Kumaran, Sato and Mehul dominate in Indian Racing Festival

Coimbatore, Oct 4 (PTI) Kyle Kumaran, Itsuki Sato, and Mehul Agarwal delivered commanding performances across three racing categories on the opening day of Round 3 of Indian Racing Festival here on Saturday.

In the Indian Racing League, Kumaran, the 'A' driver for Kichcha's Kings Bangalore, produced a flawless drive, converting his pole position into a decisive win in the 25-minute-plus one-lap feature race.

With exceptional speed and control on the 2.4km circuit, Kumaran surged ahead early and did not relinquish his lead. The win marked both his and the team's first victory of the season.

There was further joy for Kichcha's Kings Bangalore as Neel Jani climbed from seventh on the grid to claim third place, securing a double podium for the team.

Akhil Rabindra of Hyderabad Black Birds finished second after a gripping battle that ended in a near photo-finish.

Sato stuns on debut ============= In the FIA-Certified Formula 4 Indian Championship, Japan's Itsuki Sato of Ahmedabad Apex Racers delivered a masterclass on his Indian debut, winning Race 1 with a pole-to-chequered-flag performance.

The 22-year-old moved to pole after 15-year-old Shane Chandaria of Chennai Turbo Riders was handed a five-place grid penalty.

Despite intense competition from a global grid featuring drivers from Japan, Mozambique, South Africa, and Australia, Sato showcased poise, finishing well ahead with a time of 27:10.989.

Aggarwal leads from front ================ In the Formula LGB4 races, part of the 28th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship, Agarwal of Dark Don Racing continued his dominant form, clinching victories in both races of day one.

In Race 1, he clocked 20:13.369, holding off a late push from Dhruvh Goswami of MSport (20:17.203), while Agarwal's teammate Aditya Patnaik secured third (20:17.538) position.

In Race 2, Agarwal once again led from the front to take the win in 18:01.251. Dhruvh Goswami finished second (18:05.480), while Diljith T S completed the podium in third (18:06.376), rounding off another strong showing for the top competitors. PTI AH UNG