Most Mumbai SUV owners spend their weekends cruising to cafes or winding through the scenic Western Ghats. But on 12th October, Sunday, 30 competitors brought their ladder-frame SUVs to Venom Moto Park in Vajreshwar (north of Mumbai) for something far more demanding.
The Monsoon 4X4 Autocross Mumbai 2025, organized by Venom Motorsports, put drivers through a 500-meter dirt course that tested machine limits and driver nerve. When the final times came in, the gap between first and second was less time than it takes to blink.
This is how India's off-road community traded comfort for competition, and why every fraction counted.
The Gatekeepers
Before any engine roared, every vehicle had to pass the FMSCI gauntlet. Aftler registering with valid racing licenses, drivers submitted their vehicles for technical inspection. An FMSCI officer meticulously vetted each one against Group N regulations, inspecting everything from battery brackets to trailblazing modifications. This was no formality; it was the barrier to entry, ensuring every machine met the exacting safety and technical standards of competitive motorsport.
With the vehicles approved, the FMSCI steward conducted final checks on track conditions, local permits, and the on-site medical team. Responsible for everything from pre-race safety to post-race protests, their approval was the green light for the competition to begin.
The Machines
Packed parking lot with most being participants
The paddock was a testament to India’s diverse 4X4 culture, with stock Toyota Hilux, Mahindra Thars lining up alongside tuned and modified Maruti Jimnys and Gypsys. Competitors were divided into three classes by engine capacity: up to 1,500cc, up to 3,500cc, and 3,501cc and above. A mandatory briefing covered rules and safety, after which some drivers walked the track to plot their lines. Then, the 4X4 madness began.
Opening rounds
A tight turn where very few managed not to go overboard on the dirt pile
Each competitor was given two timed laps on a compact and a daring course. The layout tested everything—driver skill, vehicle preparation, and the willingness to risk expensive machinery for a faster time.
The berm where the Hilux and Fortuner scraped their bumpers.
Bumpers scraped the dirt ground, wheels lifted mid-corner, and one ambitious Gypsy driver even snapped a front axle. The digital timer became both enemy and motivator, forcing drivers to balance raw aggression with razor-sharp control.
As competitors completed their initial runs, the intensity built. Times were close. During the lunch break, several drivers signed up for reruns, convinced they had left precious seconds on the table.
Relapse for better laps
Despite Thar being one of the heavier 4X4s in the event, it clocked the quickest time.
The reruns compressed the leaderboard as drivers desperately shaved seconds. Every mistake now cost positions, and every perfect line gained crucial fractions. By day’s end, officials had logged a total of 70 laps from all drivers combined.
A promising Jimny driver lifted both inside wheels through the same tight corner on both laps, threading the needle between maximum speed and catastrophic rollovers. The crowd took a deep breath, then erupted. India’s top off-roaders showed why experience matters, with some entering reruns not to climb positions but to beat their own records— elevating the standard for everyone.
Decided by fractions
The final results came down to tenths and hundredths of a second.
Sameer Chunawala, champion of RFC India 2025, claimed third overall with a time of 2:02.713. Kartik Konchady, winner of Venomsports' Dirt Blazzer 2025, secured second with a blistering 1:56.953. But it was Shanawaz Khader who took the overall victory at 1:56.732, a winning margin of just 0.221 seconds—less time than it takes to blink.
Got a chance to be in the loud and wobbly Gypsy crawler.The event closed with Chunawala performing a celebratory 360-degree spin in his RFC India 2025–winning Gypsy crawler, a fitting end to a day where courage met consequence on every corner.
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