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{{short description|Indian rally driver}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox WRC driver
| name = V. R. Naren Kumar
| image=
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|07|29|df=y}}
| nationality = {{flagicon|India}} [[India]]n
| Years = 1994–2010
| Teams = Team MRF (INRC), Team JK (INRC), Team India Rally (APRC), Team Sidvin India (PWRC), Team Red Rooster Racing (INRC)
| Races = n/a
| Championships = National [[INRC]]: 7(1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006,2010); Asia Zone : 1 (2001)
| Wins = n/a
| Podiums = n/a
| Stagewins = n/a
| Points = n/a
| First race = 1994 Cotton City Challenge, [[Coimbatore]], India
| First win = 1995
| Last win = 2010 Jodhpur Rally
| Last race = 2010 Jodhpur Rally
}}

'''Velappan Rajendran Naren Kumar''' is a seven-time [[INRC]] [[Rallying|Rally]] [[Champion]] and two-time runner-up and Asia Zone Champion from [[Coimbatore]], India.

Kumar started his career as a privateer in 1993 and was quickly picked up by Team MRF, operated by another Rally driver [[N. Leelakrishnan]]. Naren Kumar is also the first Indian from India to compete in the WRC championship (in Group N Category) driving a factory-supported works [[Subaru Impreza]] [[World Rally Car]] for Team Sidvin India (supported by Four time [[World Rally Championship|WRC]] Rally Champion [[Tommi Makinen]]. After a 4-year gap he entered the 2010 INRC championship in its second season and winning his last title. He announced his retirement from Rallying in 2011.

==National Championship==
In India, he won four championships for Team MRF, including an Asia Zone Championship in [[Honda Civic]] then switched to Team JK, who themselves reappeared into the rallying scene after a seven-year gap, just to sponsor Naren and won another two championships. Yet Naren won the 2005 crown for JK in a rally tyre pulled out of their old stock.
[[File:Naren Kumar.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Naren Kumar and Ramkumar in a Group A [[Maruti Baleno]] [[Rally Car]] in [[Mysore]] Safari Rally in 2005.]]
He won the National Championships in the years 2010, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 and Runner-up in 2001 and 2004 which was mainly due APRC Commitments.

==International Championships==

===Asia Pacific===
Currently (2007) Naren is participating in the 2007 [[FIA]] Asia Pacific Rally Championship, and is within top 5 places. His entry as a privateer with part support from Sidvin and Red Rooster Racing made him the top title contender among the other privateers, while all his close rivals are factory teams. He however finished fourth in the championships and with a podium (Second overall) and by the end of the season he was invited for a test drive by [[Subaru]] World Rally Team.

[[File:Team India Sidvin APRC Mitsubishi EVO 8 in 2008.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Naren Kumar and Jeff Judd in a [[Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution|Mitsubishi Evolution]] 8 [[World Rally Car]] in [[Asia-Pacific Rally Championship|APRC]] round two of [[New Zealand Rally]] in 2008.]]

==World Rally Championship==

===Team Abarth offer===
In 2005 the Italian team and [[Fiat]]/[[Lancia]] tuning specialist [[Abarth]] offered a drive for Naren. But he could not raise the required sponsorship at that time and opted for APRC.

===Subaru WRC Testing===
During the end of 2007 APRC season where Team Subaru impressed with his driving skills offered him a test drive session. The early month of October 2007 saw Naren in [[Wales]], England testing for the new [[Subaru Impreza]] [[Group N]] [[World Rally]] for Subaru World Rally Team.[http://www.hinduonnet.com/tss/tss3041/stories/20071013504803800.htm]{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

===Production Car World Rally Championship (P-WRC)===
In early February 2008, Team Sidvin was launched technical and vehicle support from four-time world rally champion [[Tommi Makinen]]'s Racity Oy Limited. Naren Kumar will start in the Production Car World Rally Championship (P-WRC) series run alongside the regular WRC series. Naren Kumar will be driving a [[Subaru Impreza]]. His main sponsor will be the [[Bengaluru]]-based oil and gas company Sidvin Core-Tech. During mid-season Naren was replaced by Gaurav Gill from India who added more Did-Not-Finish to the team.
[[File:Naren Kumar and Tomi Makinen.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Naren Kumar and Four time WRC Champion [[Tommi Makinen]] announcing the launch of Team Sidvin India.]]

===Return to Indian National Rally Championship (INRC)===
After a 2-year hiatus Naren returned to a full season of INRC in the newly formed team Red Rooster racing. Tuned by ace tuner and rallyist N. Leela Krishnan, Naren actually joined the second rally in the season and easily winning the 2010 title, thus making him the most successful Four Wheeler Rally champion in India.

===Retirement===
For the 2011 season Team Red Rooster Racing withdrew from motorsports, thus leaving only team MRF and some privateers in the title bid. Naren Kumar on 22 July 2011, finally announced his retirement from Rallying just few days short of his 37th birthday.

==Sources==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070514045241/http://www.fiaaprc.com/content/view/49/46/ Personal Profile in FIA site][https://web.archive.org/web/20081014032043/http://www.fiaaprc.com/images/stories/aprc07_comp_profile_n_kumar.pdf]
*[https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/naren-kumar-aims-to-be-best-in-asia-pacific-zone/article27932532.ece Article in Hindu]
*[http://www.italiaspeed.com/2006/motorsport/rally/europe/other/vr_naren_kumar/2904.html WRC offer]
*[http://m.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Sports&sectid=8&contentid=2008080120080801020731609f2743ed9 Interview in ''Mumbai Mirror'']{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110911105501/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-22/racing/29802396_1_red-rooster-racing-team-mrf-south-india-rally Retirement]
*[http://www.thehindu.com/sport/motorsport/article1134908.ece The Hindu: Final title]
* [https://archive.today/20070627203301/http://www.rally.co.in/viewtopic.php?t=363 Driver Profile & Interview in www.rally.co.in website]
*[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060429/asp/sports/story_6160859.asp]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060913032903/http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/28/stories/2006042811082000.htm]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060514213912/http://www.hindu.com/2005/08/15/stories/2005081505631800.htm]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070928010938/http://www.thehinduimages.com:8080/hindu/photoDetail.do?photoId=3246031]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071012132019/http://autocarindia.com/new/Information.asp?id=1877]
*[http://www.hinduonnet.com/tss/tss3041/stories/20071013504803800.htm]{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, V. R. Naren}}
[[Category:Indian rally drivers]]
[[Category:Tamil sportspeople]]
[[Category:Telugu people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:World Rally Championship drivers]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:00, 26 October 2021
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	===Subaru WRC Testing===		===Subaru WRC Testing===
	During the end of 2007 APRC season where Team Subaru impressed with his driving skills offered him a test drive session. The early month of October 2007 saw Naren in [[Wales]], England testing for the new [[Subaru Impreza]] [[Group N]] [[World Rally]] for Subaru World Rally Team.~~[http://www.hinduonnet.com/tss/tss3041/stories/20071013504803800.htm]{{Dead link\|date=July 2018 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}~~		During the end of 2007 APRC season where Team Subaru impressed with his driving skills offered him a test drive session. The early month of October 2007 saw Naren in [[Wales]], England testing for the new [[Subaru Impreza]] [[Group N]] [[World Rally]] for Subaru World Rally Team.

	===Production Car World Rally Championship (P-WRC)===		===Production Car World Rally Championship (P-WRC)===
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	* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110911105501/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-22/racing/29802396_1_red-rooster-racing-team-mrf-south-india-rally Retirement]		* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110911105501/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-22/racing/29802396_1_red-rooster-racing-team-mrf-south-india-rally Retirement]
	*[http://www.thehindu.com/sport/motorsport/article1134908.ece The Hindu: Final title]		*[http://www.thehindu.com/sport/motorsport/article1134908.ece The Hindu: Final title]
	* [https://archive.today/20070627203301/http://www.rally.co.in/viewtopic.php?t=363 Driver Profile & Interview in www.rally.co.in website]		*[https://archive.today/20070627203301/http://www.rally.co.in/viewtopic.php?t=363 Driver Profile & Interview in www.rally.co.in website]
	*[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060429/asp/sports/story_6160859.asp]		*[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060429/asp/sports/story_6160859.asp]
	*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060913032903/http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/28/stories/2006042811082000.htm]		*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060913032903/http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/28/stories/2006042811082000.htm]
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	*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070928010938/http://www.thehinduimages.com:8080/hindu/photoDetail.do?photoId=3246031]		*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070928010938/http://www.thehinduimages.com:8080/hindu/photoDetail.do?photoId=3246031]
	*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071012132019/http://autocarindia.com/new/Information.asp?id=1877]		*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071012132019/http://autocarindia.com/new/Information.asp?id=1877]
	*[http://www.hinduonnet.com/tss/tss3041/stories/20071013504803800.htm]{{Dead link\|date=July 2018 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}.		.

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, V. R. Naren}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, V. R. Naren}}

V. R. Naren Kumar - Revision history

->GreenC at 21:30, 25 October 2021

imported>GreenC bot: Rescued 2 archive links; reformat 2 links. Wayback Medic 2.5