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By George Francis, Scorp News

Coimbatore, 11 October 1999: The Cotton City Rally 1999, once again proved the `Magic of Coimbatore’ with 95 per cent of the 4-wheeler participants finishing the rally with 18 out of 19 cars making it safely to the finish. With 34 out of 41 motorcycles making it to the finish for 83 per cent, CASC rewrote the perfection in organising and meticulous care in route setting.

Coimbatore Auto Sports Club, infamous for its organising capacity perfected once again the highest co-efficient earning rally of 1998. A simple constant vigil at the stages to monitor climatic conditions, the interest to see most finishers, and the commitment and professionalism to achieve that at all stages, against all odds. This is the secret of CASC, who could muster the support of splinter group club Spit Fire Motorsport, andforget all differences to run the Cotton City Rally, as the pride of Coimbatoreans. If the Coimbatore `Magic’ ran ran rally perfect, then Nipendar Jassy, of TVS Racing, rode his Suzuki Shaolin doubly superb to steal the overall Motorcycles cotton city title as a Novice rider. Team MRF Tyres, continued their winning ways, lifting the Overall and Group A trophies. Naren Kumar and navigator Ramkumar challenged nemesis JK Tyres Rally Team, to return victory to the team, `whose raced tyres we buy’. Team Escorts Yamaha took the Group D (unmodified) category top spot. G Prasad of Mysore, riding a works Yamaha, won the top spot with his nearest rival SP Chinnappa almost 3 minutes behind. JK Tyres Rally Team did not stay far behind when Manik Raikhy and P Vivekanandan proved victors in the Group N (unmodified) cars class. In the 4-wheeler unseeded and Novice Class, Team Chettinad Sporting made it a 1-2-3 affair. The two wheeler novice class top spot went to Team Nanjappas Rohan Rego. The irony of the whole rally was Overall winner from TVS Racing Nipendar Jassy picking up the top unseeded prize.

The most-interesting part about the results in each category was that whichever team led the table, the rival team would have picked up at least 2nd and 3rd places. (see results). That has been the level of competition in the Cotton City Challenge, 1999.

On October 7, 19 cars and 41 motorcycles lined up to move as a motorcade to the Special Stages at Windmill Farmland. Pounding the ups and downs of two such farmlands, the rallyists mowed the stages.

Two basic stages, Textool (11.31km) and LMW (10.7km), formed the competitive part of the rally route. Thanks to Mr Sanjay Jayvarthananelu, whole Time MD of Ms.LMW (Lakshmi Machine Works Limited) and Director of Textools Limited, CASC gets such excellent rallying terrain so close to Coimbatore. These two stages run thrice in the forward direction on the first day and in the reverse direction on the 2nd day, were the Special Stages in toto.

Filled with sliding turns, and flying ditches, the adventure seekers had a tough time keeping their machines, on the road. The two wheeler riders sans navigators (due to the reccee) tore down the dirt as if possessed and in many an instance just managed to keep their mount, despite a nasty ditch or a slimy dirt. Incessent rains from four days before the event, had damaged quite a few parts of the stages. The Karta of the Cotton City Rally route, the tough sounding shy Ramakrishnan, and his team who were policing nature’s fury would smoothen down the odd ditch and the persisting dirt until the rally day. In fact, the CASC went to the extreme level of filling up a portion of a canal, filled with water, which was running across the road in the LMW stage. One has to agree that none other than CASC could have achieved almost 80 per cent perfection on the marking of routes, as per the original tulip given the rainy conditions.

Team MRF Limited had fielded 3 riders, all in the Group C-Modified category. TVS Racing sported two Group C bikes and one Group D-unmodified bike. Team Escorts Yamaha supported the three Group C bikes of MRF and two members in Group D. Team Pushpak Yamaha, an outfit run and managed by ace rider V Sham Sundar of Bangalore, and supported fully  by Yamaha, had 3 riders, all in Group C. Four riders from Team Zen Rallying and two from Team Nanjappas, one rider (S Madhu) with sponsorship from Shell, which accounted for 16 riders from the Direct Advertising segment.

There were 25 riders without major sponsorship support. That the prime riders were on works bikes showed, as they rode the Palladam stages at wind-breaking speeds. The style and manoeuvring techniques adopted by these dare-devils was perfect and breath-taking. About 300 meters into the Textool Stage, the riders had to leap over a hump ad land into fairly thick patch of slush, and take an immediate right-hander. It was just a miracle that many of them escaped a fall here. The courage shown even by the tail enders in taking this jump head on was a reminder that modern Indian rallying is definitely touching new heights.

Amrinder Sandhu of Team MRF was the major casualty on Day 1, when he lost on the down hill and rolled down. He broke his collar bone. The 1996 Overall Champion, Amar, was leading the rally by 30 seconds. When he fell, RH Vikram, another MRF rider, took over, and led the rally through the day, on a Yamaha. Amar had shifted from Suzuki to Yamaha after six years of rallying, and should have found his `steed’ difficult to `harness’.

The four-wheeler dare-devils were not far behind in acrobatics. Arjun Balu of Team MRF took a turn too tight and poked his Esteem nose into the dirt. Recovering he continued. Among the 19 cars, were 7 from MRF Limited, 3 Group A-Modified and 4 Group N-Unmodified. Five JK Tyre Rally Team cars (3 Group A and two Group N), Team Chettinad Sporting with 3 Group N cars, Team Kadur with 2 Group N cars, and just 2 privateers. This speaks volumes of the kind of money involved in 4-wheeler rallying. With a normal line-up of about 30 cars for every rally, this season (1999) has seen only about 20 cars in each event.

Naren Kumar of MRF Limited with navigator D Ramkumar, set the pace for the rest of the bandwagon as Karamjit Singh and navigator Jagdev Singh, were on hot pursuit. It is interesting to note that every single driver showed his/her own perfection in taking the turns and humps and every driver finished the first leg of the CASC Rally.

With 5 drop-outs in Bikes and none in cars, 36 motorcycles and 19 cars finished the leg and parked into Parc Ferme. The rains that lashed Tamil Nadu before the Leg 1 had made it difficult to drive/ ride through these dirt stages. A marked difference in performance between the first run of the day, to the last run (after the stages dried up) showed an improvement of almost 8 seconds.

On October 10 at 7.30am, the remaining adventure seekers took the dirts of Palladam with grace and ease, as the dried up dirt made it faster and exciting. Day 2, saw punctures pestering the performance with K Prasad, RH Vikram, Hari Singh, Karamjit Singh and many more having flats and lost precious seconds in the reckoning for the crown.

The superb performance of TVS Racing Amol Talpade saw him leading, until he rolled six times like the wheel of fortune. Amol’s Cotton City Rally was over with a minor fracture on his wrist.

The rest of the 34 motorcycles and 19 cars, were enjoying the Cotton City all along, sliding and skidding on their machines. It was in the 3rd stage of the day, that MRF Limited spearhead and ace tuner Leelakrishnan, found his Esteem gear box break and pulled out. There was just one more motorcycle drop-out in Leg 2.

The leaders were set now. Karamjit and Hari who were on Naren’s tail were way behind due to time lost on punctures. Team MRF Limited’s Naren Kumar and D Ramkumar led overall in cars and teammates Sagar Muthappa and Sandeep S Rao led in Group N. As for the two-wheelers Nipendar Jassy took the `Front Seat’ now.

Once again, MRF riders, RH Vikram and K Prasad were way behind due to punctures. It was a treat to watch Nipendar, the motocrosser take the dirt sections in true Motocross style. He hardly struggled. Suddenly evening saw a content 18 cars and their crew, and 34 motorcycles check into Parc Ferme at Suguna Kalyana Mandapam at Coimbatore. The satisfaction of having run a strenuous 2-day rally, reflected contentment on their faces, as the 17th Cotton City Rally ended peacefully.

The last but two rallies in cars and the penultimate rally in Bikes, did turn the tables on the Castrol National Championship for Cars and Motorcycles. Team MRF Tyres leads overall in the Cars section with VR Naren Kumar at 90 points, followed by teammate Arjun Balu with 71.25 points. Standing 3rd is JK Tyres Rally Team’s Hari Singh with 66.25 points.

In the Overall two-wheeler category also, MRF leads with K Prasad on 78.25 points followed by teammate Rohitaaz Kumar and TVS Racing’s Nipendar Jassy tied at 75, and another MRF rider RH Vikram at 69. The positions in the Group A-modified cars and Group C-modified bikes are similar to the overall results.

The story in Group N and Group D are different. JK Tyres Rally team’s Manik Raikhy leads the table with 51.25 points followed by Team MRF Tyres’ Vijayant Chaudhury on 40.50 and teammate Jagat Nanjappa on 30.75. In the Group D category, Team Escorts Yamaha, who also tune MRF Limited’s K PRasad, Rohitaaz and RH Vikram) lead with G. Prasad on 41.75 points followed by TVS Racing’s Kunal Singh on 39 and Escorts Yamaha R Srinivas on 37.75.

In the Group N Category, MRF’s Sagar Muthappa and Sandeep S Rao (navigator) shared the honours with JK Tyre’s Manik Raikhy and P Vivekanandan, each one of them being the fastest in five stages each. The other two stages were led by JK Tyre’s Nikhil Taneja and Musa Sherif. While JK Tyres had a 100 per cent finish in the five cars it fielded, Team MRF’s record of six finishes out of seven.Team Chettinad Sporting and Team Kadur had 100 per cent finishes.

Two-wheelers

In the motorcycles section, TVS RAcing’s Nipendar Jassy led the table with five fastest timings followed by MRF Tyres’ K Prasad (4) and RH Vikram (3). In the Group D section, TVS Racing once again led with Motocross sensation Gaurav Gill returning the seven fastest timings followed by Team Escorts Yamaha’s G Prasad (5).

Overall, leaving the winners out, there were many other competitors who did well, considering the constraints of expense, and service back-up as compared to the big-time sponsored teams.

Team Chettinad Sporting’s R Gopinath and C Rajaram, who were rallying after a six-year break should be lauded for finishing fourth in Group N and winning the topo prizes in the Novice and unseeded classes. Gopi, from the Lakshmi Mills Group was into racing during the days of the Coimbatore legend Karivardhan. Then he switched to rallys. It is great to see Gopi performing so well after so many years of lay-off. NK Ramesh and RG Vishnu Kamath, who are private entrants for all the National RAllys, also turned out an excellent performance.

Jagat Nanjappa, the two-wheeler legend who had started his Team Nanjappas a year back, and laid off the team for a short while, had brought in two riders for the Cotton City. AS Akash Ithal, who rides a Group C bike, won the third spot in the Unseeded category. Rohan Rego, who rode a Group D bike picked up the top spot in the Novice class and finished fifth in the Unseeded event.

Provisional Results:

Cars – Overall: 1. Naren Kumar/ Ramkumar (Team MRF) (1hour, 57min, 38sec); 2. Hari Singh/ GS Mann (JK Tyre) (1:59:08); 3. Karamjit Singh/ Jagdev Singh (JK Tyre) (1:59:10); 4. Arjun Balu/ KR Kumar (Team MRF) (2:01:21); 5. Manik Raikhy/ P Vivekanandan (JK Tyre)(2:02:55).

Group A Modified: 1.  Naren Kumar/ Ramkumar (Team MRF) (1hour, 57min, 38sec); 2. Hari Singh/ GS Mann (JK Tyre) (1:59:08); 3. Karamjit Singh/ Jagdev Singh (JK Tyre) (1:59:10); 4. Arjun Balu/ KR Kumar (Team MRF) (2:01:21);5. Upkar Dicky Gill/ AS Jaiswal (JK Tyre) (2:07:01).

Group N Unmodified cars: 1. Manik Raiky/ P. Vivekanandan (JK Tyre) (2:02:55); 2. B Sagar Muthappa/ Sandeep Rao (Team MRF) (2:03:28); 3. Jagat Nanjappa/ Anita Nanjappa (Team MRF) (2:04:09); 4. R Gopnath/ C Rajaram (Chettinad Sporting ) (2:04:15); 5. Vijayant Chaudhry/ R Satish (Team MRF) (2:04:39).

Unseeded cars: 1. R Gopnath/ C Rajaram (Chettinad Sporting ) (2:04:15); 2. Navaz Bhathena/ Sherin Balachandran (Chettinad Sporting) (2:10:11); 3. PG Abhilash/ CK Chinappa (Chettinad Sporting) (2:10:24); 4. NK Ramesh/ Vishnu Kamath (2:10:24); Umakanth Alva/ Sunil Shetty (2:21:40).

Novice cars: 1. R Gopnath/ C Rajaram (Chettinad Sporting ) (2:04:15); 2. Navaz Bhathena/ Sherin Balachandran (Chettinad Sporting) (2:10:11); 3. PG Abhilash/ CK Chinappa (Chettinad Sporting) (2:10:24); 4. NK Ramesh/ Vishnu Kamath (2:10:24); Umakanth Alva/ Sunil Shetty (2:21:40).

Motorcycles

Overall – Group C (modified) Bikes: 1. Nipender Jassy (TVS Racing) (02:04:25); 2. K Prasad (MRF) (2:06:45); 3. RH Vikram (MRF) (2:07:01); 4. BC Roopesh (Pushpak Yamaha) (2:08:05); 5. D Uday Kumar (Zen Rallying) (2:08:40).

Group D (Unmodified) bikes: 1. G Prasad (Escorts Yamaha) (2:10:58); 2 SP Chinnappa (2:13:23); 3. V Kunal Singh (TVS Racing) (2:13:44); 4. Rohan Rego (Team Nanjappas) (2:14:02); 5. Gaurav Gill (TVS Racing) (2:14:30).

Unseeded Bikes: 1. Nipender Jassy (TVS Racing) (2:04:25); 2. BC Roopesh (Pushpak Yamaha) (2:08:05); 3. Akash Ithal (Team Nanjappas) (2:09:15); 4. SP Chinnappa (Zen Rallying) (2:13:23); 5. Rohan Rego (Team Nanjappas) (2:14:02).

Novice bikes: 1. Rohan Rego (Team Nanjappas) (2:14:02); 2. GS Killen Ganapathy (2:17:40); 3. Pradeep Kumar (2:17:54); 4. Shell S Madhu (2:18:23); 5. CD Jinan (2:20:58).

Tuners’ Prize:

Tuner of Overall winning car: N Leelakrishnan, MRF Limited

Tuner of Overall bike: Arvind Pangaonkar, TVS Suzuki Limited.

Note: This article is manually migrated from the archives of old website.

By George Francis, Scorp News

Cochin, 20 Sept 1999: The 17th edition of the Maruti Popular Rally 1999 will go into history as it met with a spate of accidents that ruined an otherwise popular rally. The bad management of the logistics also affected the name of the organisers the Kerala Auto Sports Club (KASC). Naren Kumar with D Ramkumar navigating for the prime MRF Team pipped teammates Arjun Balu and Kumar Ramaswamy by a mere four to win the Popular Rally, the fifth round of the Castrol Indian National Rally Championship 1999.

A pet event of most of the Indian rallyists because of the greenery and the country-side beauty of Kerala, which boasts of an excellent sponsor in the Kuttukaran Group of companies which runs Popular Automobiles, the KASC should have done some homework before dishing out “the exotic timberlands on the outskirts of Cochin, in God’s own Country”.

The Recee was organised on September 16 followed by the pre-event scrutiny of the competing vehicles, competitors briefing on 17th and one special Stage in the City at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium for cars and motorcycles. Twelve more Special Stages were run for motorcycles on 18th and for cars on 19th, at Bhoothathanketty, about 60km away, near Kothamangalam. A 15.08km smooth tarmac stage was run six times, and a forest, dirt track stage near Malayatoor of 7.30km was run four times. The Rubeer plantation stages next to forest dirt tracks made up for another 3.72km stage run twice. This was the 17th Maruti Popular Rally 1999, in short with 130km of Special Stage and 200km of transport distance, totalling to 330km.

An ever-willing sponsor, a close-by Special Stage routing which makes logistics comfortable, with 18 cars and 40 motorcycles should have put the Popular Rally on top this year’s rally calendar, but for the pestering accidents and organisational lacuna. On the Recee day itself, the charm of the motorcycles event was lost. Castrol National Rally Championship for Motorcycles leader, Rohitaaz Kumar was run over by a truck, lost all flesh on the right foot and was hospitalised. Rohitaaz Kumar, prime MRF Tyres sponsored entry, and top swing rider for Pacer Yamaha, should have consolidated his lead, in the motorcycles championship and shifted to cars for the next events, but the accident put a spanner in his plans.

Two horrifying accidents on September 18 saw one of the competitors, Balaram, injure his spine and he could be paralysed below his waist for the rest of his life. The other competitor Shakeel is safer with a head injury. The fact that Shakeel’s, possibly unstrapped, helmet flew off his shoulders when he hit a rock, and Balaram’s helmet broke into two, should get the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) to sit up and make a more thorough means of checking the reliability of these safety measures. It is a well known fact that the competitors down the line keep using the same helmet after they have suffered a fall with the same. It is but reality that a helmet which has saved one’s head in a crash, becomes weak and has to be replaced.

With the fall out of Rohitaaz, it is a fact that Pacer Yamaha has lost a winning rider for the rest of the season. Pacer’s nemesis TVS Suzuki had lost their prime rider Zubin Patel in the earlier rally at K1000 when he was thrown off the bike during the recee. Both Rohitaaz and Zubin will sit out during the rest of the 1999 rallying season.

Fear of the Yamahas scoring the Group D (unmodified) class should have made Team Suzuki to scout for new talent, and work hard at Shaolin, to compete with the 135cc Yamahas. The hardwork put in hurriedly by Suzuki, showed, as the factory Shaolins definitely showed improved performance for the earlier rally. Added to this was the entry of Gaurav Gill from New Delhi, who astride a Suzuki Shaolin thundered across the stages of the Popular Rally with the ease of a professional.

The 39 starters of motorcycles started the day at the Special Stages, two hours lage, with unrelenting timber contractors refusing to keep their trucks out of the Bhoothathankettu stage. Organisers fell on their feet trying to resolve the crisis, and finally started the first Special Stage of the day two  hours late. This set the trend for the day, and by the time the rallyists did the forest stage, the first time, Shakeel and Balaram had fallen, and the rally got further delayed by four hours. The remaining riders were tired and sick and totally disoriented due to the delay and were scared because none of them were prepared for a night ride. A representation signed by most competitors (except reportedly the Pacer Yamaha competitors conspicuously) requested for a cancellation of stages to avoid night riding. The unrelenting organisers cancelled only the forest and plantation stages (only 3) to run the Bhoothathankettu stage 4 times to make up the stipulated 125km of Special Stage distance to stay in the National Championship. Riders rode with all sorts of lights, parking lights, fog lights, etc. and some hit straying bisons in the Bhoothathankettu tarmac stage which runs through a thick jungle.

Amar Sandhu of Team MRF was excluded for taking service outside the designated area, and K Prasad (MRF) trailing behind him took over the reins to complete the rally on top. It was a treat to watch the riders give in their best performance, despite the problems of the night. In fact, the animals of the jungle would have been puzzled to see these queer two legged monsters roam the forest at high speeds.

The two wheeler `dare devil’ returned to Parc Ferme in the midnight hours. Team MRF Tyres won the overall and Group C top position with K Prasad on a Pacer Yamaha tuned Yamaha 135 in 1hour, 34minutes and 49seconds. Two minutes and 34 seconds slower (1:37:21) was TVS Racing competitor Amol C Talpade, on a works Suzuki Shaolin. One should grant it to Amol, who not bothered by the bad finishes, devoted his 1998 season to Suzuki to test the Shaolins in rallying conditions. It is this R&D that helped the TVS Factory to quickly perfect the Shaolins, when the Yamahas invaded the rally of 1999. RH Vikram, on a Pacer Yamaha tuned RX 135, once again blessed with MRF Tyres sponsorship, finished 3rd in Overall and Group C, 37 seconds behind Amol (1:38:08). TVS Racing followed in 4th Overall and Group C with Nipendar Jessy, a Motocross rider, who has improved his rallying performance tremendously this season. But the sweet victory came for the  TVS Racing Team in the form of Gaurav Gill, who placed 5th Overall and first in Group D (unmodified class). Gaurav, who won his maiden rally said: “It is very enjoyable”. Incidentally, Gaurav is also a Motocross rider. Rallying, Racing and Motocross legend Shyam Kothari once said: “Rallying is a combination of racing and motocross”. Maybe, this is what is helping Nipender and Gaurav. Kudos to Pradeep Kumar and Madhu S, who finished second and third respectively in Group D. Pradeep is a localite from Kottayam and Madhu is a navigator turned rider.

The organisers (KASC) who reached the Ernakulam City late, did not sleep over their problem. They worked hard to ensure the smooth running of the second leg for cars.

On September 19, 18 cars including Maruti 800 flagged off into the Special Stages, on the dot. It was once again a Battle Royale between Team MRF (the Reds) and the JK Tyre Rally Team (the Yellows) and Team Chettinad Sporting (the Blues).

JK Tyre Rally Team, who won the K-1000 Rally in August, and Team MRF Tyres, who won the South India Rally in July (in the IMSA Court), were keen in consolidating heir championship leads.

The service teams of all the cars were ready with spare wheels and suspensions to encounter the famous forest dirt stages.

The seven cars (4 group Ns and 3 Group As) from MRF Tyres were running quite smoothly through the thick of the rally, while the 4 cars (2 Group As and 2 Group Ns) of JK Tyre Rally Team did not seem to like the terrain very much. The two cars from Chettinad Sporting (Group N) were valiantly fighting a lost battle with the Esteems.

The performance of the various leaders in the Popular Rally 1999 stages among cars gave a clear indication that modern day rallying in India is not one person’s forte. Hari Singh and Gurinder Singh Mann (JK Tyres) who had an early lead over the others in the first Special Stage at Ernakulam, fought hard to lead the rally. Unfortunately, they did not return any more fastest times in the rest of the 12 stages. Team MRF Tyres VR Naren Kumar and D Ramkumar drove their heart out to lead in all the first five stages of the 2nd leg. JK Tyre Rally Team’s prime entry from Malaysia Karamjit Singh and his navigator Vivekanandan did equal five stages, fastest.

While all the modified (Group A) cars were eating the best part of the cake, the performance of Manik (Group N) and MRF Tyres Sagar Muthappa (Group N) is to be lauded as both led one stage each.

Now, the Maruti 800, after a couple of rolls decided to call it quits. Jiby Maliakkal and navigator Charan Rao, and Ashok P John and navigator Senthil Kumar gave up the rally with NK Ramesh and navigator RG Vishnu Kumar. It was interesting to see Leelakrishnan (MRF), Hari Singh (JK Tyres), Nikhil Taneja (JK Tyres) and Navaz Bathena (Chettinad) fight their way until their cars could not last. While all of them retired with mechanical problems, Hari Singh and navigator Gurinder Singh Mann suffering a puncture, desperately drove fast on a right hander, in the Bhoothathankettu stage, lost control and crashed into a tree. Luckily only Gurinder suffered a minor cut near his left eye.

When consolidation process took shape, Team MRF’s VR Naren Kumar and D Ramkumar had won the Maruti Popular Rally 1999 followed by teammate Arjun Balu and KR Kumar who were just 4 seconds behind. Karamjit Singh and P. Vivekanandan (JK Tyres) saved some pride for their team, finishing 3rd. The fourth, fifth, sixth and ninth placings went to the 4 Group N cars entered by MRF Tyres. Karandip Singh of Team MRF Tyres navigated by Jaidas Menon, won his maiden Group N title, followed by Sagar Muthappa and Sandeep S Rao (MRF) and Vijayant Chowdhry and Satish Kumar (MRF) finishing 4th, 5th and 6th overall respectively. JK Tyres Manik Raikhy and Shivu Shivappa (9th) and JK Tyres Upkar Dicky Gill and Aaditya Singh Jaiswal (10th) were the other finishers in cars.

With 6 out of 10 finishers from Team MRF Tyres, Antony Rodricks, Corporate Advertising GM and Team Boss said: “We won the rally only on tactics and not on car preparation.”

“The going was good as long as it lasted,” added Gurinder Singh Mann of JK Tyres.

The Castrol National Rally Championship for cars and motorcycles 1999, is poised precariously after the 17th Maruti Popular Rally. MRF Tyres sponsored 25 year old VR Naren Kumar, who leads the Championship table with 55 points, in the Overall category has teammate Arjun Balu breathing down his neck with 53.57 and another teammate Leelakrishnan with 47 points. Interestingly, sharing seats with various top drivers in the JK Tyre Rally Team has put P Vivekanandan on top of the overall navigators’ championship with 55.25 points. Just 0.25 points behind is D Ramkumar (MRF) followed by teammates Kumar Ramaswamy (53.75) and Farooq Ahmed (47).

In the Group A category Team MRF holds the first three leading positions. Leelakrishnan (30), VR Naren Kumar (28.50) and Arjun Balu (27.50). Among the Group A navigator Team MRF Tyres once again leads with Farooq Ahmed (30) followed by D Ram Kumar (28.50) and Kumar Ramaswamy (27.50).

The story is different in the Group N category. JK Tyres Rally Team Manik Raikhy (33.75) lead the Group N drivers championship, followed closely by Team MRF Tyres Vijayant Chowdhury (33.50) and Karandeep Singh Sandhu (23.50).

Interestingly, it was P Vivekanandan of JK Tyres Rally team who lead the Group N navigators’ championship also (27.50) followed by MK Chander (MRF – 26) and Jaidas Menon (MRF 23.50).

In the Castrol National Rally Championship for motorcycles, Team MRF Limited leads the first four placings in the overall category. Rohitaaz Kumar (75), K Prasad (52), RH Vikram (48), and Zubin Patel (41.25). The same riders lead Group C category Rohitaaz Kumar (37.50), K Prasad (26.50), RH Vikram (24) and Zubin Patel (22). It is interesting to note that Rohitaaz, Prasad and RH Vikram rides Pacer Yamaha tuned Yamaha 135s while Zubin Patel rides a TVS Racing prepared Shaolin.

In the Group D  category, Team Pacer Yamaha leads the pack with R Srinivas (32.50) and G Prasad (24.25), Rohan Rego (20.75) from Team Zen runs third, followed by Kunal Singh (18.50) of TVS Racing.

The 17th Maruti Popular Rally 99 taught a few lessons to the Kerala Auto Sports Club. None of the KASC Officials visit the other rallies in India to update themselves on organisational developments. KASC should now plan out to send their 15 life members, as officials to the various Indian National Rallies, and run as many smaller events as possible to keep their Marshalls brushed up, on the latest rules. “We had a seminar for the Marshalls, conducted by C Sridhar, the secretary of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI),” said the secretary of the meet George Tharakan. They did everything perfect during the training examination, but failed miserably during the actual rally,” he added.

Further, one of the major changes that has to happen is the Mr John K Paul, who is one of the prime factors in the sponsorship of the Kuttukaran Group to KASC, should start looking at KASC as the MD of Popular Automobiles, and not as an ex-competitor. Said Mr Paul: “We are planning to change the venue of Popular Rally in the Millennium and may opt for North Kerala. We are happy that Maruti Udyog has promised about one-third of the sponsorship.”

The Coimbatore Auto Sports Club’s Cotton City Rally in October 1999, has an aggregate of 1.75 for both cars and motorcycles. Winning or losing Cotton City should measure the road to the Castrol National Rally Championship.

Provisional Results:

Cars Overall: 1. Naren Kumar/ D Ramkumar (Team MRF) (1hour, 45min, 12sec); 2. Arjun Balu/ K Ramaswamy (Team MRF) (1:45:16); 3. Karamjit Singh/ P Vivekanandan (JK Tyres) (1:45:48); 4. Karandip Singh /Jaidas Menon (MRF) (1:48:07); 5. Sagar Muthappa/ Sandeep S Rao (MRF) (1:48:58).

Cars Group A: 1. Naren Kumar/ D Ramkumar (Team MRF) (1hour, 45min, 12sec); 2. Arjun Balu/ K Ramaswamy (Team MRF) (1:45:16); 3. Karamjit Singh/ P Vivekanandan (JK Tyres) (1:45:48); 4: Upkar Gill /AS Jaiswal (JK) (2:03:22).

Cars Group N (Unmodified): 1. Karandip Singh /Jaidas Menon (Team MRF) (1:48:07); 2. Sagar Muthappa/ Sandeep S Rao (Team MRF) (1:48:58); 3. V Chowdhry/ S Kumar (MRF) (1:50:14); 4. Manik Raikhy/ Shivu Shivappa (JK) (1:51:32); 5. PG Abhilash/ CK Chinappa (Chettinad) (1:51:32).

Cars Unseeded class: 1. Karandip Singh /Jaidas Menon (MRF) (1:48:07); 2. V Chowdhry/ S Kumar (MRF) (1:50:14); 3. PG Abhilash/ CK Chinappa (Chettinad) (1:51:32).

Cars Tuner Prize

Group N Tuner Trophy (Unmodified cars): J Anand

Group A Tuner Trophy (Modified cars): N Leelakrishnan.

Bike Results:

Overall: 1. K Prasad (Team MRF) (1:34:49); 2. Amol C Talpade (TVS) (1:37:21); 3. RH Vikram (Team MRF) (1:38:26); 4. Nipender Jessy (1:38:26); 5. Gaurav Gill (TVS) (1:39:56).

Bikes Group C (Modified): 1. K Prasad (Team MRF) (1:34:49); 2. Amol C Talpade (TVS) (1:37:21); 3. RH Vikram (Team MRF) (1:38:26); 4. Nipender Jessy (1:38:26); 5. Akash Ithal (Team Nanjappas) (1:40:31).

Bikes Group D (Modified): 1. Gaurav Gill (TVS) (1:39:56); 2. Pradeep Kumar (1:42:05); 3. Madhu (1:43:19); 4. CD Jain (1:44:37); 5. R Srinivas (Pacer Yamaha) (1:44:58).

Best Novice Entry: Pradeep Kumar.

Best Tuner Prizes:

For Group D Unmodified: Arvind Pangoankar

Tuner for Group C Modified: Sekhar Bhojana.

ends

By George Francis, Scorp News

Bangalore, 15 Aug 1999: The Silver Jubilee 25th Karnataka-1000 Rally 1999 for cars and motorcycles in the Golden Jubilee year of the organiser, Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC), which proved that a Motor Rally can be exciting even if it is run `economically’.

The Castrol India Limited sponsorship having been denied to KMSC, like all other hosting clubs, the organisers went a begging for sponsors.

The KMSC, with a colourful list of members, which almost reads like a who’s who in the Karnataka Automobile industry, failed miserably to get a sponsor quickly. Respite came in the form of the `knockout beer’, brand of the Mysore Breweries Limited, who chipped in Rs. 1 lakh to sponsor the motorcycle part of the legendary K-1000 Rally.

The history of the Karnataka-1000 Rally is interesting. The KMSC, founded in 1949, ran the first ever race in Karnataka the same year at South Parade, and the first rally in 1950. Having run a motorcycle race in Mysore in 1951, and a motorcycle race at Yelahanka in 1954, followed by a car race at the Yelahanka airstrip in 1955, the Karnataka 1000 Rally was born in 1975.

In the 25th edition of the KMSC’s prime event, K1000, was run as a simple economical and exciting event.

Only two Special Stages, namely India Mines and Kondli Mines made up the basic structure of competition. Both the India mines and Kondli mines were to be run thrice in the same direction, and the former thrice and the later twice in the opposite direction. Six plus five making 11 stages, totalling to 128.70km, including transport stages.

The India Mines stage measured 14.20km, while the Kondli Mines stage was 8.70km long. The setting of these Special Stages was very simple. One had to proceed to Bangalore-Tumkur highway and after reaching Tumkur, travel to Gubbi and Nittur and 5km before KB cross (after 2km from the Diamond Cement Board) one reaches Harena halli, where the service park was located on the left of the highway and the stages are on the right.

Thanks to Bharath Raj, member of KMSC and owner of India Mines and the owner of the Kondli Mines, the KMSC could run their 1999 Silver Jubilee edition successfully.

The simple route with hardly any chances for navigational error, could have easily made the competitors overconfident. The 50 motorcycles and 21 cars started the K1000 but only 30 motorcycles and 10 cars finished the event. Service was allowed with re-grouping at the end of the two stages run consecutively, and each set of stages meant hardly 23 kms of stage driving or riding with negligible transport distances. Compare this to the K1000 run as a 1000 miles event, and God knows, what the present day competitors would have done.

The Karnataka-1000 “99 ran the motorcycles and cars events as separate parts of the same rally. In accordance with the FMSCI rule that all organisers running rallies for motorcycles and cars, should try and run them as separate events, to give both classes, equal publicity, in 2000, and be prepared for the same in 1999, the KMSC is the first club to have made a concrete step towards this format.

On August 10, the compulsory recee (reconnaissance) was run for both cars and motorcycles, and on 11th the pre-event scrutiny was held at Sri Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore.

At 6am on August 12 saw the 51 gleaming motorcycles line up at the Kanteerava Stadium in downtown Bangalore for the start. K Prasad of Team MRF Limited know as chia (Champion) to fellow competitors and Karnataka locals, took the starters flag followed by Teammates Rohitaaz Kumar and Amar Sandhu, respectively. Tragedy struck Team MRF Limited and tuners TVS Suzuki on the recee day itself. Reigning champion Zubin Patel, overdoing the recee had a toss and broke his collar bone and wrist, which had earlier broken in another accident also, plus damaged his right elbow terribly. By the looks of it, he may take the rest of the season (4 months) to recoup.

Though 3 out of 4 competitors sponsored by Team MRF were participating, the hype and hoopla seemed to be on the brand presence of the Yamahas and Suzukis.

The 19 Yamahas, of which 9 were RX100s and 10 were RX135s, four Suzuki Shaolins and 27 Suzuki Shoguns made up the 50 competing motorcycles. The line-up clearly emphasised the lead that Suzukis have made into the field of Indian Motor Cycle Rallying in the past five years.

The fact being that only the Yamahas and Suzukis are the only works teams entering Indian motor sport sport, the way the lesser powered Suzuki zoomed into Indian Motor cycle rallying and racing makes interesting reading.

In the Pre-1994 days, the Yamahas were the leaders. People like Sekhar Bhojana of Down Town Works in Bangalore put the Yamahas in the prime spot.

In 1994, TVS Suzuki launched an aggressive campaign into Indian two-wheeler Rallying with Rajaram, prime tuners, being put on the R&D job exclusively for Shoguns. Powering the Shoguns from nowhere, TVS Suzuki started getting results. The Yamahas though very much present in the Indian rallys, those days fared poorly due to no R&D support, and service support from the manufacturers. In fact, even the Coorgi legends, Jagat and Anita Nanjappa’s pet bike is Yamaha 100, with which they ruled the Indian Rally scene until 1998, when they shifted to 4-wheelers.

Growing in leaps and bounds, Suzuki located the promising riders like Shyam Kothari, K Prasad and Zubin Patel and offered them factory prepared bikes. Winning the rally by a dozen, the practice in two-wheeler rallying was to get on to a Shogun, so that they could get into the works team later, and get spares support when they are novices.

Zen Motors, a retail outlet of TVS Suzuki got into the fray supporting the up and coming rallyists with spares for Shoguns, at Zen’s own expenditure for the love of rallying. Of course, Zen, run by Krishna Murthy and Praneeth Perumal, school-time friends, became popular among Indian rallyists and not a day would pass in their Bangalore outlet without a rallyist visiting them.

In 1996, 1997 and 1998, TVS Suzuki won the Castrol National Rally Championship for motorcycles.

It was in the last few rallies of the 1998 that Yamaha realised that they were the hare in the Tortoise and Hare story. Waking up, Pacer Yamaha, enlisted Shekar Bhojana of Down Town Works, to support the prime Yamaha competitors. Japanese Mechanics and R&D personnel flew into India to locate the advantages the  Shoguns had and the Pacer Yamaha team started perfecting their machines. The RX135s were brought in, to get that little bit of an edge that one needs to win a rally by fractions of seconds. The limelight of the rallying season is fully shining on the Team Pacer Yamaha now. The Suzukis, to beat the 135cc edge of the Yamahas are now perfecting the equally powered Shaolins. In fact, 1998 season was used as a test run for the Shaolins, with Amol Talpade riding them.

Coming back to K-1000 rally, the 50 competitors reached the Service Park in Harenhalli and were now ready to take on the Special Stages, after the two hours 11km tiring transport from Bangalore.

Chia Prasad sponsored by MRF Limited and astride a Pacer Yamaha works team 135bike, thundered across the India Mines and Kondli Mines to lead the pack until the sixth stage. Fate had it that he should suffer a puncture in the 7th stage. The stages and the tighter service schedules upset Prasad and Roitaaz Kumar of Chandigarh, another MRF sponsored rallyist on another Pacer Yamaha tuned Yamaha 135 took over the saddle.

In the meantime, prime drop-outs included Amar Sandhu, Uday Kumar, Vikram Singh, G Prasad, Nippendar Jessy, and many more totalling to 20. In fact, each time the rally passed a stage we were busy noting down drop-outs.

The puncture that cost him the first place, did not make Prasad to lose heart. The chia in him fought valliantly through two stages, totalling 22km, with a flat rear wheel to finish for service and finall breast the tape at second spot.

The performance of R Sreenivas, Akash Ithal, Kunal Singh, Rohan Rego, Ravindra AS, Manu and Amarjeet Singh should be lauded. They seem to be now forming the second line of attack in Indian Motorcycle rallying and shoul soon tune up to be prime rallyists.

RH Vikram, ex-MRF Team member, is the other one to watch in the 99 season. Vikram, who was over-weight during the last few years, has trimmed down by 12 kgs to put the pressure on the `Big Boys’. “I have to trim down if I want to be on the top. I am going to work hard this season,” Vikram, popular known as Vicky, said, to the applause of his massive fan following in Bangalore.

The last bike finished the special stages by around 6.30pm and left for Bangalore to put their bikes into Parc Ferme.

On the 13th of August at 6am, local hero and Team MRF Tyres sponsored current  Group N champion Sagar Muthappa navigated by  Sandeep Rao, flagged off into the cars event of the Karnataka-1000 Rally, 1999.

The 20 cars started in one-minute intervals. There were seven MRF Tyres sponsored cars, five JK Tyres sponsored cars, two Team Chettinad Sporting cars, two Team Kadur cars, two partly sponsored JK cars and three privateers.

The JK Tyres Rally team was seething under the loss of their overall and top Group A placings in the South India Rally 1999, which Team MRF Tyres won at the IMSAC (Indian Motor Sports Appeal Court). Team MRF Tyres, current National Overall and Group A and Group N champions, were basking in glory, leading all the groups in the 1999 National Championship until now.

At 8.20am, Team MRF Tyres’ Sagar Muthappa, went into the Special Stages at Harenhalli, in his two-rally old Group A (modified) car, and toppled. That set the trend for the K-1000 1999. While the rest of the rallyists passed through the first stage, with utmost care, Deborshi Sadan Bose of Calcutta, a very young `boy driver’, took off into a ditch due to a navigational error, and ended his adventure run there. While a forlorn Deborshi and Iqbal, his navigator, were walking down the stage to exit, Iqbal said, “It is totally my fault. I missed the call.”

Nihar Kiran Modi, along with navigator Nikhil V Pai, did the same trick of flatter ground, straightened out their esteem and proceeded.

The pace was being set by Naren Kumar and Ramkumar (MRF Tyres) leading the overall and Group A positions, while Manik Raikhy and Vivekanandan of JK Tyres were leading the Group N cars.

In the car event also, the pet obsession was to note down who fell off from the rally, as the dare-devils passed from stage to  stage.

Everything seemed under control for Team MRF Tyres until the last three stages, the 4-times National Champion Hari Singh and Gurinder Singh Mann, his navigator, of JK Tyres Rally Team, slowly increased their pace to make up quick seconds on Team MRF’s Naren Kumar.

While Sanjay `Hardy’ Sharma, Team Manager, of the JK Team, sat on a ledge, with folded hands and closed eyes praying for their anchormen Hari and Gurinder, far away in the horizon, one could see a yellow speck drive towards the final of the final stage. Tuners Brian Palmer, and his assistants Sathya Narayana and his boys, and all the other JK Team members who had dropped out lined up on both sides of the one-and-half-kilometre stretch of straight Tarmac, and applauded as Hari Singh and Gurinder Singh Mann, came into view. Microphones crowded, and claps deafened the finish TC of the 11th stage, as Hari and Gurinder said: “Though we were down at one stage, by the last stages we made up and here we are.” Just behind them decided to go for it and checked in JK Tyres Rally Team Manik Raikhy and Vivekanandan to receive the applause for the Group N winner.

Team MRF Tyres almost finished to fifth in overall, Group A and Group N. But the crown for the kings went to JK Tyre Rally Team on the day.

Nevertheless, Team MRF Tyres  leads in overall, Group A and Group N in the  Castrol National Rally Championship for cars 1999.

In the Motorcycle category, Team MRF Tyres sponsored, and Pacer Yamaha tuned, Rohitaaz Kumar, leads Overall and Group C in the Castrol National RAlly Championship for Motorcycles. Team Pacer Yamaha leads in Group D.

Only three rounds remain for the Motorcycle Championships, while there are four rounds left for the cars.

The JK Tyres Rally Tuner, Manager Vicky Chandhok made a statement that the JK Tyres team ran their cars with the same set up as in the South Indian Rally 1999, for which they were excluded by the IMSAC.

Does this remark mean that the IMSAC are fools, or Team MRF Tyres are cheating, or that JK Tyres Rally Team can get away with whatever they do. Only a `Ban Penalty’ from rallys could change the attitude of these two teams MRF and JK, who are peripheral manufacturers hogging the limelight in Indian Motorsport.

On August 14, post-event scrutiny was alone on the leading Bikes and Cars, and a well-attended prize distribution function wit Tea and snacks, at Hotel Woodlands wound up the Silver Jubilee K-1000 Rally.

The absence of the “Rally Ball” again showed like a sore thumb in one of the oldest rallies of India, which ran without a sponsor. Until date, only the Eastern Motor Sports Association and Nashik Automotive Sports Club have ended their rallies with the customary cocktails and dinner. For the last competitor, who spends and comes for an event of National stature, that is where he cheers or drains his rally feelings.

Results:

Cars Overall: 1. Hari Singh/ GS Mann (JK Tyre) (1:42:40); 2. Naren Kumar/ Ramkumar (Team MRF) (1:44:34); 3. Manik Raikhy/ P Vivenanandan (JK Tyre) (1;47:16); 4. Karandip Singh/ Jaidas Menon (Team MRF) (1:48:47); 5. Jagat Nanjappa/ Anita (Team MRF) (1:49:39).

Cars Group A (Modified cars): 1. Hari Singh/ GS Mann (JK Tyre) (1:42:40); 2. Naren Kumar/ Ramkumar (Team MRF) (1:44:34); 3. N Leelakrishnan/ Farooq Ahmed (Team MRF) (1:53:31); 4. Ramesh/ V Kamat (2:12:01).

Cars Group N (Unmodified cars): 1. Manik Raikhy/ P Vivenanandan (JK Tyre) (1;47:16); 2. Karandip Singh/ Jaidas Menon (Team MRF) (1:48:47); 3. Jagat Nanjappa/ Anita (Team MRF) (1:49:39); 4. Navaz Bathena/ Sherin Balachandran (Chettinad Sporting) (1:56:23); 5. Vijayant/ Chander MK (Team MRF) (1:57:12).

Cars – Unseeded: 1. Karandip Singh/ Jaidas Menon (Team MRF) (1:48:47); 2. Navaz Bathena/ Sherin Balachandran (Chettinad Sporting) (1:56:23); 3. Vijayant/ Chander MK (Team MRF) (1:57:12); 4. Ramesh/ V Kamat (2:12:01); 5. Satyan/ Woodhan (2:13:58).

Cars – Novice: 1. Ramesh/ V Kamat (2:12:010; 2. Satyan/ Woodhan (2:13:58).

Motorcycles Results:

Overall Group C (Modified Bikes): 1. Rohitaaz Kumar (MRF) (1:45:44); 2. K Prasad (MRF) (1:46:35); 3. RH Vikram (Pacer Yamaha) (1:46:56); 4. Akash Ithal (1:56:39); 5. Sham Sundar (1:57:45).

Group D (Unmodified Bikes): 1. R Srinivas (Pacer Yamaha) (1:58:52); 2. Kunal Singh (TVS Suzuki) (1:59:57); 3. Rohan Rego (Zen Motors) (2:02:57); 4. Amith Kumar (2:04:06); 5. Ravindra (2:05:42).

Motorcycles Unseeded: 1. Akash Ithal (1:56:39); 2. Sham Sundar (1:57:45); 3. Rohan Rego (Zen Motors) (2:02:57); 4. Amith Kumar (2:04:06); 5. Ravindra (2:05:42).

Motorcycles Novice class: 1. Pramod Rahan (2:10:18); 2. Manu (2:10:40); 3. Badal Joshi (2:10:59); 4. Amarjeet Singh (2:14:15); 5. Kailash (2:16:01).

ends

By George Francis, Scorp News

Chennai, 12 July 1999: Team MRF Tyres dubbed `Red Thunder’ by their nemesis in motor sports JK Tyres in an ad campaign way back in 1994, did seem to mean the phrase.

The Reds thundered to an emphatic victory in the Indian Motor Sports Appellate Court (IMSAC), which met at Bangalore on August 8th. Exactly one month had passed since the famed South India Rally, ran its 35th chapter in the outskirts of Chennai.

This is the first victory for Team MRF limited in the IMSAC, and the favourable verdict sky-rockets them into an authoritative lead in the Castrol National Rally Championship for cars and Motorcycles, 1999.

The issue should have been sorted out much earlier. On the 12th July N Leelakrishnan of Team MRF, ace tuner and current National Champion, appealed to the Stewards of the Meet that two JK Tyre Rally Team cars, that of 4 times National Champion Hari Singh and Regional Pan Pacific Rally Champion of Malaysia, Karamjit Singh had infringed Articles 5.3 and 5.3.4 of the 4 wheeler Technical Regulations. Articles 5.3 states, `The position of the rotational axis of the mounting point of the suspension to the wheel uprights and to the shell (or chassis) must remain unchanged. In common man’s parlance, what should happen is `an increase in the suspension travel, thereby increasing reliability of a car with such mounting to another without. Said Leela, “It is such modifications that transformed a pathetically bad rally car like Toyota Corolla, to an excellent rally car. Once upon a time the same Corolla was jumping for one bump to the other, because of non-modification of the length and the mounting point.”

The article 5.3.4 states “The position of the centre of the articulation cannot be changed.” The IMSAC admitted that the position support has been modified and as per rule 5.3.6 modification of support is impermissible and there is not express authorisation for modification. The damping element is also large as held/or recorded by the stewards in their order dated July 13th which is also not permitted under rule 5.3.6.

THe IMSAC allowed the appeal on the above noting and gave the verdict. In the meantime, the IMSAC also observed that the appellant (Leelakrishnan) ought not to have sought opinion or clarification from the FIA while the rally is on and depraciated such conduct of the appellant. The IMSAC also ordered the forfeiture of the appeal fees paid by the appellant.

The appeal having been accepted, and verdict given excluded the overall winner Hari Singh and Gurinder Singh Mann (Navigator) and second placed Karamjit Singh and Jagdev Singh (navigator) both belonging to the JK Tyres Rally Team with exclusion, Team MRF Limited’s Arjun Balu, navigated by Kumar Ramaswamy is the declarled winner followed by Manik Raikhy and P Vivekanandan (Team JK Tyres) and N Leelakrishnan and Farooq Ahmed (MRF).

This change in positions, also puts Leelakrishnan in the lead (41 points) in the three National Rallies that have run until now this year. There are 4 more rounds of the Championship and the game is still anyone’s for the taking.

In the meantime, the 2-wheeler category witnessed yet another emphatic win for the Pacer Yamaha team. Rohitaaz Kumar of Chandigarh, blasted the South Indian Terrain, to win acclaim for Sponsors MRF Limited and tuner Pacer Yamaha. Victory was not easy for the lanky Chandigarh lad astride the Yamaha. National Champion Zubin Patel of Mumbai was breathing down his neck all the while, but for his slower Suzuki.

 It is an interesting fact that only in the two wheeler segment (in Indian rallying) there has been considerable competition between manufacturers. It was in the pre-1994 days, that Yamahas ruled the roost. The tactically strong Sundaram Industries (TVS) realised the lacuna and lethargy shown by brand leaders Yamaha, and the lack of support from the Escorts Factory. Noticing the chink in their armour, Suzuki’s started a battle supreme with un believable support from their factory. THe ever-enterprising duo of Rajaram and Jayaram are deputed to tune that the TVS Suzukis and what followed is history. From 1994 to 1999 the TVS Suzuki brand grew, and the introduction of Showguns as a rally motorcycle, won them the acclaim they were looking for, team Zen Motors, a retail outlet run by school time friends Krishnamurthy and Praneeth in Bangalore, who were adventurous and ever-willing to help the adventurous lot of motorcycle rallyists who came to them for support, capitalised on promoting the shotguns.

In 1988, the Yamahas (the favourite bike of the rally legends Jagat and Anita Nanjappa) realised that their market presence was definitely being slowly but surely destroyed by TVS. Once again they got their act together and enlisted none else than the inimitable Shekar Bhojana of Town Works, legendary motor sports bike tuners. Sekar set about the work with the precision of an old and experienced artisans getting his tools together after ages of hibernation. He went about the task assigned with perfection and got his first victory when ace rallyist Rohitaaz crossed the mantle to the Team Pacer Yamaha. Chia Prasad (Champion) followed and in the latest rally RH Vikram one of the famous bikers of Bangalore joined Pacer Yamaha. But notwithstanding the fact the best of the Indian Rally riders are moving over to the Yamaha Camp, team Suzuki has set about perfecting the Suzuki Shaolin which when fine tuned should become a competitive rally worthy vehicle.

Today, the heat between the Suzuki’s and Yamahas is so high, that Team MRF Tyres Zubin Patel thrown Team MRF Tyres, an open Team challenge to teammate Rohitaaz, on the future performance in the next rally fo the season, namely Karnataka 1000 at Bangalore.

The old set-up of Yamaha tuners and service supporters getting together is being watched as seriously as the dreaded “SS Group in Germany”.

The South India Rally 1999, was run on similar terrain bike last 3 years, barring the infamous canal stage which dislocated Sanjay Agarwal’s (JK) spine and toppled the famous Manik Raikhy (JK). Another stage on dirt roads which runs around a lake was included. Rains cut short the stage around the MMSC Racing Track, and the south India Rally also proved that the organisers had done well to located 3 stages, included one on the racing circuit tarmac which formed the basic competition. These stages run thrice consecutively with 6 service stops on Day 1 and the same in the opposite direction with 6 service stops formed the total distance of 550 odd kms out of which 147 km were competitive.

23 cars and 45 bikes challenge for the South India Crown with a recce on the 8th July, 9th saw pre-vent scrutiny, reconnaissance, 10th and 11th were the rally days and 12th, the prize distribution.

This rally id dedicated to the Martyrs of Kargil, read the arch at the start ramp in the Music Academy. Rumours that the rally would be stopped by an ex-motor sport competitor (who is currently an MLC) is said to have prodded the organisers to Dedicate the rally to Kargil Heroes.

The two major changes among competitors was the long time MRF campaigner Dicky Gill walking off with navigator Aditya Jaiswal to Team JK, and current group N (Unmodified) car champion Sagar Muthappa (MRF) moving on to a Group A (modified) car.

The rate of attrition was very high. Only 9 cars and 26 bikes finished the South INdia Rally 1999.

The Team MRF walked away with the first two placings in motorcycles, overall Group C (modified) class. Team Pacer Yamaha (some of the riders here are sponsored by MRF Tyres also) stole the limelight winning 7 out of the first 10 placings. Except for the inevitable performance of kingpins Zubin Patel, Nipender Jessy and SP Chinnappa, article Suzuki Shoguns stopping the Yamahas.

Team MRF also walked away with the overall and Group A (modified) class top spots, but had to concede the Group N (unmodified) class to JK Tyres Rally Team “Stunt Driver” Manik Raikhy, who somersaulted his Esteem into a ditch and still managed to land on all fours and continue unperturbed. God bless his navigator P Vivekanandan.

The performance of Vijayant Chowdhry of Team MRF Limited navigated by MK Chander, should be lauded for his excellent performance to score 2nd in Group N and all praise to veteran Nanjappas who finished third behind them.

The other two teams represented Team Chettinad Sporting and Team Kadur, placed 4th and 5th in Group N and 6th and 7th Overall. It is these new teams that foster new talent who should be lauded for spending money on their passion, motor sport.

All said and done, the Madras Motor Sports Club, one of the oldest and one of the most remembered motor sport club in the country, cut a sorry figure in competitor hospitality and media support.

The Rally Ball, an integral part of motor sports, all over the world, was missing, depriving the competitors a chance to let their hair down and commune. It is high time that the rally ball is made mandatory to ensure the last competitor who spends on entry gets his due.

Team MRF Tyres leads the battle field in overall, Group A and Group N in cars and in overall and Group C bikes, in the Castrol National Rally Championship for cars and motorcycles 1999.

The announcement of the IMSAC verdict on the eve of the 4th round of Castrol National Rally Championship for cars and 3rd for bikes, the Karnataka 1000 at Bangalore should wake up JK Tyre Rally Team.

If the JKs and Suzukis do not make up for lost points, in the Bangalore Rally, chances for Championship fight would become weak.

Provisional Results: Cars, Overall: 1. Arjun Balu /KR Kumar (Team MRF) (1hour, 48min, 26sec); 2. Manik Raikhy/ P Vivekanandan (JK Tyre) (1:49:45); 3. N Leelakrishnan/ Farooq Ahmed (Team MRF) (1:50:33); 4. V Choudhry/ MK Chander (Team MRF) (1:50:47); 5. Jagat Nanjappa/ Anita Nanjappa (Team MRF) (1:52:18).

Cars, Group B: 1. Arjun Balu /KR Kumar (Team MRF) (1hour, 48min, 26sec); 2.  N Leelakrishnan/ Farooq Ahmed (Team MRF) (1:50:33);

Cars, Group N: 1. Manik Raikhy/ P Vivekanandan (JK Tyre) (1:49:45); 2. V Choudhry /MK Chander (Team MRF) (1:50:47); 3. Jagat Nanjappa/ Anita Nanjappa (Team MRF) (1:52:18); 4. Che Navaz/ Sherin (1:56:25); 5. Kad Umakanth/ Sunil (2:03:20).

Bikes Overall and Group C: 1. Rohitaaz Kumar (Team MRF) (1:48:52); 2. Zubin Kersi Patel (Team MRF) (1:50:39); 3. RH Vikram (Pacer Yamaha) (1:51:22); 4. Nipender Jessy (Suzuki) (1:52:54); 5. BC Roopesh (Pacer Yamaha) (1:53:27).

Bikes Group D: 1. R Srinivas (Pacer Yamaha) 1:57:48); 2. SP Chinappa (Zen Motors) (1:58:13); 3. G Prasad (Pacer Yamaha) (1:58:17); 4. Rohan Rego (Zen Motors) (2:00:29); 5. Amith Kumar K (Zen Motors) (2:01:30).

ends

By George Francis

Nashik, 6 June 1999: Red Thunder (Team MRF Tyres) struck terror again in Nashik, taking with it the first three placings in the Cars and Motorcycles Overall category, to beat the challenge out of the Yellows (JK Tyres Rally Team). Team MRF, bitten by a miserable performance in the EMSA Wild Run Rally, 1999, took the NASA Challenge seriously, to secure the championship point they very much needed, to bid for the 1999 Castrol National Rally Championship for Cars and Motorcycles.

Leelakrishnan and navigator Farooq Ahmed won the rally followed by teammates Sagar Muthappa and Sandeep Rao in second and Vijayant Choudhari and MK Chander in third.

Tuners are the kings behind in the world of Rallying or Racing. They are the unsung Heroes. The JK Tyres Rally Team, who have imported tuners like Brian Palmer and Patrick Roert (British) and Abdul Gani and Noor Sha Ali, the skilled Chinese Malaysian Mechanics, and who sport Vicky Chandhok, Mohinder Lalwani and PD Satyanarayanan from India found the MRF juggernaut tough to beat once again. The team MRF had not prepared perfectly in the earlier leg of cars in the National Championship at the EMSA Wild Run Rally, Calcutta, was clear the way the cars were ship shape for NASA.

Brian Palmer, the `Suspension Specialist’ for JK Tyre Rally Team, is the ex-Technical Director of Proton World Rally Team and Ralliart World Rally Team and operates from Malaysia as part of Palmer Motorsport Inc.

On the other hand, N Leelakrishnan, the home-grown hero tunes the team MRF Group A (modified) cars and ace circuit racer and automobile manufacturer J Anand tunes the Group N (Unmodified) cars. Their bunch of mechanics are from Coimbatore and are hard working, with support from Mr Murali of MRF Limited.

On the two-wheeler front, the story is different. The bikers who ride from MRF Limited are sponsored by MRF, but technical expertise comes from Team TVS Suzuki and Team Escorts Yamaha and Zen Rallying known as the lesser-privileged rallyists, it is these bikers who provide the thrills for the common man, who identifies with them.

Rajaram and Jayaram are two TVS Suzuki tuners, who have been in Indian Rallying for the past 10 to 15 years. Sekhar Bojana of Down Town Works, Bangalore and Chennai, the `Escorts money bad manager’ from Delhi and their team put together the Pacer Yamaha Team last year, and have now christened the Team Escorts Yamaha. Team Zen Rallying run by Krishnamurthy and Praneeth Perumal, two confirmed Bachelors who were school-time friends are the saviours of the poorer souls in Indian Motorcycle rallying and racing. If you have a Suzuki bike and loves rallying or racing are are sure of your performance levels, walk into Zen Motors and meet Krishnamurtehy or Praneeth. Most probably they would give you basic support for your machine in any rally. It is said that Zen Rallying do not get free spares from TVS Suzuki, but are crazy about the sport and the up and coming rider. Then comes the tuning outfit of a four-wheeler driver from Hyderabad, Nihar Mody, who is part sponsored by JK Industries Limited. A truck carries all his spares, tools, mechanics? and what not. And the car, to whereever he rallies, pitches tents and slogs until the rally is won or lost. A highly professional outfit managed by Dr Rao (he is better treating cars than human beings) and his team, Nihar could never ask for a better deal.

The 258km of canal embankment roads cracked the wits out of the 19 dare devils in the cars and 42 solo motorcyclists, in one of the radically different routes ever set in Indian Rallying. One could not believe the shockingly narrow route set by the Nashik Automotive Sports Association (NASA) officials. Of course, two wheeler riders revealed as they had only two wheels to bother about, while the four wheeler driver shivered to let their four wheels pass over such a narrow embankment roads. The fear was reasonable, for, it one went off the road, they would land into four feet deep water in the canal on one side or roll down 10 feet on the other side on the dry ground, generally spread with grass.

“I was mentioning to one of the competitors Dicky Gill that four feet is okay if the car landed. Imagine if we rolled upside down,” Dicky feared to vision up.

On June 2, NASA conducted the now compulsory organised Recee for the competitors. The trial run across the canal embankments, spelt `Fear’ for the `adventure seekers’, who were shocked at the sheer prospect of taming these roads at rally speeds of 120kmph at times. The discussion with the rallyists ater the recee gave the feelings that the number of dropouts would be high.

On June 3, he pre-event scrutiny on the competing vehicles was done and the drivers briefing and press conference was held. The Tuners of the MRF and JK Cars were working hard on their cmpeting cars, as Team Escorts Yamaha, Team Suzuki and Team Zen tuned up their motorcycles for the ensuing competition.

The Motorcycles were running the first rally fo the 1999 season, while the cars had already run the EMSA Wild Run Rally in Calcutta in April.

Team MRF Tyres had four Group A, three Group N cars and four Group C (modified) bikes. Team JK Tyres was next with two Group A cars, three Group N cars and one partly sponsored Group N Car. Team Escorts Yamaha supported two Group C and two Group D bikes. Team TVS Suzuki supported two GRoup C Shoghuns and one Group C Shaolin. Team Chettinad sporting brought in three Group N cars and Team Zen Rallying had a battalion o bikers, supporting them in tuning and spares. There were hardly four cars without sponsorship, but at least 28 bikers without any sponsor wanting to challenge the NASA terrain and the sponsored teams.

There were two motor Sporting families one competing and the other officiating. The Patel family from Mumbai had father Kersi Patel and sons Zubin and Rustom competing on bikes. The Bathena family from Mumbai had father Darayus and his wife and sons Farad and Zoru officiating and of course daughter Nava was competing under Team Chettinad banner.

It is interesting to ntoe that the entire route where the NASA ran, is land that belonged to the Department of Irrigation, Maharashtra, who had given them permission to run the event, despite a Dam in the areas. Further, `hats-off’ to NASA, they proved that if there is a will, there is a way, literally. With Castrol India Limited walking out of the individual rally sponsorship scene, the onus was on NASA to run the event with other sponsors, or pull out of the National Championship. “We wanted to stay in the Castrol National Rally Championship for cars and motorcycles and that is why we are running the NASA Challenge, even though there are no sponsors,” said Shekhar, one of the NASA Officials. “We are thankful to Janalakshmi Co-operative Bank, who gave us Rs.6lakhs loan without interest for a year to run the rally. We have to now earn from sponsorship of other smaller events and repay. Our FDs and our Goodwill are our security,” quipped Hoshi Patel, the top boss of NASA, who proved they coud run a well-organised rally even without a sponsor.

On June 3, at 7.01am, the first bike, Rohitaaz Kumar of Team MRF took the starters flag at Sai Palace Hotel on the Mumbai Agra highway. Kudos to Sai Palace, who gave excellent support to NASA to take care of all the rallyists who stayed in the same hotel and where all the official meetings and Prize Distribution were held.

One after the other, the bikes left in one minute intervals followed by a break of an hour between bikes and cars. Manik Raikhy of Team JK Tyre was the first car to be flagged off followed by others in two minute intervals. It was shocking to note that the 1998 winner Zubin Patel (bikes) and N Leelakrishnan (cars) were not flagged off first, which is a customary practice.

It was a treat to watch the two wheelers weaving through the forests on the tank bund at hectic speeds, but when the cars appeared the were disappointingly slow.

The route was very  simple. There were five special stages to be run thrice in the same direction (read boring) on the Nashik to Walkhed part of Mumbai-Agra highway. The rallyists went on the highway up to Khatwad where they turned right and did the first stage  a loop back to the highway and crossed the hghway to the left side where they did stages 2 to 5, before rejoining the highway at Walkhed. It was at the finish of the Stage 1 that the SErvice Park was set up, a common feature in modern Indian rallying. There was a regroup halt after every trip round the five stages. The Petrol pump Saptashrungi Highway services at Nashik-Dindoni road owned by  Mr Thakur had closed their daily operations to support the rally. Speaks for his interest in motor sport and NASA’s goodwill.

When we were at the stages, we realised that why the stages were scary. Narrow canal roads with no run-off areas, were frightening. One wondered the predicament of the car drivers as they drove their machines through these life-or-death roads. The first casualty was three bikes and the Chettinad Sporting car of Sam Katgara and Neville Poonawala of Mumbai. Sam misjudged a corner, went off the canal road, down the slope and crashed a tree and landed. Thank God, the roll cage saved them. As for the motorcycles, two of them did not start the stage and the third retired with minor problems to his bike. Paritosh Kohok, 1998 Castrol Natioinal Rally Motorcycles Group D champion, now on a Group D bike crashed with no injury. The Nashik lad is getting used to a more powerful bike and once he settles down should be a force to reckon with.

The rally proceeded further. Manik Raikhy had climbed an electric pole while testing his Esteem and rendered Nashik powerless for 10 minutes on June 3. The rally proceeded further and then came the shocking news of Naren Kumar of Team MRF and Hari Singh of JK Tyre had pulled out and Amol Talpade (bikes) and many more `also rans’. Whenever the cars or bikes reached the service park, it was a treat to watch the mechanics work. Said Vicky Chandhok, Chief Tuner for JK Tyres Rally  team. “Hari had  lost time in the first stages and was going for it. He made 59 seconds in the 11th stage and misjudged a turn and crashed, the second crash in his career of 10 years.” The first was MASA 1994, when his brakes failed and crashed.

By the time the rally was over, there were 14 finishers in cars and 30 motorcycles. The NASA Chalenge routes were the best for bikes, while being very unsafe for cars.

Team MRF Limited proved that their 1998 run to the Championship was not a joke and took the top three placings in cars and motorcycles. Team Escorts Yamaha, won the top spot in Overall, Group C an Group D for the first time. “It was my mistake,” said Zubin. “I eased out in the beginning and tried to make time later and had a flip and so finished three seconds behind,” he added. He finished behind Rohitaaz who was astride a Yamaha.

The championship points for the Castrol National Rally Championship are interestingly poised as JK and MRF are even in Overall, Group A and Group N points. The Bikes of course have run only one round and Team MRF leads overall, Group C and Escorts entered in Group D.                        

On June 6, the post-event scrutiny and Prize Distribution were held at  Sai Palace. Pradeep Mhaskar, Clerk of the Course, for the first time in Indian Rallying pointed out the lethargy in competitors filling up entry forms. A press release given out by the Team MRF Limited did not speak about their bikers and proved the old saying that bikers are the `nobodys’ in Indian rallying. The JK Press Release appeared a bit more professional.

In the Prize Distribution, Manik Raikhy and Vivek Ponnuswamy (JK) gave up their prize monies to NASA as a gesture to a club running a National event without sponsors. Kudos to NASA who gave prize monies, though running without a sponsor.

With the NASA Challenge 99 won by few and lost by many, we spoke to the tuners who ensure performance. The Group N tuners for the MRF Limited, J Anand said: “The new FIA regulations format had made the cars much slower. Stock radiators and cylinders, give us very little for our imagination.”

“We were well prepared and the results prove that, said Leelakrishnan, the overall winner and Tuner of MRF Group A cars. The Escorts Yamaha team fizzing champaigne for the first time, pucking up an overall, Group C and Group D victory in the rally said: We are very serious about our efforts now and you will see the scenario changing soon.”

The Castrol National Rally Championship for cars and motorcycles is any ones for the taking today. The South India Rally 1999 at Chennai in July, the favourite of JK Rally Team and the headquarters of MRF Limited and TVS Suzuki will be the focus. Whoever takes the early lead, will be less tense for the rest of the season.

Provisional Results:

Overall Cars: 1. N Leelakrishnan/ Farooq Ahmed (Team MRF) (1hour, 55min, 42sec); 2. B Sagar Muthappa/ Sandeep Rao (Team MRF) (1:57:07); 3. Vijayant Choudhari/ MK Chander (Team MRF) (2:00:13); 4. PG Abhilash/ Jeff PG (Chettinad Sporting) (2:01:41); 5. Nikhil Taneja/ Musa Sherif (JK Tyres) (2:01:52).

Cars, Group A Modified: 1.  N Leelakrishnan/ Farooq Ahmed (Team MRF) (1:55:42); 2. Manik Raikhy/ Vivekanandan P (JK Tyres) (2:10:33).

Cars, Group N Unmodified: 1. B Sagar Muthappa/ Sandeep Rao (Team MRF) (1:57:07); 2. Vijayant Choudhari/ MK Chander (Team MRF) (2:00:13); 3. PG Abhilash/ Jeff PG (Chettinad Sporting) (2:01:41); 4. Nikhil Taneja/ Musa Sherif (JK Tyres) (2:01:52); 5. BS Pruthvi/ Shivu Shivappa (JK Tyres) (2:03:43).

Motorcycle Results:

Overall: 1. Rohitaaz Kumar (Team MRF) (1hr, 53min, 35sec); 2. Zubin Patel (Team MRF) (1:53:38); 3. K Prasad (Team MRF) (1: 53:50); 4. Nipender Jessy (Escorts Yamaha) (1:54:11); 5. Amarinder Sandhu (Team MRF) (1:55:07).

Group C: 1. Rohitaaz Kumar (Team MRF) (1:53:35); 2. Zubin Patel (Team MRF) (1:53:38); 3. K Prasad (Team MRF) (1: 53:50); 4. Nipender Jessy (Escorts Yamaha) (1:54:11); 5. Amarinder Sandhu (Team MRF) (1:55:07).

Group D: 1. G PRasad (Escorts Yamaha) (2:05:40); 2. Kunal Singh (TVS Suzuki) (2:08:03); 3. Rohan Rego (TVS Suzuki) (2:09:36); 4. Rustom Patel (TVS Suzuki) (2:10:51); 5. K Amit Kumar (TVS Suzuki) (2:12:02).

Novice class: 1. Nipender Jessy (Escorts Yamaha) (1:54:11); 2. SP Chinappa (TVS Suzuki) (2;04:13); 3. Akash Ithal (TVS Suzuki) (2:04:47); 4. G PRasad (Escorts Yamaha) (2:05:40); 5. Rohan Rego (TVS Suzuki) (2:09:36).

 ends/updated from old archives to support INRC winners: Hall of Fame

Madras, 15 January 1999: The National Rally Navigators Championship was won by K Farooq Ahmed of Chikmagalur with 95 points after he took part in five of the eight-leg calendar in 1998. Kumar Ramaswamy of Coimbatore, who navigated for Arjun Balu, was second with 80.25 points followed by MK Chander, also of Coimbatore, on third with 80 points. Following is the official Standings released by FMSCI today.

Last Updated on 1/15/99 on FMSCI Infomot
By V.S. SHRIAKANT