Gaurav Gill sets the pace in South India Rally

Toyota Rally Teams Thailand Mana Pornsiricherd co-driver Phanyathat Meenil was placed second behind Gill, while last years winner and reigning National champion Karna Kadur Nikhil Pai was in third spot at the end of two loops of Super Special Stage totally 3.1 km.

Gaurav Gill, driving a Subaru Impreza, along with first-time co-driver, Aniruddha Rangneskar, set the pace on the opening day in the FIA-APRC (Asia Rally Cup, Round-2) segment of the 46th South India Rally on Friday. Toyota Rally Team's (Thailand) Mana Pornsiricherd (co-driver Phanyathat Meenil) was placed second behind Gill, while last year's winner and reigning National champion Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai) was in third spot at the end of two loops of Super Special Stage totally 3.1 km. Incidentally, Kadur also leads the INRC field. A spell of rains at the fag end of the session added a twist to the proceedings and more wet weather that is forecast for tomorrow when five Special Stages are scheduled, could make the going that much tougher. The cross-over format here also caught out several competitors who chose the wrong lane, thus adding to the drama. Reflecting on his performance today, Gill, driving the Subaru with barely any pre-event testing barring a small test run over 700 metres last night, said: ''Everything went according to plan. We wanted to finish at the top of the order today. It was a good shakedown for the car.'' The rally which is also a round of the Blueband Sports FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship is organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club at the Madras International Circuit here.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)