) is also a strong contender, currently holding the second position in the INRC 2 category.
Aroor Vikram Rao (co-driver Somayya AG) is leading the INRC 3 category and he will be keen to consolidate his position in the picturesque locals of Arunachal Pradesh.
POINTS TABLE (After Rd 2)
INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill & Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) 50 points; 2. Amittrajit Ghosh & Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) 36 points; 3. Karna Kadur & PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports) 30 points.
INRC 1: 1. Gaurav Gill & Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) 50 points; 2. Amittrajit Ghosh & Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) 36 points.
INRC 2: 1. Karna Kadur & PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports) 50 points; 2, Rahul Kanthraj & Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports) 36 points; 3. Jacob KJ & Nitin Jacob 24 points.
INRC 3: 1. Aroor Vikram Rao & Somayya AG 50 points; 2. Suhem Kabeer & Jeevarathinam 30 points; 3. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 28 points.
