Naren-Ram begin account in style; MRF sweep podium

Bangalore, 8 August 2004: Ace rally pair from Coimbatore, Naren Kumar and co-driver D Ramkumar of Team MRF began their title defence with a comfortable victory in the 30th Karnataka-1000 Rally, the second round of the Indian National Rally Championship here on Sunday.

The rally which was flagged off from The Club on Mysore Road on Friday ran the Special Stages at Bagepalli, off Bellary road, about 100km from the city. Defending champions Naren and Ram, began their account this year as Philippos Matthai and co-driver Ashwin Naik stole the victory at the first round in Nashik in July. The champion duo had to contend their teammates Karandip Singh and co-driver Jaidas Menon, who finished second and Vikram Mathis and co-driver Sujith Kumar, who had to settle for third. Thus Team MRF swept the podium in the overall category.

Prithveen Rajan along with navigator PV Srinivasa Murthy won the 1400cc category while Sanjay Agarwal and co-driver Chandramouili lifted the Rally Star Cup.

Two physical special stages, Garuda and Banda, were run thrice each on Saturday and twice each on Sunday near Bagepalli.

Provisional Results: Overall: 1. Naren Kumar/D Ramkumar (Team MRF) (43:32); 2. Karandeep Singh/Jaidas Menon (Team MRF) (44:28); 3. Vikram Mathais/Sujith Kumar (Team MRF) (44:29).

1400cc class: 1. Prithiveen/PVS Murthy (45:34); 2. Arjun Rao Aroor/C Chinappa (45:51); 3. Philippos Matthai/Ashwin Naik (45:51).

Rally Star Cup: 1. Sanjay Agarwal/ Chandramouli (48:36); 2. Chetan Shivraman/ Srikarunaya; 3. Rajesh Gadakh/Paritosh Kohok (50:03).

The following reported is first published in Deccan Herald and reproduced here Courtesy Deccan Herald.

Bangalore, DHNS, Monday August 9, 2004: Reigning National champion V R Naren Kumar (co-driver D Ramkumar) of Team MRF expectedly clinched the overall title with yet another stunning drive in his Baleno as the 30th Karnataka-1000 Rally, the second round of the MAI Indian National Rally Championship, concluded here on Sunday.

Incidentally, Naren had begun his Rally career by winning the group N (unmodified) title in a Gypsy in the 1994 K-1000 and had returned the following year to claim his first ever Overall crown in an Esteem.

Averaging 126kmph, the Coimbatore-based Naren destroyed the opposition even as his nearest overnight challenger and team-mate Arjun Balu (co-driver Kumar Ramaswamy), packed up with a broken suspension early in the first of the two 17.6 Kms stages that were run on Sunday at Bagepalli, about 120 Kms from Bangalore.

In the bargain, the Chandigarh-Bangalore combination of Karandip Singh and co-driver Jaidas Menon, also of Team MRF, finished second, but a mere one second ahead of team-mate Vikram Mathias (Masinagudi) and co-driver Sujith Kumar (Bangalore).

Meanwhile, Coimbatore’s Prithveen and co-driver PVS Murthy of Bangalore, spared seven seconds to local challengers, Arjun Rao Aroor and his veteran co-driver C K Chinnappa to top the 1400cc class.

Arjun Rao and the Nashik Rally winner, Philippos Matthai tied with penalty timing of 45 minutes, 41 seconds, but the former was adjudged second on the basis of more stage wins.

In the Rally Star Cup, Bangalore’s Sanjay Agarwal (co-driver Chandramouli), who was supported by Chettinad Sporting, topped comfortably while Chetan Shivaraman and co-driver Srikarunya of Bangalore, nursed their overnight second position despite suffering mechanical problems.

Provisional results: Overall/1600cc: Team MRF (VR Naren Kumar/D Ramkumar) 1 (43mins, 32 secs); Team MRF (Karandip Singh/Jaidas Menon) 2 (44:28); Team MRF (Vikram Mathias/Sujith Kumar) 3 (44:29).

1400cc: Prithveen/PVS Murthy 1 (45:34); Arjun Rao Aroor/C K Chinnappa 2 (45:41); Philippos Matthai/Ashwin Naik 3 (45:41).

Rally Star Cup: Sanjay Agarwal/Chandramouli 1 (48:36); Chetan Shivaraman/Srikarunya 2 (49:22); Rajesh Ghadag/Paritosh Kohok 3 (50:03).