At the 2.1-kilometer Kari Motor Speedway in Chettipalayam on October 24, 2026, Kolkata driver Arya Singh led Dark Don Racing to an authoritative opening victory in the premier LGB Formula 4 category of the 2026 CTR-JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship. Surviving aggressive slipstreaming down the 800-metre main straight and two full safety car restarts, Singh fended off intense pressure from MSport rivals to seize early command of the national single-seater standings.
Operating identical tubular spaceframe chassis powered by production-based 1.3-litre Maruti Suzuki Swift 16-valve petrol engines producing 85 horsepower, the LGB Formula 4 class remains India's most competitive grassroots open-wheel formula, where slipstreaming battles routinely feature three-wide overtakes into Turn 1.
The race weekend opened under clear skies and 32°C ambient track heat, placing extreme thermal degradation on the spec JK Tyre racing slicks across the tight 14-turn layout.
2026 CTR-JK Tyre FMSCI National Car Racing Championship: Round 1 LGB Formula 4 Results
| Position | Driver Name | Team Franchise | Laps Completed | Total Race Time | Fastest Lap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Arya Singh | Dark Don Racing | 15 Laps | 18:42.115 | 1:08.412 |
| 2nd | Tijil Rao | Dark Don Racing | 15 Laps | +0.418s | 1:08.520 |
| 3rd | Dhruvh Goswami | MSport | 15 Laps | +0.892s | 1:08.490 |
| 4th | Diljith T S | Dark Don Racing | 15 Laps | +1.210s | 1:08.630 |
| 5th | Abhay Mohan | MSport | 15 Laps | +2.450s | 1:08.710 |
Slipstream Chess into Turn 1
The signature dynamic of LGB Formula 4 at Kari is the tow down the main straight. Because the low-drag wings produce minimal downforce, a trailing car running within five car-lengths gains up to 10 km/h of terminal velocity approaching the heavy braking zone for Turn 1.
Starting from the front row, Singh timed his launch cleanly, covering the inside line to protect track position into the opening chicane. Behind him, teammate Tijil Rao slotted into second, establishing an effective team aerodynamic buffer against the chasing MSport entry of Dhruvh Goswami.
On Lap 7, an off-track excursion at Turn 4 triggered a safety car, erasing Singh's 1.2-second margin. On the restart, Goswami drafted past Rao into Turn 1, diving down the inside of Singh into the hairpin.
Displaying textbook racecraft, Singh executed the over-under maneuver, switching back to the inside on corner exit and pinning the throttle over the bumpy exit kerb to reclaim the lead.
Mechanical Parity and Chassis Tuning
In a spec racing series with sealed Swift engines, mechanical differences come down to chassis setup and tire pressure management.
Teams run low cold pressures (roughly 14 PSI) to maximize the contact patch as tires heat soak on Kari's abrasive surface.
Dark Don Racing's technical advantage stemmed from front anti-roll bar tuning, allowing Singh to rotate the car cleanly through Kari's slow, off-camber infield without inducing terminal snap-oversteer over the kerbs.
With four races scheduled across the opening weekend, Singh's opening victory establishes Dark Don Racing as the benchmark team, setting up an intense season-long rivalry against MSport as the championship heads toward the high-speed streets of Goa and Chennai.
Source: Rediff Sports: National Car Racing Championship Kicks Off With Dramatic Wins
