INDIA in F1

Tag: CS Santosh

  • Big Rock Motorsports led by CS Santosh joins ISRL

    Big Rock Motorsports led by CS Santosh joins ISRL

    Pune, 5 October 2023: For the inaugural season, the CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL) acquires a franchise team BigRock Motorsport led by accomplished Supercross and rally-raid rider CS Santosh, and N Gautam and Uday Shankar.

    India’s Dakar Pioneer, CS Santosh, is not only a co-owner but also the mentor of BigRock Motorsport. CS Santosh’s involvement in the CEAT ISRL is poised to inspire the younger generation to take up the sport.

    About the new partnership, CS Santosh, said: “Joining the CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League with BigRock Motorsport is an incredible achievement and a true milestone for me. I am extremely excited to be part of this innovative approach to motorsports, which aligns perfectly with my passion for racing. Through this partnership, we are committed to inspiring and nurturing young talent in the field, providing them with a top-notch platform to showcase their skills. Our ultimate goal is to put India on the map of Supercross racing at a global level.”

    N Gautam, Co-owner BigRock Motorsport, who currently owns franchises in various sports leagues said: “Our partnership with BigRock Motorsport is in line with our goal to promote and develop Indian motorsport talent globally. The CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League is the perfect platform to achieve this.”

    Uday Shankar, Co-owner BigRock Motorsport, said: “Our goal is to make motorsport accessible to everyone and enable Indian talent to compete at the highest international levels. In collaboration with CEAT ISRL, BigRock Motorsport is committed to realising this vision by providing the essential infrastructure, training, and opportunities.”

    Eeshan Lokhande, Director & Co-Founder at Supercross India extended a warm welcome to BigRock Motorsport. “We are incredibly proud to welcome such a talented team to our league. Their knowledge and dedication to motorsport perfectly align with our mission to revolutionise the motorsports scene in India. Our goal is to provide the best entertainment and quality in motorsports for fans nationwide, and together, we will make this a reality,” he said.

    BigRock Motorsport will join the ranks of elite teams in the CEAT ISRL. N Gautam, a partner at Veera Sports since 2014 owns franchises in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and the Pro Panja League, and brings invaluable business acumen and sports management experience to the team. Uday Shankar, a seasoned leader with 25 years of business experience, has been instrumental in the success of BigRock Dirt Park.

    BigRock Motorsports is an extension of its parent entity, BigRock Dirt Park. With a focus on quality, inclusivity, and technical proficiency, BigRock has trained over 6500 motorcyclists since its inception in 2014, making it India’s finest off-road motorcycle training centre.

    With the addition of BigRock Motorsport, the CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League has announced four teams. For details on rider registration, the Rider Auction, and the ISRL Season 1 schedule, visit the official SXI website at https://indiansupercrossleague.com/

    About – Promoters:

    Team Supercross India (SXI), the parent company of CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League, is at the helm of a groundbreaking initiative led by former international racers, Veer Patel (a two-time national SX Champion), Eeshan Lokhande and Aashwin Lokhande. Drawing upon their extensive personal experience and unwavering passion for the sport, they have meticulously conceptualized, identified crucial gaps, and delivered a League that is set to redefine Supercross racing on a global scale.

    With their deep understanding of the sport and relentless pursuit of excellence, they are paving the way for a new era of Supercross that will captivate audiences worldwide.

    About- Ceat ISRL

    The CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League (CEAT ISRL) is the world’s first franchise-based Supercross league. This ground-breaking initiative is set to revolutionize the way sports are perceived in India. It is here to create a global extravaganza, an awe-inspiring spectacle that will captivate Indian spectators like never before. CEAT ISRL have signed up with athletes around the world to compete in a variety of formats and categories, pushing the limits of their skills and inspiring Indian riders to reach new heights. Prepare to be amazed as our stage performers break records with their charismatic engagement, adding an extra layer of excitement to this premier motorsport event. The league is committed to providing a safe and competitive environment for riders of all ages and skill levels. The league also believes in giving back to the community and partnering with local organizations to promote youth development and environmental sustainability.

  • Harith Noah gets a stunning start to complete Stage 1 in 31st place; Santosh 42nd

    Harith Noah gets a stunning start to complete Stage 1 in 31st place; Santosh 42nd

    By David Bodapati

    Jeddah, 3 Jan 2021: Sporting golden hairlocks with blazing red boots, the number #33 Harith Noah Koitha Veettil, who is a product of TVS Racing, turned out to be the Golden boy for India topping his other two compatriots with a very creditable 31st place after the Stage 1 in the Dakar Rally 2021. The Dakar Rally is running in Saudi Arabia for the second year, after shifting from its original terrain in 2020, before the pandemic.

    Meanshile, CS Santosh finished the first stage in 42nd and the Dakar this year has 12 stages which will end on Jan 15. CS Santosh, #50, finished in 42nd place while the third Indian in Dakar-21, Ashish Raorane, finished the 623-km stage in 84th place in 6 hours, 8 minutes and 27 seconds. Astride a KTM450RR, Raorane is taking part in G2.2 marathon class.

    The German-born Malayalee, Noah clocked 3 hours, 54 minutes and 19 seconds, astride a Sherco Factory bike. He is supported by TVS Racing, who did not field a team due to the pandemic. He entered as Privateer and is supported by Sherco. The number33, Noah is born in Germany and trained abroad for over two months as preparation. Clocking 35.43 behind the top bike of Toby Price. The TVS Racing’s rider is astride a 450RTR tuned by Sherco TVS Rally Factory team is in the G2.1 Super Production Class and supported by his sponsors Scott India and Camelbak India. In the pre-event run, Noah was placed 43rd position on Saturday and did a brilliant job on Sunday to move up to 31st place.

    Above: Harith Noah during theCeremonial Start in Bengaluru 2020.
    CS Santosh at the ceremonial start of Dakar before the Prologue on 2 Jan 2021.

    Meanwhile, CS Santosh had to reign in his natural instincts on Sunday and focus more on navigating in what was a difficult, rocky Stage 1 of in his 7th Dakar, Santosh Chunchunguppe Shivashankar, finished the stage in the 42nd position, in 4 hours 8 minutes and and 21 seconds and is 49 min and 55 seconds variation from the first placed Toby Price, who clocked 3:18:26. The Kannadiga is supported by Red Bull, Hero, Sidvin, Genetic Nutrition, Scott, Big Rock dirt park, Dos moto design.Taking part in the G2.1 Super Production Class in his custom-made 450 rally factory tuned and supported Hero bike began with a bang to be in the top bikes and placed at 35 in the scratch time on Saturday and retained it in the Stage and General standings at the end of Day 1 and in the competitive Stage 1 on Sunday, he did extremely well in the navigation, for which he did much preparation, and was placed at 42nd position in the final end of the stage tally. Initially, it was shown as 43rd but it is now officially declared as 42nd place in the standings. Since this is the first stage both the Overall ranking after the end of the stage and the Stage ranking are same at 42nd place.

    The Bangalore based rider, considered as the best endurance raid biker in India, made a successful debut in 2015 finishing 36th and went on to improve it to 34th four years later in 2018. He was forced to quit in Stage 4 in 2016, in Stage 5 in 2019 and the last year, it was a team decision to pull out due to the death of teammate Paulo Gonsalves. Thus making the only Indian to complete three Dakar in 6 attempts, a great achievement considering the difficulty of the world’s toughest event.

    Mumbai’s Ashish Raorane, fell short on Day 1 astride a KTM 450RR tuned by BigRock of Spain, and assisted by Motul, finishing the first stage in 84th place slipped to general ranking of 85. Thanks to his sponsors Klim, Slipstream Performance, Dosmoto, Leatt, EBC Brakes, Gaerne, Hellraiser motorwear and Goodwill Enterprises, the Indian managed to enter the Dakar without the support of a Factory team. On first day, he wonted help.

  • CS Santosh, Harith Noah and Ashish Raorane, 3 Indian musketeers at Dakar

    CS Santosh, Harith Noah and Ashish Raorane, 3 Indian musketeers at Dakar

    Jeddah, 2 Jan 2021: CS Santosh of Hero Motosports, TVS Racing’s Harith Noah, who will enter as a privateer with Sherco, last-year’s combo of Sherco TVS team, and another privateer Ashish Raorane will take part in the Malle Moto category of the 2021 Dakar Rally as a privateer, riding a KTM 450 Rally Replica.

    TVS Racing, the first Indian team in Dakar in 2015, despite not fielding the team this year due to the pandemic and the costs involved, is sponsoring Harith Noah on a TVS RTR 450 bike. However, the technical support from TVS Racing will not be there for the Kerala rider who made his debut in Dakar last year.

    Dakar rally kicks off on January 3 with a prorogue on Jan 2. And it will aired in India by Isport.

    Noah will have his Sherco Rally Factory Team riders Lorenzo Santolino and Rui Goncalves on a Sherco TVS RTR 450 Rally motorcycle.

    “TVS Racing, the factory racing team of TVS Motor Company, will not be participating in Dakar Rally 2021. Harith Noah, TVS Racing factory rider, will participate as a privateer in the Dakar Rally with Sherco Rally Factory Team and will be sponsored by TVS Racing. He will ride the Sherco TVS RTR 450 Rally motorcycle.  We would like to wish Harith and Sherco Factory team racers, technical team and support staff the very best for the Dakar Rally,” TVS said.

    A special rule introduced last year, helped Noah, who retired after stage 3, but continued and finished the rally with a superb performance that caught the eye of all. He clocked good time after good stage and in the later stages to finish 25 but was not ranked kdue to his Stage 3 retirement.

    The 2021 Dakar Rally will be the second edition of the event held entirely in Saudi Arabia, largely due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions. The rally will flag off on January 3 in Jeddah and cover varied terrain across the region before concluding in the same city on January 15.

    The route itself will be entirely new, and according to organisers, a lot more challenging compared to the 2020 edition. Participants will have to traverse a total of 7,646km, and 295 vehicles will compete across all classes – the lowest participation figure since the 1997 Dakar rally.

    The 2021 edition will also see the introduction of digital roadbooks along with a host of rule changes to improve safety.

    Harith Noah – SHERCO FACTORY

    • Mark : SHERCO FACTORY
    • Model : 450 RTR
    • Performance tuner : Sherco TVS Rally Factory
    • Assistance : Sherco TVS Rally Factory
    • Class : G2.1 Super production

  • #50 CS Santosh, returns to 7th Dakar with Paulo in mind

    On the startline of the 2021 Dakar in Jeddah, CS Santosh will, like many others, certainly have a thought for his former team mate Paulo Gonçalves who passed away a year ago while living his passion. Naturally devastated by the news, the Indian and his entire Hero team decided to leave the rally. With Paulo in mind, he returns for his seventh Dakar. How time flies. In the Dakar’s 40 years of history, Santosh Chunchunguppe Shivashankar will be remembered as the first ever Indian competitor to take part in the event. It was back in 2015 and not only did the man known as “CS Santosh” start and finish the rally, he also managed to raise enough awareness back home to seduce Hero, the biggest selling motorcycle brand in India. Six years after his debut, the rider from Bangalore has finished three out of five Dakar rallies managing his best performance (34th) in 2018. After taking part in the Andalucia Rally and Baja PortoAlegre, the 37-year-old returns as part of the three-man Hero team alongside Joaquim Rodrigues and Sebastian Buhler on a brand new 450 Rally bike.

    “Funnily I never watched any motorsports before the age of 16. I have absolutely no motorsports background in my family. I was raised to go to college and probably work in software. Then my dad bought me a bike to go to school and that’s when my love of riding really started. Racing probably saved me from getting into trouble. It gave me something to focus on with passion. As a kid, while growing up, I remember being fascinated by adventure, and that fascination continues to this day.
    My heart sank when I was told about Paulo last year. Dakar didn’t feel like Dakar anymore. You never imagine that the worst could happen. It was overwhelming, Paulo was always jovial. The expectations sat lightly on him. He never looked at racing as a job. He created a good atmosphere where the pressure was lifted off the others riders. He gave me small tips, which were so helpful. Paulo was a real leader. Paulo would have wanted us to keep going and continue to race hard -that’s what I intend to do.”
    With the new regulations in place, it’s going to be different for the riders. This also means there will be more focus on race strategies. I think it will be interesting as teams with good strategies and riders aware of how to maintain the bike in good condition everyday, will probably end up winning the Dakar. It’s also a safety issue. The rider has to bring the bike in one piece. That we have to conserve our tyre (6 rear tyres for the entire rally) means we cannot go as fast as we want all the time. Riders have to be more cautious. Sometimes you might have to ride slowly. As a rider, it won’t be only about speed. One will also have to learn to look after the tyres,
    Every time the Dakar comes around it’s an exciting time for us to go racing on our rally bikes and I would say that this is the most exciting year considering we have an all new bike and new team colours! I have loved riding this bike in the few tests we had and I am looking forward to see what fortune awaits us this time around.”

    HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY

    • Mark : HERO
    • Model : 450 RALLY
    • Performance tuner : HERO
    • Assistance : HERO
    • Class : G2.1 Super production
  • Lorenzo podium for Sherco TVS team; Santosh finishes 23rd

    Lorenzo podium for Sherco TVS team; Santosh finishes 23rd

    Andalucia, 10 October 2020: Consistently fast on these Spanish pistes and navigating superbly, overall victory on the Andalucía Rally 2020 went to the Argentinian Kevin Benavides (Monster Energy Honda Rally). Second (at 7’42) was Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy Yamaha Rally), a remarkable comeback for the Frenchman after his big Dakar crash.Just seconds behind him in third (at 7’54) was an impressive Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco TVS Rally Factory), achieving his first major rally podium.

    Both the Indian rally riders, who took part in the rally finished the event. Hero’s CS Santosh finished a creditable 23rd while Harith Noah of Sherco TVS managed to complete the rally in 43rd place. Santosh’s teammate Joaquim Rodriques finished 11th.

    In the cars, the favorite going into this rally didn’t disappoint, with Nasser Al Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing) taking a hard earned victory. Much to his surprise, Carlos Sainz (X-Raid Mini JCW) managed to get his 2-wheel drive buggy into second place 3’14 behind the winner, with Yazeed Al Rajhi (Overdrive) third at 10’31.

    Holding the overall lead since the start of this Andalucía Rally 2020, Kevin Benavides was the man on form here in Spain, aboard his Monster Energy Honda, and delighted to take this victory in the run up to the Dakar. Commented the Argentinian: “Obviously we haven’t been doing a lot of racing since the Dakar but I have been training hard and working with a sports psychologist to maximize my performance. I live near Salta and the tracks there aren’t dissimilar to what we discovered here in Andalusia so that helps. I didn’t really have a strategy I just took each day at a time. The bike went really well and the team did a great job.”

    If Kevin Benavides started this morning with a relatively comfortable margin, the same couldn’t be said for second placed man overall Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy Yamaha Rally). Indeed, at km 152 his challenger for the second step on the podium Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco TVS Rally) was 3 seconds in the virtual lead. Said Adrien at the finish line: “After my crash on the Dakar, for the first time in my career, I wondered if I really wanted to continue racing. I thought about it a lot and in the end I decided to continue for myself, for my personal satisfaction. That’s not to say I’m not grateful to my team and my sponsors, but it was an important shift in mentality for me. So, to come back here and prove to myself that I am capable of running at the top of the pack is a grand satisfaction. Many thanks to David Castera and his team for making this race possible.”

    In third place, taking his first podium racing against the cream of rally-raid riders, was the Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco TVS Factory): “Yes, super happy to finish third here. Maybe, the fact that I am Spanish and we were racing on Spanish soil was good for me but it is nevertheless important for my confidence going into the Dakar. The team has been working hard to develop the bike and it went really well here, so many thanks to them.”

    Lorenzo Santolino in action on the final day. Photos by ODC

    Away from the podium there were noteworthy performances from the rookie Australian Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory) who showed right from the start that he had the speed, by finishing ex aequo with teammate Toby Price on the Super Special, and that he’d made spectacular progress with the navigation by winning today’s last stage, just 7 seconds ahead of his countryman Toby Price. Special mention also to Monster Energy Yamaha Rally’s new recruit Ross Branch who won a special and was in the hunt overall until he ran into problems on yesterday’s stage. Clearly, he has the right pace and the right attitude to achieve great things. 

    In Rally 2 victory went to multi world enduro champion David Knight (HT Rally) ahead of Czech freestyler Libor Podmol with Camille Chapeliere (KTM Baines Motos) third. Commented the big bloke from the Isle of Man: “The main thing here for me was to finish the race to validate my 2021 Dakar entry, so that’s mission accomplished. To win the Rally 2 class is obviously a big bonus. Having done this rally I’m actually looking forward to the Dakar more than before I started it. It’s a really interesting sport and you learn something every day. Today for example, over the second part, I calmed down a little and really concentrated on the navigation to avoid any penalties and I actually rode much better. But for sure when I get to Dakar it will be an even bigger learning curve.” Finally, in the Road to Dakar challenge victory goes to the Spaniard Tosha Schareina (450 HVA) with David Knight’s world enduro championship victories making him ineligible for the category. Tosha also wins the Enduro Cup category ahead of the Frenchman Matthieu Doveze (KTM) and another Spaniard Ruben Saldaña Goñi, also riding a 450 HVA.

    In the quads victory goes to Jerôme Connart ahead of fellow Frenchman Alexandre Giroud with the Pole Kamil Wisniewski third.

    In the cars, Nasser Al Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing) might have come here to prepare for the next Dakar, but consummate competitor that he is, he also came to win. Job done for the popular driver who adds this first Andalucía Rally 2020 to his already very impressive tally. Al Attiyah: “I’m so happy to win here. Thank you to Toyota Gazoo Racing, thank you to Overdrive, really this was an amazing race for us. Not easy because everybody coming here to win and show that they are ready for the next Dakar. Thanks to the organization, ODC Events for putting on this rally and also to the region, Andalusia. The landscape is so beautiful.”

    If Nasser Al Attiyah came here with high hopes, his rival Carlos Sainz (Mini X-Raid JCW), by his own admission, really wasn’t expecting to achieve much in his  ‘unsuitably’ big 2 wheel drive buggy, that he opted to race so as to continue to develop it for the next Dakar. Sainz: “It was a good decision to come here, even with the 2 wheel drive, to get kilometres in the car. I’m happy with the result. If, before the rally, you asked me if I could take second overall with this car I would reply to you that it would be difficult. Given the time the organisers had to put this race together it was successful and I congratulate everybody involved.”

    Despite the disappointment of going out of contention for victory after yesterday’s 10 minute time penalty, Yazeed Al Rajhi (Overdrive) was happy with his pace on the rally and even happier to be once again reunited with his co-driver Dirk Von Zitzewitz. Al Rajhi: “For sure I’m very happy. We enjoyed it and Dirk did a great job. It is very tricky driving here but we reached our target of having a good rhythm and good speed. Now we have the training to get ready for January.”

    Joaquim Rodriques of Hero Rally team finished 11th.

    In the T2 class for series, 4×4 Akira Miura (Land Cruiser Toyota AutoBody) wins in front of his teammate Ronald Basso with Cristina Giampaoli (4WD Jaton Racing).

    In T3 it is Mitch Guthrie (Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team) ahead of his teammate Kevin Hansen with Jean Luc Pisson third (Zephyr PH Sport).

    In the SSV T4 class, it is Aron Domzala (Monster Energy Can-Am) ahead of his teammate Gerard Farrés with the Portuguese driver Rui Carneiro (MMP Can-Am T4) third and winner of the Road to Dakar challenge. Aron Domzala: “We were really nervous on the last part. We had a good lead and I think we have a win. In two and a half years in the car with Maciej, we did a lot of strong results but this is our first win together, so a special race for us. First time with the Monster Energy Can-Am, a great car and a great team – a great combination.”

  • CS Santosh finishes first stage in 23rd place: Andalucia Rally

    CS Santosh finishes first stage in 23rd place: Andalucia Rally

    Villamartin (Spain), 7 Oct 2020: Hero MotoSports Team Rally has started its first campaign of the season on a positive note with all three riders delivering a solid performance in the first stage of the Andalucia Rally in Spain and Indian ace CS Santosh brought the stage home with a 23rd place finish.

    Joaquim Rodrigues made an impressive start to maintain a blazing pace throughout the stage, finishing just outside the top 10, at 11th place. The new Hero on the block, Sebastian Buhler, wasn’t too far behind from his mentor and finished the stage in the 15th place.

    In the overall rankings as well, the riders retain the same rankings at the end of Stage 1. With many positives to take home, both in terms of the bike and rider performances it was a very good first competitive outing for Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsports division of Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters.

    The first full stage of the Rally kicked-off Wednesday from the Rally HQ at Villamartin, covering 59 kms in liaison to reach the start line near the town of Moron De La Frontera. The special stage of 258 km that exposed the competitors to almost all types of terrains that the Andalucia zone has to offer, including technical sections, sand, open tracks, narrow piste and even vegetation.

    For the second stage Thursday, the Rally will start near the town of Algamitas and end in Villamartin, covering a total distance of 336 kms, including the 243 kms of special section.

    Joaquim Rodrigues, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “Today was a good day for me. In the beginning I was still feeling a bit tense but then I started relaxing a bit and everything started coming together nicely. It was not too bad out there today so I am happy to bring my Hero 450RR back home safely.”

    CS Santosh, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “The stage was very different from what we have experienced in the past. In the first part of the stage I lost my way a bit while finding a way point, which cost me some time. Overall I am happy with my performance today and looking to build on it in the following stages.”

    Sebastian Buhler, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “It was a very good stage for me today and everything fell in place. I like this kind of terrain as it had a mix of fast and slow sections. Now looking forward to the next stage.”

    Provisional Stage 1 Rankings: 1. Kevin Benavides Monster Energy Honda Team 03h 36m 17s; 2. Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda Team +03m 15s; 3. Lorenzo Santalino Team Sherco Rallye +03m 19s; 11.Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally +10m 19s; 15.Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally +14m 14s; 23. CS Santosh, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, +26m 10s;Provisional Overall Rankings after Stage 1: 1. Kevin Benavides Monster Energy Honda Team 03h 28m 00s; 2. Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda Team +03m 14s 3. Lorenzo Santalino Team Sherco Rallye +03m 18s; 11.Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally +10m 21s 15.Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally +14m 11s; 23. CS Santosh Hero MotoSports Team Rally +26m 35s.

  • CS Santosh improves to 36th rank after a steady Stage 6 ride: #Dakar2020

    CS Santosh improves to 36th rank after a steady Stage 6 ride: #Dakar2020

    CS Santosh successfully completed Stage 6 for an overall rank of 36 at the half-way mark. A Hero MotoSports image

    Riyadh, 10 Jan 2020: Ace Indian rallyist CS Santosh made a steady improvement by the day and finished the half-way mark in Dakar 2020 successfully on Friday gaining some more places with a steady and sensible ride. The 36-year-old Bengalurean finished Day 6 at a very creditable 31st place completing the sixth stage for an overall ranking of 36.

    Supported by Hero MotoSports Rally Team, the first Indian to take part and complete the Dakar Rally clocked 5 hours 26 minutes and 11 seconds for the 830-km stage which had a special stage distance of 477km of sand dunes.

    After a day of rest on Saturday, the Red Bull athlete, Santosh will take on 546-km special on Sunday, the longest of the special stages as he starts the second leg of the last six days.

    “It was a long day and difficult day for me but I am happy we are here at the half-way stage in Dakar. It was blowing hard and it was sandy and there was a lot of movement on the bike and my wrist took a lot of beating. I look forward to the final half which is crucial,” signed off Santosh, who is sponsored by Sidvin, Fast Indian, Scott, Track & Trail and Cannondale.

     

  • CS Santosh in good spirits after finishing 553-km Stage 5; Harith Noah has a good run: #Dakar2020

    CS Santosh in good spirits after finishing 553-km Stage 5; Harith Noah has a good run: #Dakar2020

    #50 CS Santosh, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, in action during Stage 5 of the Dakar 2020 between Al Ula and Ha’il, on January 9, 2020 – DPPI Media

    Ha’il (Saudi Arabia), 9 Jan 2020: Ace Indian rally-raid rider CS Santosh saw another successful day finishing Stage 5 in 38th position that brought a smile to the 36-year Bengalurean as he finished at 39 in the overall ranking for bikes in the Dakar Rally on Thursday.

    The first Indian to take part and finish Dakar Rally represents Hero MotoSports Team Rally and is participating in his sixth straight Dakar. “Initially, the stage had too many rocks but I had a long but good day. I am looking forward for the next stage,” said the Red Bull athlete. “And it is nice to have company towards the end,” he said of the other Indian Noah finishing with him. Sanatosh took 4 hours, 50 minutes and 28 seconds to complete the 353-km of the Special Stage 5 of the total 553km. Santosh is sponsored by Sidvin, Fast Indian, Scott, Track & Trail and Cannondale.

    The other Indian in the fray, Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team packed up on Day 3, but rejoined to take part in the non-competitive Dakar Experience Class. Today, he finished a spot ahead of Santosh in 38th place but it will not count towards the overall ranking as his missed Stage 3 when his bike refused to start the stage due to technical issues on Tuesday. Noah clocked 4:49:44.

    Tomorrow’s stage six will be the second-longest of the 2020 Dakar Rally, totalling 830 kilometres with a 477-kilometre special. In a change to previous days, the special stage will be ridden entirely on sand, which will test the bikes and riders as they head south-east from Ha’il to Riyadh. Once completed, it will mark the halfway point of the event ahead of Saturday’s rest day.

    Provisional results: Dakar Rally 2020, stage 5
    1. Toby Price (KTM) 3:57:33
    2. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 3:58:45 +1:12
    3. Andrew Short (Husqvarna) 4:00:04 +2:31

    38. Harith Noah (Sherco TVS) 4:49:44;

    39. CS Santosh (Hero MotoSports) 4:50:28.

     

  • CS Santosh completes another stage, takes 42nd overall ranking: Dakar 2020

    CS Santosh completes another stage, takes 42nd overall ranking: Dakar 2020

    Portrait of Santosh from Stage 1 by DPPI

    Al Ula (Saudi Arabia), 8 Jan 2020: The 36-year-old ace Indian rally-raid specialist CS Santosh of Hero MotoSports Team Rally had another successful day at Dakar 2020 finishing Stage 4 and Day 4 in 44th position to gain an overall ranking of 42 in the Bike category on Wednesday.

    Sanoths, India’s most accomplished supercross and rally-raid champion, fought the day with  determination and exhibited his skill to conquer another stage but still Dakar has much to be dealt with in the days to come. “I made one mistake but but happy to finish the day. The dust was not much and the pain in the hand reduced,’’ said the Bengaluru-based rider at the end of the day in a video message. Taking part in the Dakar Rally for the sixth consecutive year, Santosh became the first Indian to finish Dakar in 2015 finishing a creditable 36th for a rookie rider.

    CS Santosh (Comp No: 50) continued: “It was a really long and cold day. For me the stage was pretty good overall. In the beginning, there was a lot of dust so I waited to push ahead. The stage was quite difficult but I had a lot of fun today, made considerable time except for a small mistake I made before the refuelling point where I lost my way a bit. Overall my hand is feeling better and stronger, and I am looking forward to the next couple of days at the Dakar.”

    The winner of three National Championship titles in Supercross is a Red Bull athlete representing Hero MotoSports Team Rally and is supported by Red Bull, Hero, Sidvin, Fast Indian, Scott, Track&Trail and Cannondale. Santosh also won the Raid de Himalaya in 2012, the toughest rally-raid event in India on the foothills of Himalayas.

    The caravan of bikes, quads, cars, trucks and SSVs departed  Neom for Al Ula, which meant leaving behind the city of the future, to discover the ancient wonders of the master builders of the Nabatean civilisation, who knew how to cut out temples in rocks two millennia ago. The sites peppered with a hundred temples are, of course, out of the reach of the Dakar competitors. However, even getting close to this area has taken a titanic effort. Riding at altitude in the early morning, bikers had to overcome the mountain chill, but especially the rocky terrain and a crossing of the Harrat al ‘Uwayrid volcanic region, where any navigation mistakes take a heavy toll. Pictures of the tombs will have to wait.

    The other Indian in Dakar 2020, Harith Noah representing Sherco TVS Factory Rally team pulled out on the third day when his bike did not start. He took part the next day in the Dakar Experience, a new class which started this year allowing riders to experience the thrill of Dakar but they will not be eligible for ranking.

  • Harith Noah’s Dakar ends as bike refuses to start; CS Santosh improves to overall 44th

    Harith Noah’s Dakar ends as bike refuses to start; CS Santosh improves to overall 44th

    CS Santosh during the Stage 3 on Tuesday. Photo DPPI/ Flamand

    Jeddah, 7 Jan 2020: Ace Indian rider CS Santosh of Hero MotoSports Team Rally finished Stage 3 at 51st position to end the Dakar 2020 Day 3 with an overall ranking of 44 in the Bike category on Tuesday.

    The 36-year old Bengaluru based Santosh said at the end of Stage 3: “Today was a long stage and there was a lot of dust. I spent a lot of time to find the right way and made many mistakes. But I am very happy to finish the stage.”

    And then, the only other Indian, Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Factory Rally team ended his Dakar campaign as he failed to start Day 3 due to mechanical issues as his bike did not start on Tuesday morning, the third day. However, he would continue in the new category `Dakar Experience’ but will not be eligible for rankings in the competitive class.

    Today stage was on the loop around Neom. The fast tracks in the first 100 kilometres mostly led competitors on a slalom between the giant rocks of Wadi ash Sharmah that give the impression they have been there since the dawn of time. The riders, drivers and crews then made their way through landscapes typical of neighbouring Jordan as they swept round the Jabal ash Shifa Mountains. In the final section, the rocky terrain required the utmost caution from all the competitors.

    Harith Noah suffers technical issues and could not start Day3. A Sherco TVS image

    Meanwhile, Ricky Brabec wanted to make a statement of intent on the loop around Neom and rose to the challenge seamlessly. Despite tricky terrain and difficult navigation, the American methodically left his rivals in his wake to triumph with a big lead over the rest of the pack, allowing him to take command of the rally.

    In the quad race, Giovanni Enrico finally put an end to the supremacy of Ignacio Casale and picked up his first stage victory. In the car race, it was far from the first time for Carlos Sainz as he tasted victory for the 33rd time on one of the legendary rally’s stages, permitting him to take over the lead in the general standings, in front of his runner-up on the day and one of his most consistent rivals, Nasser Al-Attiyah.

    The contest was also close in the SSV race, which was today won by Gerard Farres thanks to a fine finish in the last few kilometres. Andrey Karginov did not give a sniff of a chance to Siarhei Viazovich for stage victory and is now putting pressure on his Byelorussian rival in the general standings.