Arya Singh Triumphs in Rain-Hit Coimbatore Race as Indian National Car Racing C’ship Begins

Kolkata’s Arya Singh made the most of a dramatic late-race twist to win the LGB Formula 4 race as the 2026 CTR-JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship began at Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore on Saturday.

Driving for Dark Don Racing, Singh held his nerve in a shortened, rain-affected contest to cross the finish line 2.456 seconds ahead of Meco Racing’s Raghul Rangasamy. Dark Don Racing rookie Aditya Patnaik finished third after edging Mehul Agarwal by just 0.120 seconds.

The race was reduced to 11 laps following four laps behind the safety car as rain disrupted the opening day. Once racing resumed, front-row starters Singh and Agarwal fought for the lead, with Rangasamy also joining the battle. Agarwal briefly regained the advantage but spun 360 degrees in the closing laps, allowing Singh to take control and seal the victory.

Dhruv Goswami produced one of the day's notable recovery drives, climbing from 19th on the grid to finish sixth.

In the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup, Kabir Sahoch dominated the amateur class with two victories, winning the opening race by 2.298 seconds and the second by 3.218 seconds. He also recorded the class's fastest lap of the day in 1:19.880.

The Pro class witnessed two different winners. Coimbatore's Senthil Kumar took Race 1 from pole position, beating Anish Shetty by a mere 0.025 seconds. Navaneeth Kumar claimed Race 2 after a red-flag restart, finishing 1.245 seconds ahead of Senthil.

Mumbai's Pratik Sonawane won the Gentleman class in the Levitas Cup by 8.574 seconds, while Mira Erda recovered from eighth on the grid to finish third overall. Aadam Junaid won the Rookie class ahead of Ajay Sankar and Vikram A B.

In the Indian Super Touring Cars category, Arka Motorsports' Arjun Narendran secured a commanding 10.042-second victory. Arjun Balu finished second, narrowly beating Biren Pithawalla by 0.343 seconds.

Meco Racing's Shatveer Shetty completed the day's winners by taking the F1300 Novice Cup by 10.865 seconds. Augustine Boby finished second, while Sri Lanka's Aadam Junaid claimed third after starting sixth.

Rain affected nine races across 11 categories, with red flags, close finishes and recovery drives setting the tone for an action-packed opening day.