PANAJI
Kranthi Kumar Vengala and co-driver Rajeev Lal PM of Hyderabad maintained their lead in the '4x4 Extreme' category after the completion of nine Special Stages (SS) at the Rainforest Challenge (RFC) India 2026, as the off-road motorsport event entered its second day on Wednesday.
The second day saw the '4x4 Extreme' competitors move to a densely forested venue in Quepem, a stark contrast to the open soft-mud terrain that tested teams on the opening day. Meanwhile, the '4x4 Modified' category began its campaign on the same course tackled by the Extreme competitors a day earlier.
According to the provisional standings after SS1 to SS9 in the '4x4 Extreme' category, Vengala and Rajeev Lal PM continued to head the leaderboard with 790 points out of a possible 900. Kerala's Anand Manjooran and co-driver Vishnu Raj climbed to second place with 745 points, while Arunachal Pradesh's Ujjal Namshum and Chethan Chengappa retained third position with 688 points.
Despite leading the standings, Vengala endured a dramatic moment after losing a tyre during one of the stages. The Hyderabad team completed the stage on three tyres before recovering the detached wheel.
Namshum also suffered a setback after his vehicle toppled in the opening stage of the day while attempting to gain ground. The team managed to repair the vehicle in time to complete the remaining stages and preserve its place among the top three.
The '4x4 Modified' category got underway with 16 teams taking to the course. After the first four Special Stages, Sarjerao Kawade and co-driver Rushikesh Patil of Pune emerged as the early leaders with 363 points out of 400. Suraksha BS and Sanoj S of Coorg occupied second place with 339 points, while Maharashtra's Nikunj Vora and Parag Patil were close behind in third with 338 points.
Unlike the Extreme category, the Modified competitors tackled the stages without winching sections, making the contest a pure test of driving skill. Two stages featured deep water obstacles, while the opening and third stages also included water crossings. Only the fourth stage remained dry.
The rain-soaked conditions and water hazards caught several competitors off guard, particularly those accustomed to high-speed driving. The demanding terrain, coupled with aggressive driving, also resulted in mechanical damage to several vehicles during the day's competition.
Meanwhile, the '4x4 Stock' category completed the scrutiny of its 23 competing vehicles, with its competition set to commence in the coming days.
