Tumakuru (Karnataka), December 12, 2025: The legendary Karnataka 1000 Rally returns this weekend with a refreshed route and a renewed title battle as the fourth round of the Blueband FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) gets underway. Organised by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club and promoted by Blueband Sports, the 49th K1000 Rally will challenge competitors and machines with a mix of tight, technical sections and long, flowing stretches.
“Parts of the new route are highly technical and tight, and any mistake — whether a driver error or a wrong call from the co-driver — will be punished brutally. But the fast, flowing sections keep the classic K1000 character alive,” said seasoned co-driver Musa Sherif, who has competed in the event for more than three decades.
The spotlight is firmly on the title fight between TSI Racing’s Dean Mascarenhas–KS Gagan Karumbaiah and Arka Motorsports’ Karna Kadur–Musa Sherif. Dean and Gagan hold a narrow seven-point lead and will look to consolidate it, while Karna and Musa aim to close the gap. The two main stages — Thirtharama (27 km) and Hatiyalu (10.5 km) — will be run thrice on Saturday and twice on Sunday, setting the stage for an intense contest.
Former champions Aditya Thakur–Virender Kashyap and the returning Amittrajit Ghosh–Ashwin Naik add further depth to the field. Strong performances are also expected from Philippos Matthai, Jason Saldanha, and Fabid Ahmer, who currently leads the INRC 2 category, with just three points separating the trio in the overall table.
In the support classes, Shashank Jamwal–Raghuram Saminathan lead INRC 3 with 70 points, followed closely by Abhin Rai–Moideen Jasheer, with Abhin also topping the Junior INRC standings. Siddharth Santosh leads the Classic Challenge, while Sanjay Agarwal heads the Gypsy class after three rounds. In the Ladies category, Tarushi Vikram of Chikkamagaluru maintains her advantage, chased by Phoebe Nongrum and Athira Murali, as Dr Shivani Pruthvi returns to competition after completing her postgraduate studies.
Notable absentees include Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill and INRC 3T leader Jeet Jhabhak, who is sidelined by a minor back injury. The rally attracted 60 entries.
Prize distribution will be held on Sunday. With two more rounds to go and an N-minus-one format allowing one discard, the championship remains wide open.
Ends
