Kerala duo Athul Thomas and Binil Babu win 4X4 Stock class at Rainforest Challenge India 2026 in Goa
Athul Thomas and Binil Babu from Kerala won the 4X4 Stock class at the Rainforest Challenge (India) 2026 in Goa, the event concluding on August 1. The pair competed in a Maruti Jimny under the team name Killerbull.
The Rainforest Challenge is an international extreme off‑road motorsport event headquartered in Malaysia and the Indian edition is held annually in Goa during the monsoon. The Indian event, supported by the State Government of Goa, draws drivers from across the country who contend with incessant rain, uneven and unfamiliar terrain and slush. RCF is described in reports as being among the top 10 toughest motor races and one of the top five toughest off‑road races.
No other Kerala team had previously won the 4X4 Stock category, making this victory a first for the state; other Kerala entries recorded wins in the Extreme and Modified classes at the same meeting. The winning duo compete under the name Killerbull, which they use to identify their team.
The pair finished the event with 1,247 points out of a possible 1,400. "This was a four-day event, with 14 different stages spread across the days. There were 24 other cars in our category. The terrain is tough, you are literally driving through forests with uneven paths, there are no roads really. Just cones marking the way. It is gruelling and intense," says Binil, who is a manager at Ducati Kochi.
Athul brings 10 years of experience and is described as a veteran of more than 300 similar motorsports events held across the country. Binil is primarily a motorcycle racer and this was his first time racing in a car; he served as co‑driver because Athul is a friend from Kerala’s racing circuit and said, "but I brought in my experience as a bike racer."
He said the winners in the 4X4 Extreme class representing Arunachal Pradesh received a hero’s treatment. "Preparing for the race cost us close to ₹6 lakh. We dipped into our savings to make this happen. If we get sponsors, it lightens the financial burden considerably," Binil said, adding, "We are not looking at that kind of support, but something from local sponsors would be helpful for those of us who are into motorsports. Kerala has many talented drivers and riders, unfortunately they cannot follow their passion because of how expensive the sport is. Also this is a great outlet for youngsters who love speed, it changes your perspective on it, your entire attitude towards it (speed) becomes healthy."
The Rainforest Challenge (India) event in Goa concluded on August 1.