Gill sets Rajah Island on fire

It turned out to be a cake-walk for Gaurav Gill in the Rajah Island auto sprint, near here, on Sunday. The Asia Pacific rally champion was easily the fastest driver, winning the 1.2 km event on Rajah Island in 1:27.62 secs, but the crowd wanted more of the country’s fastest driver.

In the end, Gill, driving a Mistubishi Evo-10 World Rally Championship car, drove on the course six times much to the delight of the motorsport buffs here.

“It’s a good course but it was a bit narrow for my big car,” said Gill, from Delhi, who also won the foreign open class.

Mysore’s Suhem Kabir, the second fastest man, was nearly 10 seconds slower than Gill on the dirt track which had nearly 20 turns. However Kabir, driving a Honda City, walked away with the honours in the Indian Open class. Bikku Babu won a special prize for being the fastest Kerala driver.

Final placings (timings on 1.2 km circuit): Indian Open: 1. Suhem Kabir (Mysore, Honda City) 1:36.37s, 2. Dhruva Chandrasekhar (Bang) 1:37.25, 3. Syed Salem Ahmed (Mys) 1:38.88. Up to 800cc: 1. B.S. Rudresh (Chik) 1:49.09, 2. Abdul Malik (Chvkd), 3. K.H. Adithya (Crg). 801-1300cc: 1. K.H. Adithya (Crg) 1:39.31s, 2. Lokesh Gowda (Bang), 3. B.S. Rudresh (Chik).

1301-1600cc: 1. Suhem Kabir (Mys) 1:37.34s, 2. K.V. Samarth (Bang), 3. Syed Salman Ahmed (Mys).

1601-2000cc: 1. K.C. Adith (Pkd) 1:42.04s, 2. Rahul Kantharaj (Bang) 1:42.47.

SUV/Jeep class: 1. Gagan Karumbaiah (Kodagu) 1:47.44s, 2. Suraj Thomas (Ktm), 3. Vinod N. George (Ktm).

Diesel class: 1. Prasanth Gowda (Bang) 1:55.47s, 2. Parag C. Dhiwar (Nasik), 3. Adithya R. Dhiwar (Nasik).

Ladies class: 1. Ashika Menezes (Bang) 1:49.15s, 2. R. Harshita Gowda (Bang), 3. Pearly Maaney (Ekm).

Fastest driver: 1. Gaurav Gill (Delhi, Mitsubishi Evo-10) 1:27.62s, 2. Suhem Kabir (Mysore, Honda City) 1:36.37, 3. Dhruva Chandrasekhar (Bang, Honda City) 1:37.25. Fastest Kerala driver: Bikku Babu.