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Category: Non-F1
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Ghosh, Naik win Rally of Arunachal Pradesh as Gill pulls out with mechanical problems
Winners of INRC Round 3 (Rally of Arunachal) overall – Amittrajit Ghosh (Left) and his co-driver Ashwin Naik (in Itanagar’s Police Parade ground (Chimpu) today. Itanagar, 4 November 2018: On a day of upsets, Team Mahindra Adventure’s Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) showed great tactical acumen to win the Rally of Arunachal, Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018, here on Sunday. Ghosh, who exhibited amazing fightback on Day 1 to rise from ninth to third, enjoyed a much-needed slice of luck as overnight leader Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif) pulled out of the competition as his car broke down in the sixth stage.
Ghosh tackled the day’s three stages cautiously, finishing second in SS5, third in SS6 and again second in SS7 for a cumulative top timing of 00:57:33.6. It was 5.9 seconds faster than INRC 2’s Phalguna Urs and Srikanth Gowda giving them the victory. The Snap Racing pair, who were hot on Gill’s tail all of Saturday, didn’t have a fruitful second day, managing only two fourth-place and one fifth-place finish in the stages.
Amittrajit Ghosh in action Phalguna’s drive was still good enough to earn his team the INRC 2 win. Former champion Karna Kadur (PVS Murthy) made a valiant charge, taking the second place in SS6 and even winning SS7, but that could only fetch him the runner’s up trophy. Kadur’s Arka Motorsports team-mate Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Y Bhatt) dropped one position to settle for the third place.
The INRC 3 too saw a change in the overnight pecking order, with leaders Suhem Kabeer (Jeevarathinam) of Team Champions slipping out of reckoning in the day’s first stage itself after a crash. It allowed his team-mate and defending champion Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival) to claim the title. Aroor Vikram Rao (Somayya AG) and local outfit Phurpa Tsering (Chow Tiktha) took the other two places on the podium.
“We started the Rally of Arunachal on an ominous note, taking the ninth place due to a technical issue. But I and Ashwin kept pushing until we managed to bounce back to the pole,” a victorious Amittrajit said.
“Today too, we suffered as we had changed the tyres for wet conditions but the track dried up by the time we hit it. But we drove steadily to win the title, which became easier after Gaurav pulled out with a mechanical failure. We are now looking forward to the next two rounds, even though we know that Gaurav will be back in his elements and will put up a tough fight,” he added.
The results:
INRC Overall: 1. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure; 00:57:33.6); 2. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Snap Racing; 00:57:39.5); 3. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions; 00:57:57.7).
INRC 1: Ghosh / Naik; 2. Lokesh Gowda / Venu Ramesh Kumar (Team Champions) (01:07:20.8).
INRC 2: 1. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Snap Racing; 00:57:39.5); 2. Karna Kadur / PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports; 00:58:37.0); 3. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports; 00:58:55.2).
INRC 3: 1. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions; 00:57:57.7); 2. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya AG (Falkon Motorsports; 01:05:17.0); 3. Phurpa Tsering / Chow Tiktha (Phurpa Tsering; 01:14:57.9).
FMSCI 2WD CUP: 1. Adith KC / Arjun SSB (Team Champions; 01:01:20.0); 2. Rakshith Iyer / Sagar Mallappa (Pvt; 01:10:54.4).
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Gaurav Gill shrugs off a puncture to take decisive lead in Rally of Arunachal
File picture of Gaurav Gill who leads Rally of Arunachal at the end of Leg-1. Photo: Anand Philar Itanagar, 3 November 2018: Three-time APRC champion Gaurav Gill recovered from a tyre puncture and only his second stage defeat this season to surge into the lead on Day 1 of the Rally of Arunachal which doubles up as the Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018, here on Saturday.
Team Mahindra Adventure’s Gill, with Musa Sherif by his side, won the other three stages in his usual aggressive style to set himself up for another victory in this elite championship. He raced at speeds over 180 Kmph, recording a scorching average speed of 115.55 km/h in the opening stage.
He was at his slowest in the second stage, managing an average of 99.92 km/h, which was still good enough to give him the second position in that stretch.
Gill’s Mahindra Adventure team-mate Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) won the Stage 2 in style. He had, however, suffered a setback in Stage 1, struggling with a power issue to finish ninth. However, he made up in the remaining rounds to climb to the third position by the end of an exciting day although his car is still not firing on all cylinders.
Snap Racing’s Phalguna Urs (Srikanth Gowda) grabbed the second position with one second and two third place finishes in the Stages. They, however, slipped to fifth place in the fourth and final stage of the day, to be trailing Gill and Sherif by one minute, 31.8 seconds.
Their fine show was good enough to give them the lead in the INRC 2 category, ahead of top contenders Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Y Bhatt) and Karna Kadur (PVS Murthy).
In the INRC 3 category, Suhem Kabeer (Jeevarathinam) made the most of championship leader Aroor Vikram Rao’s (Somayya AG) bad luck in Stage 4 to streak ahead into the lead. Suhem, however, was in his elements, winning two of the stages in his category.
Five-time INRC champion Gill was pleased with his driving, despite the puncture. “The first stage went off very well. We, however, hit a stone in Stage 2 and picked up a puncture,” he pointed out. “We still managed to finish in decent time, which helped us stay in the lead.”
Gill explained that the final day might be tricky as the track was likely to be muddy following rains while they only had tyres suited for tarmac. “It won’t be easy but we will give it our best shot,” he declared.
Ghosh also was not too unhappy with the way the day panned out. “Our car had power issues during Stage 1 and we fell back to the ninth place. By the end of the day, we have climbed to third. Our goal now is to focus on the second position. First is not within reach as we are quite far behind in terms of speed,” he said.
The results:
INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure; 00:31:22.9); 2. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth (Snap Racing; 00:32:54.7); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure; 00:33:05.1).
INRC 1: Gill / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Lokesh Gowda / Venu Ramesh Kumar (Team Champions; 00:37:30.4).
INRC 2: 1. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Snap Racing; 00:32:54.7); 2. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports; 00:33:20.9); 3. Karna Kadur / PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports; 00:33:52.7).
INRC 3: 1. Suhem Kabeer / Jeevarathinam (Team Champions; 00:33:17.8); 2. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions; 00:33:23.2).
FMSCI 2WD CUP: 1. Adith KC / Arjun SSB (00:34:18.6).
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Gaurav Gill set to fire in Rally of Arunachal, Round 3 of MRF FMSCI INRC 2018
(L-R) Aroor Vikram Rao, Amittrajit Ghosh, Gaurav Gill, Karna Kadur & Rahul Kanthraj during media interaction in Itanagar for Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018 Itanagar, 2 November 2018: India’s top rallyist Gaurav Gill will be hoping to inch closer to his sixth national title as the Rally of Arunachal, Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018, unfolds here over the weekend.
Gill, the Team Mahindra Adventure spearhead, who won the grueling Dakshin Dare Rally last month, has been in imperious form through the season, winning the first two rounds with consummate ease.
Along with his trusted co-driver Musa Sherif, Gill is expected to thrill the local crowds with his speed and daredevilry behind the wheel. He will have to keep his eye on his team-mate Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik), though, who will be aiming to upstage him.
Ghosh is currently in the second position and has been driving a lot more assuredly, even though he had to drop out of contention in the Dakshin Dare Rally owing to vehicle malfunction.
Team Mahindra Adventure will be wary of Arka Motorsports’ Karna Kadur, who is likely to enjoy a slight edge over the tarmac stretches. Kadur has a new co-driver by his side, PVS Murthy, and is leading the charts in the INRC 2 category. He is third behind Gill and Ghosh in the overall championship standings.
His team-mate Rahul Kanthraj (co-driver Vivek Y Bhatt) is also a strong contender, currently holding the second position in the INRC 2 category.
Aroor Vikram Rao (co-driver Somayya AG) is leading the INRC 3 category and he will be keen to consolidate his position in the picturesque locals of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Round 3 of MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018 being officially flagged off by Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Shri Pema Khandu (with flag) in Itanagar on November 2 Championship standings after Round 2:
INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill & Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) 50 points; 2. Amittrajit Ghosh & Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) 36 points; 3. Karna Kadur & PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports) 30 points.
INRC 1: 1. Gaurav Gill & Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) 50 points; 2. Amittrajit Ghosh & Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) 36 points.
INRC 2: 1. Karna Kadur & PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports) 50 points; 2, Rahul Kanthraj & Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports) 36 points; 3. Jacob KJ & Nitin Jacob 24 points.
INRC 3: 1. Aroor Vikram Rao & Somayya AG 50 points; 2. Suhem Kabeer & Jeevarathinam 30 points; 3. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 28 points.
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Ashwin Datta consolidates position; double for Chittesh Mandody
File photo of Kolhapur’s Chittesh Mandody, who won both the LGB Formula 4 races on Sunday. Coimbatore, 14 October 2018: Chennai’s Ashwin Datta moved a step closer to his maiden Euro JK title in the 21st JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship as a dramatic Round 3, replete with ups, downs and upsets, concluded at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday.
Ashwin (74 points after R3 ), who was just two points ahead of Nayan Chatterjee (66 after R3) as the action began on Saturday, made the most of Nayan’s DNF to widen his lead. But Chennai’s Karthik Tharani (68 after R3) won the next two races to come back into the equation.
The final race of the weekend, however, saw a totally new set of winners, with Nirmal Uma Shankar, Brayan Perera and Yash Aradhya claiming the podium places. Ashwin finished fourth, though, ahead of his key competitors to be 6 points ahead of the field.
The LGB Formula 4 too proved to be topsy-turvy but Vishnu Prasad (59) managed to keep his nose barely ahead despite not having the best of weekends with Chittesh Mandody (Avalanche) scoring a fine double.
Delhi’s Rohit Khanna seemed to be cruising ahead after winning the first race on Day 1 and starting Day 2 with another victory. However, a series of incidents led to a number of protests, that saw him being penalized by 20 seconds and slip down from No. 1 to 13.
In the final race, Rohit just couldn’t recover his poise and ended up with a DNF. Vishnu too had a poor race, finishing ninth and without a point. Raghul Rangasamy is now on the second place on the Championship table with 57 points.
The other Chennai star Joseph Mathew too had an eventful race, beating Malsawmdawngliana literally at the post. Joseph began cautiously, allowing his rival from Aizawl to take the lead. He overtook him at the halfway stage only to see Malsawmdawngliana streak past him in the final lap.
Just as victory seemed in Malsawmdawngliana’s grasp, Joseph outwitted him, winning by a wafer-thin margin of 0.087 seconds. This is Joseph’s sixth straight victory in the three rounds and puts him firmly in line for another title.
The JK Tyre Novice Cup too saw a dramatic turn of events, which led to Surya Varathan claiming the championship and Tijil Rao taking the second place.
Hashim EKP, who had won all three races over the weekend to move ahead, was disqualified as he had contravened the competition norms.
The results (Provisional):
Euro JK 18 – Race 3: 1. Karthik Tharani (15:37.117); 2. Nayan Chatterjee (15:38.043); 3. Ashwin Datta (15:40.886). Race 4: 1. Nirmal Uma Shankar (15:42.818); 2 Brayan Perera (15:46.014); 3. Yash Aradhya (15:47.130).
Formula LGB 4 – Race 2: 1. Chittesh Mandody (Avalanche; 18:47.313); 2. Sarosh Hataria (Dark Don; 18:47.409); 3. Sohil Shah (MSport; 18:47.957). Race 3: 1. Chittesh Mandody (20:11.953); 2. Sarosh Hataria (20:12.040); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (MSport; 18:13.676).
Suzuki Gixxer Cup: 1. Joseph Mathew (14:02.704); 2. Malsawmdawngliana (14:02.791); 3. Syed Muzamil Ali (14:13.359).
JK Tyre Novice Cup: 1. Tijil Rao (Momentum; 18:40.030); 2. K Surya Varathan (MSport; 18:40.342); 3. Jamwal Digveshar (Prudent; 18:56.462).
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Ashwin Datta stays ahead in JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship on a day of crashes
Chennai’s Ashwin Datta in action on Saturday in JK Tyre National Racing Championship. Coimbatore, 13 October 2018: On a day of thrills and crashes, Ashwin Datta made the most of his good fortune to hang on to his Euro JK 2018 lead in the 21st JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Saturday.
Joseph Mathew too continued his stunning run in the Suzuki Gixxer Cup, winning his fifth straight race to widen his Championship lead further. The LGB Formula 4, however, saw a mini upset, with Delhi’s Rohit Khanna (Dark Don Racing) pulling off a stunning victory.
Mumbai’s Nayan Chatterjee started the day on a high note in the Euro JK 2018, claiming the pole position in a tight qualifying session. He turned out to be just 0.316 seconds faster than the field but looked set to give Ashwin a mighty fight.
But he was a tad slow off the mark in Race 1, and Karthik Tharani shot past him before the first turn itself. As if that was not enough, Nayan and Tharani got caught in a tangle midway through the race, forcing both of them off the tarmac.
Tharani managed to recover, but Nayan failed to finish, losing valuable points. Ashwin Datta took advantage of the situation to streak ahead into the lead. He began from P3 but came into his own soon, clocking the fastest lap time of 1:01.422.
In Race 2, with the reverse grid for the top six coming into play, young Yash Aradhya started on pole. Yash made the most of the opportunity to build a sizable lead, but he slipped out of contention due to another minor collision.
Karthik Tharani jumped at the chance to win the race while Nayan Chatterjee, racing in a hit car, finished third to keep his Championship hopes alive.
Joseph Mathew reigned supreme in the Suzuki Gixxer Cup once again, claiming another facile victory. He was followed home by Malsawmdawngliana and Sachin Chaudhary.
Rohit Khanna of Delhi made the most of his smart run in the LGB Formula 4 qualifying to win the race. It was a close race, with Sandeep Kumar finishing second just 0.285 seconds behind.
Raghul Rangasamy claimed the third place while championship leader Vishnu Prasad had to be content with the fourth place.
The results (Provisional):
Euro JK 18 – Race 1: 1. Ashwin Datta (15:38.306); 2. Karthik Tharani (15:42.598); 3. Brayan Perera (15:42.829). Race 2: 1. Karthik Tharani; 2. Nirmal Uma Shankar; 3. Nayan Chatterjee.
Formula LGB 4: 1. Rohit Khanna (Dark Don Racing; 23:28.307); 2. Sandeep Kumar (Dark Don; 23:28.592); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (MSport; 23:29.337).
Suzuki Gixxer Cup: 1. Joseph Mathew (12:36.577); 2. Malsawmdawngliana (12:41.202); 3. Sachin Chaudhary (12:44.210).
JK Tyre Novice Cup (under investigation): 1. Hasim EKP (19:09.525); 2. Kunal Maini (19:14.166); 3. Tijil Rao (19:26.560).
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Arindam Saikia, Nataraj Revanna emerge champs in Raid de Himalaya 2018
Nataraj Revanna of TVS Racing, the fastest competitor in Raid de Himalaya 2018 Leh, 13 October 2018: Arindam Saikia of Team Polaris and Nataraj Revanna of Team TVS were crowned the undisputed champions in the 20th Raid de Himalaya here on Saturday. Arindam, who jumped ahead on Day 2, hung on to his lead tenaciously for the next two days to claim the Xtreme 4×4 category. He logged a total penalty of 6.32.49 hours.
Nataraj, on the other hand, has been in a class if his own among the bikers, and easily won in the Moto Xtreme. He, in fact, proved to be the fastest competitor in the entire field, with total penalty of 4 hours, 58 minutes, 52 seconds.
The iconic Raid started from Kargil on October 10 and concluded today, with the competitors coping with extreme cold and demanding terrain across Kargil, Zanskar and Ladakh.
The 2015 Raid winner Captain AVS Gill, in his Grand Vitara, finished 10.53 minutes behind to take the second position. Himanshu Arora of Haree Rallying, driving a Gypsy, took the third place. Amitrajit Ghosh of Team Mahindra made a major comeback to claim the fourth place.
With Nataraj comprehensively beating the field, the others had to settle for the remaining honours. His teammate Imran Pasha finished with a total penalty of 5:15:21 hours to take the second place. Vishwas SD finished third while Jatin Jain was fourth.
Vijay Parmar, President Himalayan Motorsport, pointed out that these were all provisional results as the final audit was still in progress.
“Raid 2018 was very difficult. We kept facing bad weather at every turn. For the first time, we encountered temperatures as low as -16 degrees. Wind chill was well over -20 degrees, making the going really tough for the bikers,” Parmar said.
Raid de Himalaya, considered among the top ten toughest motorsport rallies of the world, is organized by Shimla-based Himalayan Motorsport, India’s premier motorsport club.
Remarkably, both the amputees in fray, Vinod Rawat of Mumbai and Ashok Munne of Nagpur, finished the Raid successfully, even finishing second and third in the Group D category, featuring stock bikes with no modifications. Vishal Das of Kolkata was the winner.
Parmar said reducing the Raid de Himalaya format to four days kept the competition alive till the end. “The Raid has usually been six days long. By Day Four, the likely winners usually emerge and it’s just a question of holding on to your lead after that,” Parmar said.
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Ashwin, Vishnu start favourites for Round 3 of 21st JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship
EURO JK 18 championship leader Chennai’s Ashwin Datta in action. Coimbatore, October 13: Round 3 of the 21st JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship will commence here today at the Kari Motor Speedway with the Chennai trio of Ashwin Datta, Vishnu Prasad and Joseph Matthew looking to consolidate their positions on the leaderboard.
Ashwin, who had surprised everyone with speed and guile this season, has managed to stay ahead of the pack with three podium finishes in the Euro JK 18 category with 51 points. He will be looking anxiously over this shoulder as he has a slender two-point lead.
Mumbai’s Nayan Chatterjee Nayan Chatterjee (49 points) was breathing fire in Round 2 and will be keen to carry that momentum forward to stake his claim for the championship in the final round next month.
“The championship has reached a very exciting stage, with anyone capable of winning in each of the championships,” Sanjay Sharma, Head of JK Motorsports, said. “It is going to be an intense battle this weekend.”
In the LGB 4 category, MSport’s Vishnu was at his imperious best in the last round, winning two races and finishing second in one to gather a total of 28 points. With 50 points in the kitty from two rounds, he will look to widen the gap further at the top. Vishnu, however will be wary of his buddy and team-mate Raghul Rangasamy who is not too far behind him at 45 points.
In the JK Tyre Novice Cup, all eyes will be on 14-year-old Tijil Rao of Momentum Motorsports, who annexed his maiden win to end the round with 13 points. He is currently third in the championship standings. Tijil’s team-mate Siddharth Mehdiratta is currently leading the standings with 16 points, just one ahead of but Viswas Vijayaraj.
Chennai’s Vishnu Prasad Defending champion Joseph Matthew of Chennai continues to rule the Suzuki Gixxer Cup. He is yet to drop a point in the championship and has four wins from as many starts for a total of 40 points. He will be the man to beat once again.
The top 3 after Round 2 – EURO JK 18: Ashwin Datta – 51 points; Nayan Chatterjee – 49 points; Brayan Perera – 43 points
LGB Formula 4: Vishnu Prasad (Msport) – 50 points; Raghul Rangasamy (Msport) – 45 points; Rohit Khanna – 37 points
NOVICE CUP: Siddharth Mehdiratta (Momentum Motorsports) – 16 points; Viswas Vijayraj (DTS Racing) – 15 points; Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsports) – 13 points.
JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup: Joseph Matthew – 40 points; Syed Muzzammil Ali – 30 points; Malsawmdawngliana – 21 points.
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Raid de Himalaya 2018: All-women teams set to explore new horizons
The Rana sisters….all set for new challenges. Shimla, 02 October 2018: Delhi’s Shuchi Thakur, a St Stephen’s alumnus and global number one in extreme cross country high-altitude motorsport racing among women, is again taking on the challenge at the 20th edition of the Raid de Himalaya.
The Raid will start from Leh on October 8, and will finish on October 14. Competitors at Raid 2018 will take on mountain roads, hairpin curves and dangerous drop-offs in Kargil, Zanskar and Ladakh sectors, covering approximately 3,000 Kms every year.
Shuchi has competed at the Raid an astounding 12 times. That is a formidable record, since the Raid is considered among the top ten toughest motorsport rallies of the world. Shuchi, who hails from Dharamshala and now lives at Delhi, first competed in Raid de Himalaya in 2005. She has been racing at the Raid every year since then, except 2016. This makes Shuchi the only woman globally who has raced a 4×4 vehicle over 100,000 Kms of high-altitude dangerous roads in an extreme motorsport event.
Shuchi’s commendable podium finishes include second in T1 category at Raid 2017, first in T2 category at Raid 2015, and second in T2 category at Raid 2013. At the Maruti Suzuki National Autocross Championship 2016-17, she ranked first in North Zone 4-Wheel Drive category.
Shuchi says it is important for a professional rallyist to be fit all the year round. “For cross country endurance rallying, fitness is key. One has to be prepared for long hours of strenuous driving under all kinds of conditions. I run a lot, also do resistance training and high intensity interval workout.”
Shuchi Thakur and her co-driver. Shuchi works in the advertising industry in the creative section. “Everything else that I do is a means to this end – rallying. I am there to compete, not for a fun drive in the hills. I try to do as many events in a year as possible. Seat time is essential. The more seat time you get, the better you get at your craft,” she says.
Shuchi has been competing in other cross-country rallies in the country like the Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm and the SJOBA sub-Himalayan Rally. She also races at autocross events in the country.
The other major woman rallyist in the Xtreme category of the Raid is Anu Rana of Chandigarh. Anu has been competing in Xtreme motorsport racing since 2014. This is the fourth time she is competing at the Raid de Himalaya.
In 2015, Anu was second in the T2 category at the Raid. She bagged the Coup de Dames trophy, given to the all-women team that performs best at the Raid, in 2015 and also 2016. Anu was second in the T2 category at the Dakshin Dare 2015, and first in the women’s category at Dakshin Dare in 2016 and 2017.
Anu, a financial consultant, will compete at the Raid with her sister Poonam Rana as navigator. The duo has won various trophies together.
Anu says the Raid is her favourite motorsport race. “Competitive driving for long hours at high altitudes requires completely different set of training and conditioning of your body. The terrain keeps getting steeper with every turn, and you will not know when you will be racing on loose rocks or even sand, which makes the drive tougher with distance. For a racer like me, the terrain looks tempting, but you should never forget limits of your car,” said Anu, a seasoned rallyist now.
Raid de Himalaya is the flagship event of the country’s premier motorsport club, Shimla-based Himalayan Motorsport. President Himalayan Motorsport Vijay Parmar said women drivers who come to the Raid are are really, really tough. “Their level of dedication, fearlessness and outright driving skill is a world apart. Shuchi Thakur has been coming for the Raid for over a decade. She has always aimed for an overall win, beating men and women in her category. Anu Rana, teaming with her sister, can be a formidable combination in Xtreme 4×4. Interesting times ahead.”
For Raid de Himalaya 2018, motorsport adventure seekers will race on the new pass of Kaldang-Kildang La at an elevation of 4.092m in the Ladakh region. The Raid will also have competitive stretches across the daunting stretches of Photoksar and Sirisir La.
This year’s Raid will run its first stage on the never-before traversed section from Lamayuru, called the moonland of Ladakh, to Photoksar. Competitors are going to race on a newly-upgraded road that was earlier a mule track into Zanskar.
Competitors at the Raid will also on the road leading to Umba La, a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.496 meters above sea level. This is one of the most spectacular stretches globally, and is listed on dangerousroads.org. Crossing the Sirisir La at a height of 4,805 meters above sea level, the 20th Raid De Himalaya is going to enter totally unchartered territory.
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Achintya Mehrotra of Team India is champ in solo class: Asia Gymkhana
Achintya Mehrotra of India who won the Solo Gymkhana in AAGC on Sunday. Photos by Rahul Reghu Mumbai, 29 Sept 2018: Achintya Mehrotra won the Solo Championship in the Asia Auto Gymkhana Competition at the Raymond Drift Track in Thane here on Sunday.
Team Indonesia of Adrian Septianto and Herdiko Setyaputra won the Doubles category and Team Gymkhana categories in Round 2 of the AAGC 2018 which concluded here.
Team Japan secured second place in both the Doubles and Team Gymkhana categories while Indian driver Achintya Mehrotra won the best driver award in the Solo Gymkhana category.
Adrian Septianto and Herdiko Setyaputra who won the Team Gymkhana in AAGC Photo: Rahul Reghu An international motoring extravaganza held in India for the very first time, Round 2 of the AAGC 2018 witnessed an audience of over 2000 people and 26 top-class Gymkhana drivers from over 10 APAC countries, including Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines Singapore, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and India.
Driving prepared Volkswagen Polo track cars, all the participants were evenly pegged against each other with the ultimate goal of navigating through a short-timed loop, comprising of obstacles and choreographed manoeuvres such as 360 spins, J-Turns, Slalom and Figure-8 amongst others, while making the fewest errors. With 5 difference courses, the total run time of the heats were all under a minute, making it one of the most fast-paced motorsport events being held in India in recent times.
The AAGC, an FIA event, was run under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). The event was sponsored by Kamasutra, Parx, Rustomjee Developers and MRF while VW Motorsport and Autocar India partnered with technical support.
Round 2 Provisional results:
Solo Gymkhana competition: 1. Achintya Mehrotra, Team India; 2 Adrian Septianto; 3. Herdiko Setyaputra, both Team Indonesia.
Doubles Gymkhana: Team Indonesia (Adrian & Herdiko); 2. Team Japan (Tetsuya Yamano & Naoya Yamano); 3. Team India D (Arjun Rao & Ashad Pasha).
Team Gymkhana: 1. Team Indonesia (Adrian Septianto & Herdiko Setyaputra); 2. Team Japan (Tetsuya Yamano & Naoya Yamano); 3. Team India A (Achintya Mehrotra & Aabhishek Mishra).
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Raid de Himalaya 2018: Two amputees to compete on motor-bikes, a global first!
Vinod Rawat…..all set for a new challenge in his life. Shimla, 30 September 2018: In a global first, two amputees are going to compete on motorcycles in the World’s highest cross-country rally raid, the Raid de Himalaya. Setting this global record are Vinod Rawat of Mumbai and Ashok Munne of Nagpur. What makes these amputees take on a rally that is the litmus test for motorsport adventure seekers in the country? The four words that people have thrown at them over the years. ‘You can’t do it’.
The Raid is considered among the top ten toughest rallies of the World. It will take off from Leh on October 8 this year, and finish on October 14. Over 200 competitors participating in Raid de Himalaya 2018 will race over some of the most challenging roads in the Kargil, Zanskar and Ladakh sectors, speeding over rocks, gravel and dust.
The amputees, Vinod Rawat and Ashok Munne are competing in the toughest category at the Raid – Xtreme Moto. Racing motorcycles at high-altitude roads and mountain passes is a task few can accomplish.
Munne is a Nagpur man, and nobody who knows him is surprised that he is going to compete at the Raid de Himalaya. Munne is a para-athlete whose achievements can dazzle any able-bodied individual. The 34-year-old is a mountaineer, an expert para glider, a scuba diver, a marathon runner, a black belt in martial arts, a skilled gymnast and kayaker, yoga expert and ace swimmer.
Munne climbed the Everest in 2016, and is planning to repeat the feat in 2019. He lost his leg in a train accident in 2008, but didn’t let the handicap limit his life. His current passion is finishing the Raid de Himalaya. “I was 24 when I lost my leg in a train mishap. People said my life was over. I proved to people that I can and will do everything in life. There is no physical limitation. I will live my life the way I want to.”
Ashok Munne…..living his dream Munne, who uses a blade leg, is the brand ambassador for two multi-national artificial limbs companies. He climbed the Mera Peak in Nepal, at a height of 6,476 meters, without oxygen. In 2013, he rode 3,000 Kms through Ladakh on his motorcycle. He is ecstatic, he says, to be fulfilling his dream of participating in the Raid de Himalaya.
“Now everything is a surprise in life. Everything is a new joy. It feels so wonderful that I am competing in the Raid this year. I had never thought I would live such an exciting life,” said Munne.
Rawat has lived the Raid dream in his head for nine years. His leg was amputated when he was child. He got his driving license in the year 2000, and has been an avid motorcyclist since. “I came to know about the Raid in 2010. Since then, it has been my most cherished dream to compete at the Raid and finish it,” he said.
Rawat was not the one to take his Raid dream lightly. He has been going to Leh since 2011 at least once a year, practicing motorcycling there so that his body got used to the demands of high-altitude terrain.
In 2017, as part of his Raid preparation, Rawat went to Leh on a cycle all the way from Manali via Khardung La. Rawat says he undertook the rally to check his stability and stamina. “Like we test the power of the bike, I wanted to test myself. Machine doesn’t take the man. The man takes the machine,” said Rawat.
Rawat is driving a 150cc four-stroke Indian bike at the Raid. Experienced motorsport champions know that finishing the Raid successfully is a challenge. Rawat is confident that he will be a Raid finisher. “You may call it overconfidence, but I believe in it 100 per cent. For 18 years, ever since I became a motorcyclist, people scared me because I am an amputee. I have always stood my ground. I will prove them wrong this time too,” said the determined 43-year-old.
Rawat’s Raid dream is being sponsored by Jaipur Foot, the artificial-limb providing company that gave him the rubber-based prosthetic leg to enable normal movement. “We want to reach the disabled and fill them with hope,” said Rawat. “When I compete at the Raid, people with disabilities will know that they don’t have to live restricted, fearful lives,” said Rawat.
The Mumbai man admits that he could have chosen to be the first amputee globally to participate on a motorcycle in a rally as formidable as the Raid de Himalaya. “But I thought I should take another amputee along who is a high-achiever. This would be such amazing inspiration for the disabled,” he said.
Raid de Himalaya is the flagship event of the country’s premier motorsport club, Shimla-based Himalayan Motorsport. President Himalayan Motorsport Vijay Parmar said that their club has always promoted the spirit of excellence in life, of achieving against all odds, by supporting para-athletes like Deepa Malik, Arun Bareja and now Ashok Munne and Vinod Rawat. “At the end of the day, without the possibility of an impossible challenge the human being is nothing at all! We are amazed by their determination, and what they have achieved,” said Parmar.
