INDIAN NATIONAL RALLY champions, Dean Mascarenhas of Mangaluru and co-driver Gagan Karumbaiah of Kodagu (Team TSI Racing) capped their campaign with a dominant win at the Blueband Rally of Maharashtra, the sixth and final round of the FMSCI Blueband Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), held on Sunday.
The 2025 Indian National Rally Championship titles were claimed by Mascarenhas and Karumbaiah in the Overall INRC category, Jason Saldanha in INRC2, Vaishak Balachandran and Chiranth Jain in INRC3, Naveen Puligilla and Santosh Thomas in INRC 3T, Abin Rai in the Junior INRC, and Tarushi Vikram in the Ladies Class. In the supporting categories, Siddhartha Santosh Sawan Sathyanarayan secured the Classic Cars Cup, while Sanjay Agarwal and Dheeraj Manae clinched the Gypsy Cup honours.
Mascarenhas said, “Driving the Peugeot 208 RS has been both thrilling and a tremendous learning experience. My maiden National title would not have been possible without the imported car and the professional French team, made possible by Sidvin Energy Engineering. The MRF tyres, the tireless effort of my team members, my incredible co-driver Gagan, and the unwavering support of my family all contributed to what has been a refreshing and defining year in my career.”
Philippos Matthai emerged as one of the rally’s standout performers, winning the INRC2 class and finishing an impressive third overall. Pragathi Gowda also delivered a strong performance, securing fifth overall and matching pace with the front-runners in a competitive 32-car field. The duo mounted a spirited challenge to INRC2 championship leaders Jason Saldanha and PV Srinivasa Murthy, but the latter’s consistent fourth-place finish proved sufficient to secure the title, thanks to a healthy points cushion built earlier in the season.
In the INRC3 category, Thiruvananthapuram-born Vaishak Balachandran, alongside Chiranth Jain of Karkala, drove with composure to win the class and seal the national crown. It was also a memorable outing for JA Motorsports, as Jeet Jhabhak of Hyderabad and co-driver Sekhar V of Erode triumphed in the INRC 3T class. However, it was Naveen Puligilla and Santosh Thomas who secured the season championship in the category with a second-place finish.
Abin Rai of Madikeri wrapped up the Junior INRC title, while the Ladies Class battle went down to the wire. Tarushi Vikram of Chikkamagaluru clinched her maiden National title in her debut full season, overcoming challenges from Phoebe Nongrum Dale of Shillong, who lost crucial time after running wide at a tricky corner in SS4, and Athira Murali, whose promising campaign was undone by a puncture followed by mechanical trouble.
Meanwhile, Siddhartha Santosh, having already secured the Classic Cars Cup with a round to spare, opted to skip the finale. In the Gypsy class, Sanjay Agarwal and Dheeraj Manae signed off in style by winning the final round, sealing the INRC 2025 honours in their category.
