RFC Day 4: Arunachal-Karnataka duo Extend Lead in 4×4 Extreme Category

At the end of Day 4 of The Rainforest Challenge (RFC) India 2025, after 19 out of 26 Special Stages, Chow Ujjal Namshum from Arunachal Pradesh and co-driver Chethan Chengappa from Karnataka continued their winning streak in the ‘4×4 Extreme’ category. They lead with 1,722 points out of 1,900. Goan teams Cedrick Jordan Da Silva (with Mackwin Dias) and Viddesh Madgaonkar (with Sahil Sadekar) held on to second and third places with 1,549 and 1,425 points respectively.

In the ‘4×4 Modified’ category, Goan driver Steven Fernandes (with Balwant Jagram) climbed two spots to take the lead with 1,096 points out of 1,300. Benzeer Palasseri Pulikkal (with Naser CK) from Kerala moved up to second with 1,069 points, while Cyril Dmello (with Ameer Sadiq) from Maharashtra slipped to third with 1,034 points.

In the ‘4×4 Stock’ category, Maharashtra’s Mihir Dharkar (with Shantanu Grover) continued to dominate with 775 points out of 800. Karnataka’s Bopaiah Kongettira (with Bopanna Maleyanda) climbed to second with 689 points, while Tejas Patil (with Karan Patil) from Maharashtra dropped to third with 642 points.

Reflecting on his journey so far, Goan driver Cedrick Jordan Da Silva said, “The competition has been as tough as ever and we had a rough start this year. On Day 1, my vehicle’s tyre popped out and we suffered a few damages. I was running on a new tyre and wasn’t sure of the right pressure, so we couldn’t perform well and ended the day in ninth place.

But we kept pushing, climbed to fifth spot by Day 2, and the last two days have gone much better. The stages have become more interesting and challenging. We may not be in striking distance of the top spot unless the leader makes a mistake, but if things go our way, we could still close the gap and finish strong.”

This year, three women are competing in RFC India. Aparna Umesh from Kerala, who is participating in the new ‘4×4 Modified’ category, shared her excitement: “Competing in RFC India has been a dream I have worked hard for—both physically and financially. Preparing for this wasn’t easy; I followed a strict fitness regime and took on multiple projects to fund my participation. Over the last five years, I have followed the event closely and even supported my team on the sidelines. So, finally being on the track is an incredible feeling. The experience so far has been everything I hoped for.”

With just a few stages left, the competition is heating up as teams push hard for the RFC India 2025 title.