HAMPI HILLS (Karnataka): Ruthuparna Vivek and Samuel Jacob were crowned the ‘King of Hills’ in the cars and two-wheelers categories respectively at Round 3 of the MSCK–FMSCI Indian National Hill Climb Championship, held at Hampi Hills on Monday.
The national qualifier, organised by the Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, attracted a record 113 entries and was supported by the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports and Karnataka Tourism, reflecting the growing popularity of hill climb motorsport in India.
Ruthuparna dominates in cars
Chikmagalur’s 26 year old Ruthuparna, a regular on the Indian National Rally Championship circuit, delivered a commanding performance across categories. He topped the 1151–1450cc Pro-Stock Petrol class with a best time of 2:20.818 before stamping his authority in the Unrestricted category, clocking a blistering 2:07.623 in his Mercedes AMG to complete a double.
In other car categories, Ashwin Pugalagiri won the 1451–1650cc Pro-Stock Petrol class, while Chetan produced an impressive double by clinching both the 1651–2050cc Pro-Stock Petrol and Indian Open titles.
Samuel Jacob rules the bikes
In the two-wheelers section, Udupi’s Samuel Jacob, a multiple national champion, was equally dominant. He won the premier Unrestricted class with an outstanding time of 2:03.529, showcasing precision and aggression on the challenging 2.5-km Hampi ascent, which features five demanding hairpin bends.
Darpan Darshan enjoyed a productive outing, winning both the Group B 4S up to 165cc and 166–260cc classes, while Madhu Sudhan claimed top honours in the Group B 4S 261cc and above category. Suhail Ahmed won the Group B Indian Open 4S, and Vikas M topped the Indian Open 2S class.
Strong showing in Ladies categories
Bijapur off-roader Kavita Desai capped an excellent weekend by winning the Ladies category in both two-wheelers and four-wheelers, underlining her consistency and experience at the national level.
Organisers hail record participation
Race Directors Santosh H.M. and Rohit Gowda of the Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagara said the record number of entries highlighted the rapid growth of hill climb motorsport in India and added that the event had set a strong tone for the 2026 racing season. The winners were felicitated by Deputy Director of Tourism Prabhulinga.