Chennai, India, August 30, 2026: The inaugural IAME Series India 2026 came to a spectacular close at the floodlit Madras International Karting Arena (MIKA), with Chennai’s Kairav Roberson, Rehan Khan Rasheed, Shiv Neel and Aruthran Prabhu emerging as the overall champions in their respective categories.

Promoted by RA Motorsports and organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC), the fifth and final round of the IAME Series India 2026 concluded close to midnight on Saturday after a dramatic evening of racing interrupted by sharp showers.

The event marked the first-ever day-night competitive karting event at MIKA, with the wet conditions adding another layer of difficulty for the young racers. Despite slippery track conditions and water puddles, the drivers maintained a high level of competitiveness, particularly in the Mini and Mini Under-10 categories.

Due to the rain stoppage, the number of laps in the Finals across all categories was reduced when racing resumed.

Kairav Roberson dominates Senior category

Chennai-based Kairav Roberson of MSPORT produced a dominant performance in the Senior category. Having topped every session during the weekend, Roberson comfortably won the Super Heat to secure the overall championship.

He continued his impressive form in the Final, taking another convincing victory and completing a near-perfect weekend.

Rehan Khan Rasheed seals Junior title with wet-weather masterclass

Rehan Khan Rasheed of Momentum Motorsports secured the Junior championship after a strong performance in the Super Heat, where he finished second behind Pune’s Abhishikt Barse of Crest Motorsports.

With the championship effectively secured, Rehan then delivered one of the standout drives of the evening in the wet Final.

The Juniors were the first category to return to the track following the lengthy rain stoppage. The slippery surface caught several drivers out, with a number of competitors sliding or spinning.

Rehan, however, remained composed throughout and mastered the challenging conditions to claim a brilliant Final victory and seal the Junior title in style.

Shiv Neel wins Mini championship

In the Mini category, Shiv Neel of NKRA by KKM fought hard for the championship. The Coimbatore-based youngster, son of India’s first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan, edged Rudra Gokulnath in the Super Heat to extend his points advantage heading into the Final.

Rudra responded in the Final by taking the victory, but Shiv Neel’s second-place finish earned him enough points to secure the overall championship.

The result adds another significant achievement to the young karter’s emerging motorsport career.

Aruthran Prabhu takes Mini Under-10 title

In the Mini Under-10 category, Aruthran Prabhu of Kartkrew Motorsports secured the championship after finishing second behind Ayansh Patil in the Super Heat.

That result gave Aruthran an unassailable points lead over Ayansh before the Final.

He then underlined his dominance by producing an outstanding performance in the Final, winning virtually unchallenged to cap his championship campaign with a victory.

IAME Asia Finals ticket for all four champions

The four overall champions — Kairav Roberson, Rehan Khan Rasheed, Shiv Neel and Aruthran Prabhu — were rewarded with tickets to compete in the IAME Asia Finals in Macau, which is scheduled to take place from December 11 to 13, 2026.

The opportunity will give the young Indian karting champions a chance to compete against some of the best IAME competitors from across Asia.

Team champions

The team championships were also decided at the final round.

Kartkrew Motorsports secured the team titles in the Senior and Mini Under-10 categories, while Momentum Motorsports took the Junior team championship.

NKRA by KKM emerged as the team champions in the Mini category.

Provisional results:

IAME X30 – 125cc Seniors (Finals, 8 laps): 1. Kairav Roberson (Chennai, MSPORT) (08mins, 16.115secs); 2. Vansh Benani (Bahrain, Kartkrew Motorsports) (08:59.062); 3. VV Viswajit (Chennai, Kartkrew Motorsports) (09:09.842). Super Heat (14 laps): 1. Kairav Roberson (Chennai, MSPORT) (11:41.664); 2. Jaden Hadriel (Coimbatore, MSPORT) (12:04.984); 3. Vansh Benani (Bahrain, Kartkrew Motorsports) (12:06.116).

Juniors (Finals, 8 laps): 1. Rehan Khan Rasheed (Chenna, Momentum Motorsports) (08:48.336); 2. Abhishikt Barse (Pune, Crest Motorsports) (08:57.420); 3. Adithya Prathap (Chennai, Momentum Motorsports) (09:17.334). Super Heat (12 laps): 1. Abhishikt Barse (Pune, Crest Motorsports) (10:13.092); 2. Yashvinraam Rajamanickam (Chennai, Momentum Motorsports) (10:20.418); 3. Rehan Khan Rasheed (Chennai, Momentum Motorsports) (10:21.017).

IAME X30 – 60cc Mini Class (Finals, 6 laps): 1. Rudra Gokulnath (UK, NKRK by KKM) (06:50.889); 2. Shiv Neel (Coimbatore, NKRA by KKM) (06:51.738); 3. Ridhaan Anil Kumarr (Bengaluru, Red Rabbit Racers) (07:12.822). Super Heat (9 laps): 1. Shiv Neel (Coimbatore, NKRA by KKM) (08:20.451); 2. Rudra Gokulnath (UK, NKRA by KKM) (08:20.474); 3. Ridhaan Anil Kumarr (Bengaluru, Red Rabbit Racers) (08:26.484).

Mini Under-10 (Finals, 6 laps): 1. Aruthran Prabhu (Kumaraburam, Katkrew Motorsports) (07:07.114); 2. Ayansh Patil (Kolhapur, MSPORT) (07:29.061); 3. Abdur Rehman (Chennai, Momentum Motorsports) (07:43.208). Super Heat (9 laps): 1. Ayansh Patil (Kolhapur, MSPORT) (08:25.730); 2. Aruthran Prabhu (Kumaraburam, Kartkrew Motorsports) (08:30.493); 3. Guru Tharun (Coimbatore, Kartkrew Motorsports) (08:31.356).