RFC Day 1: Arunachal-Karnataka Duo Leads 4×4 Extreme Category

At the end of Day 1 of the eleventh Rainforest Challenge (RFC) India, the country’s toughest off-road motorsport event, Chow Ujjal Namshum from Arunachal Pradesh and his co-driver Chethan Chengappa from Karnataka lead the ‘4×4 Extreme’ category. After four out of 26 Special Stages, they scored an impressive 380 out of 400 points. The pair showed excellent teamwork and off-roading skills, earning perfect scores in two stages and finishing second in the other two.

Bijender Singh and his co-driver Gajender Singh from Delhi are in second place with 349 points. There is a tie for third between Aniruddha Shete (with Amrut Kadam) from Maharashtra and Erec Benny (with Sirajudheen RV) from Germany, both with 329 points.

Chow Ujjal Namshum described Day 1 as intense from the very start. The first stage was a blind speed run, but they started strong and scored 100 points. The next stages became more technical. In SS2, they debated whether to drive or use the winch on a tough climb, chose to drive, and it worked out.

Stage 3 was tough for many teams, but they stayed focused and finished fastest again. Ujjal made a small mistake at the finish that cost them 10 points, but they quickly recovered. Later, their vehicle’s rear axle broke and the locker failed, forcing them to winch several times. Despite these problems, Chethan’s guidance helped them keep up the pace and finish the day on top.

Ujjal also shared that the competition has become much tougher over the years. “There’s no room for holding back anymore. Now it’s about going flat-out in every stage. We make mistakes, we live with them, but we’re here to give it everything we have,” he said.

Meanwhile, officials completed scrutiny for the 22 teams in the ‘4×4 Modified’ category, and their competition will begin tomorrow.