The Indian National Car Racing Championship 2026 opened at Kari Motor Speedway with thrilling finishes, rain disruptions and red flags. Arya Singh, Kabir Sahoch, Senthil Kumar, Navaneeth Kumar and other drivers delivered standout performances across multiple racing categories.
The Indian National Car Racing Championship 2026 got off to an action-packed start at Kari Motor Speedway, with dramatic finishes, rain-affected races, spectacular comebacks and red-flag incidents dominating the opening day of Round 1. Nine of the 11 races witnessed photo-finishes or exceptionally close contests, setting the stage for an exciting battle as the championship continues on Sunday.
In the LGB Formula 4 category, Arya Singh emerged victorious in a race shortened to 11 laps after the opening four laps were completed behind the safety car. Mehul Agarwal and Singh battled at the front, while Meco Racing’s Raghul Rangasamy mounted an impressive charge into second place.
Agarwal initially held the lead but spun 360 degrees, allowing Singh to take control and cross the finish line first. Rangasamy secured second place, while Dark Don rookie Aditya Patnaik finished third ahead of Agarwal, who recovered from his dramatic setback.
The Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup produced an impressive performance from amateur rider Kabir Sahoch, who won both races. He secured Race 1 with a lights-to-flag victory by 2.298 seconds and recorded the day’s fastest lap of 1:19.880. Sahoch followed it up with another commanding performance in Race 2, winning by 3.218 seconds.
Mumbai’s Saurav Sanjay Dey also attracted attention with two determined drives. He climbed from 10th to fifth in the opening race before moving from fifth on the starting grid to second in Race 2, establishing himself as a contender to watch.
The Pro class witnessed two different winners. Senthil Kumar started strongly by converting pole position into victory in Race 1, finishing ahead of Anish Shetty. However, Navaneeth Kumar responded in the second race, beating Senthil by 1.245 seconds to secure the win and keep the competition wide open.
In the JK Tyre Levitas Cup, Mumbai’s Pratik Sonawane claimed victory over Sidharth Balasundaram while leading the Gentleman class. The race also featured an impressive performance from Mira Erda, who climbed from eighth on the grid to third overall. A collision involving Vinith Kumar and Ashwin Pugalagiri ended Pugalagiri’s race, while Erda successfully held off Aadam Junaid.
The Super Saloon categories delivered another dominant performance as Arjun Narendran of Arka Motorsports secured a flawless pole-to-flag victory, finishing 10.042 seconds ahead of his rivals.
In the Indian Touring Cars category, Noida’s Aman Nagdev produced one of the day’s strongest comeback drives. Starting fourth on the combined grid, Nagdev stormed to victory with a substantial 20.631-second winning margin. Yug Jagdishkumar Italiya and Ramcharan Chandran followed him across the finish line.
The Super Stock category also provided a notable turnaround. DTS Racing’s Diljith T S took victory by 15.8 seconds despite finishing seventh overall, demonstrating a strong performance in the category. Lal Kattikulam Bharathan and Deepa S John were separated by just 0.412 seconds behind him, underlining the close competition.
In the F1300 Novice Cup, Meco Racing’s Shatveer Shetty emerged as the early championship leader after converting pole position into a convincing victory by 10.865 seconds. However, opening-lap incidents resulted in the retirement of Avishek Datta, Sanjay Balakrishnan, Geetvika Rajni Patsamatla and Amanjeet Singh Gilard, highlighting the intensity of the competition.
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Across the different categories, changing weather conditions, close battles and incidents kept teams and spectators on their toes throughout the opening day. The combination of established competitors, emerging talents and unexpected race developments made the season opener particularly engaging.
Action at Kari Motor Speedway will resume on Sunday with the final day of Round 1. The early leaders will look to extend their advantage, while their challengers will aim to recover and strengthen their championship campaigns as the Indian National Car Racing Championship 2026 continues.
