Chennai: Teenage racers Arjun Chheda, Ishaan Madesh and Sai Shiva Sankaran delivered standout performances in the third and penultimate round of the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2025, which concluded at the Madras International Circuit on Monday.
All three 17-year-olds made a strong impact in the single-seater categories. Sai Shiva Sankaran dominated the MRF Formula 1600 class with a clean sweep, winning all three races over the weekend. In the MRF Formula 2000 category, Arjun Chheda and reigning National Karting champion Ishaan Madesh claimed one victory each, keeping the title fight finely balanced heading into the final round later this month at the same venue.
With these results, Chheda strengthened his position at the top of the provisional Formula 2000 standings. He now has five wins this season and leads Madesh by just five points. In Formula 1600, Sankaran’s triple victory has given him a commanding 24-point lead over Bengaluru’s Arjun S Nair.
Away from the single-seaters, the Indian Touring Cars category produced one of the weekend’s most compelling stories. Mechanics from Arka Motorsports worked through the night to prepare cars for the remaining races, and their efforts were rewarded when Chennai’s Ritesh Rai, driving the Buzzing Hornet prepared by the team, secured a double victory.
The round also marked a notable return for multiple National Rally champion Karna Kadur. Competing for Arka Motorsports, the eight-time national rally title holder returned to circuit racing after a gap of 20 years and finished on the podium despite missing Sunday’s opening race.
In contrast, the weekend proved difficult for former national champion and points leader Arjun Balu from Coimbatore. Driving for Race Concepts, Balu was forced to retire from all three races due to mechanical issues, significantly affecting his championship prospects.
After nine races in the Indian Touring Cars class, privateer Dhruv Chavan from Lonavla remains the only driver to have finished every race this season. His consistency has placed him at the top of the standings, just three points ahead of Pithawalla, with Ritesh Rai moving up to third in the provisional table ahead of Arjun Balu.
In the Super Stock category, Thrissur’s Dilijith TS continued his strong run by registering his sixth consecutive victory, keeping his title hopes alive. Sri Lankan driver Kesara Godage, despite finishing second in all three races, retained the overall championship lead through consistency. The Indian Junior Touring Cars class saw a productive day for Nellore’s Viswas Vijayaraj, who claimed a double victory.
Ernakulam’s Joel Joseph enjoyed a highly successful round in the Formula LGB 1300 category, winning both races on Monday. One of those races was interrupted multiple times due to on-track incidents. Joseph’s results lifted him to the top of the points table in both the Open and Junior classes.
In the MRF Saloons category featuring Toyota Etios cars, Coimbatore’s Akshay Muralidharan and local driver Mohamed Arfath shared the wins. Muralidharan continues to lead the championship standings in this class as the series heads into its decisive final round.
With championship battles tightening across categories, the stage is set for a high-stakes finale later this month at the Madras International Circuit.
