Shillong, Feb 2: The Blueband Rally of the Highlands, Round 5 of the FMSCI Blueband Sports Indian National Rally Championship 2025, concluded in Indore on January 31, bringing the penultimate round of the season to a close ahead of the championship-deciding final.
Drivers from Meghalaya delivered strong performances at the national stage, with Aneesh Sangma finishing as 1st Runner-Up in the Gypsy Category.
This marks Aneesh’s third podium finish in the Indian National Rally Championship. Phoebe Dale Nongrum also participated in the Women’s Category.
Speaking after the rally, Aneesh Sangma dedicated his performance this season to his late brother Kamlesh Das, calling him not just a brother but a fellow petrolhead who was meant to compete alongside him in the 2026 INRC season.
Aneesh said he feels his brother’s presence in the co-driver’s seat every time he pushes the limits on the stages and dedicated the podium finish to him and his bereaved family.
Aneesh also expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Dr Conrad K Sangma for his continued efforts to promote motorsports in Meghalaya, stating that representing the state at a national level is a responsibility he takes seriously.
He further thanked Sanjay A Sangma, MLA and Adviser to the Excise Department, Government of Meghalaya, for his support across the last four rounds, which he described as crucial to his participation this season.
With one round remaining, attention now shifts to the Rally of Maharashtra, the sixth and final round of the INRC, scheduled to be held next month. The rally will be decisive for the Gypsy Championship, with several titles still up for grabs
Aneesh, who is also the Vice President of the Tura Motor Sports Club (TMSC), has raised high hopes among club members in the Garo Hills as well as motorsports enthusiasts across the region.
Route inspection for the Rally of Maharashtra was conducted in November after the monsoon.
The Service Park and Parc Ferme will be located at Sapkal Knowledge Hub, the same venue used last year, offering a concrete surface and adequate space.
The Rally Headquarters will be based at Grape County Resort, located approximately three kilometres from the service area.
The Command Centre will operate from an Ashram School building, which has now been completed.
The centre is located within the third stage, and movement in and out will be restricted while the stage is live. A Super Special Stage measuring approximately 1.82 kilometres will be run on tarmac within the Grape County Resort and is expected to draw large crowds.
The rally will feature three physical tarmac stages, each run three times in the same direction, making a total of nine competitive stages.
The stages will be run twice on Leg One and once on Leg Two, with a total competitive distance of 109.28 kilometres, including the Super Special Stage. Organisers have confirmed that small villages along the stages will be managed as done in previous editions.
Stage One, named Alfa, will be 9.82 kilometres long and partly follows a route used last year. While the surface is tarmac, drivers can expect patches of mud and grit in certain sections. Two radio points are planned for this stage.
Stage Two, Beta, is a new 7-kilometre stage that is narrow and highly technical, featuring blind crests. Post-monsoon grass remains along the sides of the road, which organisers said will be cleared ahead of the rally. The stage will have one radio point.
Stage Three, Gamma, will be the longest at 19 kilometres and was run last year with a modified start. The first few kilometres have patches of mud and grit, after which the road widens and becomes smoother. This stage will have three radio points and a midpoint ambulance.
The Rally of Maharashtra is expected to provide a challenging and dramatic finale to the 2025 Indian National Rally Championship season.
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