Bangkok, March 30 : Mangalore's Jason Saldanha and Thimmu Uddapanda of Kodagu, began the season with a bang winning the first round of the Thailand National Rally Championship (RAAT) in RC 2.1 class, in Nakhon Ratchasima, on Sunday.

They also finished a creditable second in the Overall category despite losing time behind a stuck car in Special Stage 4. Driving a Suzuki Swift 1.4L turbo for 'Team Insight & Ally,' they made it their second consecutive victory at the RAAT, taking home the coveted title.

'It is a mixed bag. We are very happy to have won our class and the feeling to lift the Indian flag high is a proud moment. But for the time lost behind a stationary car, we would have won the Overall honours too,' said Saldanha and Thimmu, about the SS4 incident where they could not continue as a car blocked the road.

The organisers are yet to decide on the scratch time when the provisional results were announced. The duo were fastest in three Special Stages (SS) and clocked an overall time of one hour, 32.20 seconds for a total distance of 81.50km including a competitive stage distance of 38.63km in the eight SS.

There are three physical stages. The Sanamachai Forest Park stage is the longest at 17.5km, the Rubber Research stage is 13.4km and the Wang Nam Sai is the shortest at 7.73km.

Saldanha, born on March 24, 1987, is a skilled Indian rally driver making waves in both the RAAT and the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC). Originally from Mangaluru, he now resides in Belur, Karnataka, where he continues to hone his craft in motorsports. Thimmanna, born on December 24, 1989 in Ammathi, on the other hand, brings in experience and stability to the partnership, with his expertise in navigation. He made his debut at Coimbatore in 2018.

Saldanha's breakthrough moment came in April 2023 when he and his co-driver, Thimmanna Uddapanda, popularly known as Thimmu, made history by becoming the first Indians to win a title in their class in the Thailand Rally Nationals. Driving for 'Team Insight & Ally,' the duo etched their names in the record books with this remarkable achievement.

In December 2024, Saldanha delivered another stellar performance at the INRC Blueband K1000 Rally, their home rally. Competing in the INRC 2 category alongside Uddapanda Thimanna in a Maruti Baleno RS 1.0 for Arka Motorsports, he secured an impressive second-place overall finish and clinched first place in the INRC 2 class.

Earlier in the season, at the INRC Blueband Rally of Hyderabad, he and Thimanna finished fifth overall and third in their category. Saldanha also put up a strong fight at the 2024 Robusta Rally, the penultimate round of the INRC. In a tightly-contested race, he narrowly missed a podium finish, placing fourth overall - just a second behind Aditya Thakur in the INRC 2 category.

Saldanha and Thimmu continue to improve their game and are a formidable force in Indian motorsports, showcasing their talent on both national and international rally circuits. Their next event will be the South India Rally in Chennai from April 24 to 27.

/IANS