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Chethan tames Coorg 4x4 challenge

Updated: Jun 21, 2023


Local favourite and three time RFC India winner Chetan Chengappa was the winner of the first edition of Coorg 4x4 Challenge powered by VM Sports Foundation in association with JK Tyre was held at Kunda, Coorg. The two day event had the Ladies class, SUV class, Petrol class, Diesel class and Coorg Kings class on Day 1, while the most thrilling the modified class was held on Day 2.



Vamcy Merla kept his passion for the sport alive after a convincing win in the SUV class apart from supporting the sport, Sudin Rai won the Petrol class, Poonacha won the Diesel class and Kushmith won the Ladies class.


SUV class: Vamcy Merla from VM sports foundation was the fastest with a time of 2min 25sec in spite of 20sec penalty, he just managed to pip his teammate Ashwin Naik with .300th of a second as Sudhindra BG finished in third position with a further difference of 9seconds. Jai Prakash Raj finished in fourth with a further difference of 5sec and with a further difference of 32sec Lokesh Gowda had to settle for fifth position.


"We are really proud of my brother Vamcy who is been doing so much for the sport and was very delighted to hear appreciation from all for his efforts to help participants and contributing for the growth of the sport. Watched him drive for the first time and really honoured to see him on the podium. It is also nice to watch this scale of events in India". said Malepati Swetha, Vamcy Merla's sister who just arrived from United States.


Ladies class: Kushmith Kaveramma a localite with a total time of 2min 54sec was the winner and a second localite Divya Muthappa with a difference of 6sec finished in second position, Sapna Gurukar from Sakleshpur finished in third position with a further difference of 44sec. Ashwini Bogadi was stuck in an obstacle and had to pull out.


Coorg King class: Avin Nanjappa won this class with a total time of 5.90 as he dominated the class in the both the stages, Muhammed Rafi finished in second position with a difference of 2min 35sec.


Petrol class: Sudin Rai with a difference of 8min 51sec was the winner, with a timing of 9min 10sec, Vinay was the first runner-up and Naushad with a total time of 9min 19sec finished third.


Diesel Class: Poonacha with a total time of 8min 43sec was the winner followed by Sudin Rai with a timing of 8min 59sec, Vaishak Rai finished third with a timing of 9.44.


Modified class: Chetan Chengappa with a total time of 19min 15sec from 4 stages was the winner, he was followed by the Puttur off-roader Ravi Raj in second with a total time of 22min 33sec, while Chatru finished third with a total time of 26min 31sec. Aeman from Chikkamagaluru had to pull out in second stage due to clutch issues. Chengappa was the first to clear the first stage as all before him were DNF.


Speaking on the ocassion winner Chetan said, "The first season of Coorg Challenge 4X4 off-roading was well organized by the organizers. All four stages were well thought out and designed, the terrain in the modified category was up to RFC India standards. The terrain was filled with slush, sand, and rocks, making it a highly technical drive. Coordination between the driver and co-driver was crucial in this event. I would like to thank my sponsor, Vamcy Merla, for supporting and sponsoring me not just for this event, but throughout my motorsport career since 2012. Additionally, I am grateful to JK Tyres for providing me the opportunity to participate in the Orange Festival 4X4 Fury in Arunachal, along with their fantastic off-road tyre, the JK Ranger MT".


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