Itanagar, Dec 17 (IANS): Ace Indian rally car driver Gaurav Gill began his FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2020 with a win, taking the Rally of Arunachal in style here on Thursday.

Gill took a total of 56:55.200 minutes to complete eight special stages and record a victory by a margin of an impressive 4:25.700 minutes over Karna Kadur. Dean Mascarenhas finished third overall with a time of 1:02:30.500 minutes.

Gill was at his best and even a flat tyre in the final stage could not stop him from underlining his supremacy in the opening round.

The three-time APRC champion, along with co-driver Musa Sherif, got off to a thrilling start and after opening up a considerable lead on the opening day which witnessed four thrilling night stages, it was all about driving safely and bringing his XUV300 home.

"It was a great start to the season. The stages were really fast and I enjoyed driving here. The car has been fantastic and there is absolutely nothing I could complain about," said Gill.

"We made some adjustments to the car from last year and it has worked wonders. And all I could say is, me behind the wheels of a car like this on tarmac is just the perfect combination."