Published: July 13, 2026 at 4:11 pm
Team Duran Racing’s ace rally duo of Hyderabad’s Naveen Puligilla and co-driver Musa Sherif of Kasaragod produced a commanding performance to win the ARC3 class in the 2026 Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, the third round of the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC), which concluded on Sunday.
Apart from securing the ARC3 class victory, the Hyderabad-Kasaragod pair punched well above their weight in their Ford Fiesta Rally3, prepared and serviced by MRU Motorsport Africa, to finish an outstanding fourth overall against a highly competitive field that included several more powerful Rally2 cars. The rally attracted 17 entries from Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Denmark and India.
Touching speeds of nearly 170 kmph on the demanding gravel stages, Naveen and Musa dominated the ARC3 category by winning 12 of the 18 special stages. Holding a comfortable lead of nearly two minutes, they eased their pace during the final two stages to seal a convincing class victory. The pair completed the rally in 2 hours, 13 minutes and 48.3 seconds despite overcoming a mapping sensor issue during one of the special stages.
“This rally featured some of the toughest and most technical gravel stages I have competed on, but they were also among the fastest. I am delighted to win the ARC3 category and finish fourth overall against such a competitive international field. It is a proud moment for all of us,” said Naveen Puligilla.
Naveen, the reigning 2025 Indian National Rally Champion in the 3T class, partnered seasoned co-driver Musa Sherif, an eight-time Indian National Rally Champion with more than 34 years of rallying experience.
“Naveen was exceptionally fast and consistent throughout the rally, and the car performed brilliantly from start to finish. Winning the ARC3 class and finishing fourth overall against several Rally2 cars reflects the hard work and dedication of the entire team,” said Musa Sherif.
Naveen and Musa move to 2nd place
With this result, Naveen and Musa moved up to second place in the ARC3 championship standings, strengthening their challenge for the continental title.
The achievement adds another milestone to their growing international success. In November 2025, the pair created Indian motorsport history by becoming the first all-Indian driver and co-driver combination to secure a podium finish in any FIA World Rally Championship category after finishing second in the WRC3 class at Rally Saudi Arabia.
Naveen Puligilla (second from right) and Musa Sherif are flanked by the Rwanda rally organisers
The gruelling Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, held from July 10 to 12 across the challenging gravel roads of Rwanda’s Bugesera District, covered a total distance of 307.52 km, including 252 km of competitive stages spread across 18 special stages.
Kenya’s Karan Patel claimed the overall rally victory ahead of Tanzania’s Ahmed Huwel and Kenya’s Aakif Virani, while Naveen Puligilla and Musa Sherif finished an impressive fourth overall, ahead of several higher-specification Rally2 cars.
