Shillong: Meghalaya motorsport athlete Phoebe Dale Nongrum secured a second runner-up finish in the Women’s Category at the Rally of Coimbatore, the second round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2026, held from September 18 to 20 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
The podium came despite car-related problems on the opening day. Nongrum and her team recovered from the setback and maintained their pace through the remaining stages to finish among the top three in the women’s category.
Representing the Meghalaya Motorsports Society (MMS) and Meghalaya, Nongrum has competed at the national level since making her INRC debut in 2023. Her record includes consecutive Vice-Champion finishes in the INRC Women’s Category.
With little recovery time, Nongrum will now represent Meghalaya at the 6th Edition of the Rally of the Himalaya, scheduled from September 27 to 30, across the high-altitude terrain of Zanskar Valley and Ladakh.
This will be her second appearance at the event. During the fifth edition, Nongrum secured a podium in the T1 Xtreme category, becoming the first female competitor to achieve a podium finish at the event, while her team also won the Best Team Trophy.
“The Rally of Coimbatore was challenging, especially after the issues we faced on the first day, but I am happy that we were able to fight back and bring home another podium for Meghalaya,” Nongrum said. She added that the Himalayan event presents a very different challenge because of its demanding terrain and high-altitude conditions.
Nongrum will be partnered by experienced co-driver Shahid Salman, a former T2 winner of the 2017 Rally of the Himalaya and the 2023 INRC 3 Champion.
Her participation across national rallying and cross-country motorsport continues a busy 2026 campaign as she carries Meghalaya’s representation into one of the country’s most demanding motorsport events.
