Meghalaya motorsport athlete Phoebe Dale Nongrum will represent the state at the sixth edition of the Rally of the Himalaya, days after securing a podium finish in the women’s category at the Rally of Coimbatore.
Nongrum finished second runner-up in the women’s category in the second round of the 2026 Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), held in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, from September 18 to 20. She overcame car-related problems on the opening day to recover in the subsequent stages and finish on the podium.
She will now compete in the Rally of the Himalaya from September 27 to 30, with the event covering the high-altitude terrain of Zanskar Valley and Ladakh. The cross-country rally will feature mountain routes, changing surfaces and long-distance stages.
The event will mark Nongrum’s second appearance in the Rally of the Himalaya. During the fifth edition, she secured a podium finish in the T1 Xtreme category, becoming the first female competitor to finish on the podium in the event. She also won the Best Team Trophy.
Nongrum made her INRC debut in 2023 and has since recorded consecutive runner-up finishes in the championship’s women’s category. She represents the Meghalaya Motorsports Society and competes in rallying, circuit racing and cross-country motorsport.
Ahead of the Himalayan rally, Nongrum said the short turnaround after the Coimbatore event would leave little time for recovery, but added that her previous experience had helped her understand the demands of high-altitude cross-country racing.
Nongrum will be partnered by co-driver Shahid Salman, who has experience in national rallying and cross-country competition. Salman won the T2 category at the 2017 Rally of the Himalaya and was the INRC 3 champion in 2023.
Her participation comes as she continues to compete in both the INRC and cross-country rallying, taking on two different motorsport formats within a short period.
