Hampi (Karnataka), Jan 5 (IANS) Ruthuparna Vivek and Samuel Jacob won the cars and bikes category respectively in Round 3 of the MSCK fmsci Indian National Hill Climb Championship at Hampi Hills in Karnataka on Monday.
The National qualifier organised by Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar attracted a record 113 entries and was supported by the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports and Karnataka Tourism.
Chikmagalur’s 26-year-old Ruthuparna, a regular on the Indian National Rally Championship circuit, was in sublime form across categories, topping the 1151–1450cc Pro-Stock Petrol class with a best time of 2:20.818 and later stamping his authority again in the Unrestricted category with a blistering 2:07.623 in her Mercedes AMG for a double win.
Bijapur off-roader Kavita Desai, who won many trophies in the last few years, capped a fine weekend by taking the Ladies class wins in both two-wheelers and four-wheelers.
In the two-wheelers, Udupi’s Samuel Jacob, a multiple national champion, was equally commanding, winning the premier Unrestricted class with an impressive 2:03.529, showcasing precision and aggression on the technical Hampi ascent of 2.5km with five hairpin bends.
In the two-wheelers, Darpan Darshan enjoyed a productive outing with victories in the Group B 4S up to 165cc and the 166cc to 260cc classes, while Madhu Sudhan claimed honours in the Group B 4S 261cc and above category.
Suhail Ahmed added to his tally by winning the Group B Indian Open 4S class, and Vikas M topped the Indian Open 2S segment. In the cars, Ashwin Pugalagiri emerged on top in the 1451–1650cc Pro-Stock Petrol class, while Chetan delivered a strong double by winning both the 1651–2050cc Pro-Stock Petrol and the Indian Open categories.
Race Directors Santosh H M and Rohit Gowda from Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagara said: “record entries reflect the growing popularity of hill climb motorsport in India and as the first event set a strong tone for the 2026 racing season.” The winners were felicitated by Deputy Director of Tourism Prabhulinga.
