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Key Points

Delhi's Philippos Matthai delivered a stunning performance at the Chennai Gravel Fest, dominating four different autocross categories. His exceptional driving skills were on full display as he navigated the challenging 1.8 km mixed terrain circuit with remarkable precision. Matthai's victory came despite tricky track conditions following overnight rains, showcasing his technical expertise. The championship round saw him outpace top national rivals and set the fastest time of the event.

Key Points: Philippos Matthai Dominates Chennai Gravel Fest INAC Round

  • Matthai won INAC 1 and INAC 2 Open and 2000 classes
  • Achieved fastest track time of 1:38.880
  • Competed on challenging mixed terrain circuit
  • Defeated top national autocross rivals
2 min read

Philippos Matthai tops INAC round 2 with four wins

Delhi driver Philippos Matthai wins four categories in spectacular performance at FMSCI Indian National Autocross Championship Round 2

"I am very happy to have won in four classes. - Philippos Matthai"

Chennai, June 15

New Delhi's Philippos Matthai brought into play all his vast experience and undoubted driving skills to win outright in four categories in the Vamcy Merla Chennai Gravel Fest which doubled up as the second round of FMSCI Indian National Autocross Championship (INAC) 2025 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday.

Matthai, driving his INRC 2 Polo car, blitzed quality fields in the premier INAC 1 and INAC 2 categories in both of which he won the Open and 2000 classes to stamp his authority on the event as he also put in the fastest time of one minute, 38.880 seconds over the 1.8 kms track which was a mix of dirt, gravel and tarmac.

The Delhi ace was in a league of his own as he held off his arch-rivals which included top guns Syed Salman (Mysuru), Arnav Pratap Singh (Gurugram), former National Rally champion Chetan Shivram (Bengaluru) and Vaibhav Marathe (Ponda) all of whom finished on podium in the four classes.

Reflecting on his performance, Matthai said: "I am very happy to have won in four classes. We achieved what we had set out to do. The track was a bit tricky in the early part with water puddles in some of the corners after overnight rains. However, the track dried up and became a bit rough in the latter half of the day. I didn't participate in the first round in Chikmagaluru last month. So, it was a good result here. I now look forward to the next round in Coimbatore."

Meanwhile, Syed Salman also enjoyed a fruitful outing as he topped the INAC 2 up to 1650cc and up to 1450cc classes for a fine double.

Davangere's Shivani Pruthvi won in the Ladies class ahead of Chennai's Nivetha Jessica and Anusha NS from Bengaluru while Gowtham CP (Chikkamagaluru) topped the INAC 3 Open category.

Hyderabad's Sundeep K, who finished eighth in the INAC 1 Unrestricted Open category, was adjudged "Best Novice" driver.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
What an incredible performance by Matthai! 🚗💨 Winning four categories is no joke. Shows why Indian motorsports is growing so fast. The competition from Salman and others makes it even more exciting. Hope we see more such events across India!
P
Priya M.
So proud to see Shivani Pruthvi representing women in motorsports! More power to our female racers 👏 The ladies' category is getting tougher each year - great to see talent from Chennai and Bengaluru too.
A
Arjun S.
The mixed surface track sounds challenging! Gravel + tarmac requires real skill. Though I wish the article had more technical details about the cars and modifications. Still, great coverage of our national championship.
S
Sneha V.
Madras International Circuit is becoming the hub for motorsports in South India! Last month it was superbikes, now autocross. When will we get such events in North-East? Assam and Manipur have great potential too.
V
Vikram J.
Matthai's Polo performing so well against higher spec cars proves driving skill matters more than machinery. But I'm concerned - why no participants from Maharashtra this time? Mumbai-Pune belt used to dominate earlier.
K
Kavita R.
The 'Best Novice' award to Sundeep is heartwarming! 👏 We need more such encouragement for new talent. Maybe FMSCI should organize talent hunts in smaller towns too. India has so much untapped racing potential!

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