Held across six days in Goa, RFC India 2026 saw 64 competitors take on three categories, but it was the headline '4x4 Extreme' class that delivered the biggest story. After spending much of the week chasing Team Hyderabad's Kranthi Kumar Vengala and Rajeev Lal PM, defending champions Ujjal Namshum and Chethan Chengappa mounted a late comeback to retain their title.
The turning point came on Day 4, when Namshum and Chengappa moved into the lead after Special Stage 19 despite rolling their vehicle earlier in the day. They recovered, repaired the car, and won five stages across the event to secure the championship with 2253 points. Vengala and Rajeev Lal PM finished second after losing ground following a stage completed on three wheels, while Viddesh Madgaonkar and Sahil Sadekar completed the podium in third.
The opening stages set the tone for the week, with 20 of the 25 '4x4 Extreme' entries failing to finish Special Stage 1 after widespread winch failures exposed the severity of the conditions.
In '4x4 Modified', Sarjerao Kawade and Rushikesh Patil controlled the event despite an early mechanical setback and a time penalty, taking victory with 1633 points. Shehinsha TP and Muhammed Nabeel finished second, with Gagan Karumbaiah and Bopanna Maleyanda narrowly securing third.
The '4x4 Stock' category proved equally competitive. Debutants Naku Hage Chada and Loda Punyo led heading into the latter stages before Athul Thomas and Binil Babu recovered from an early mistake to claim the championship with 1247 points. Chada and Punyo finished second, while Sabu Xavier and Halvin Appanna rounded out the podium.
Heavy rain remained a constant factor throughout the week, with rising water levels submerging vehicles and placing an enormous physical workload on co-drivers. The challenging conditions made consistency and reliability just as important as outright pace, producing one of the toughest editions in the event's history.
By defending their '4x4 Extreme' title, Namshum and Chengappa also secured a place at the Rainforest Challenge Global Series Finale in Malaysia later this year, carrying India's leading off-road pairing onto the international stage.
