Bengaluru, Sep 1 Driving a 1300cc Maruti Gypsy Team Vishva’s Vinod Singh and co-driver Shailendra Singh clinched their maiden Overall title in the FMSCI 14th Dakshin Dare cross-country rally, which concluded at Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, and returned here for the valedictory late on Sunday night.
Palakkad’s Adit K.C. and co-driver Harish K.N. (Team VMM) stormed into the overall second in a Honda City on the final day, followed by teammates Aieman Ahmed of Chikkamagaluru and co-driver Sagar M. of Bengaluru, in a Polo 1.6.
Shillong’s Phoebe, along with Coimbatore’s Venu Ramesh Kumar, came fourth ahead of Vamcy Merla and experienced navigator Ashwin Naik. Team Vamcy Merla Motorsports won the Team Championship in the cars’ section with four of the five teams finishing in the top-5, while Team TR2 Racing India won the team title in the 2-wheeler section.
In the two-wheeler section, multiple National Rally Champion Rajendra RE of Shivamogga, representing Petronas TVS Racing, won the overall championship, beating defending champion Dhritimaan Singh of Dehradun on TR2 Racing’s KTM 450.
Sanjay Somashekar of VM Motorsports came third. Motorsports’ only world champion, from the stables of TVS, Aishwarya Pissay, comfortably clinched the Ladies category crown. The Micro Labs and R9 Stables rider also finished a commendable Overall 9th ahead of some 20 men in her third Dakshin Dare after a hiatus of 8 years.
“It’s a deeply fulfilling rally journey as this event is part of my roots in motorsports since 2016. Coming back with greater experience and a sharper mindset was incredibly nostalgic,” Pissay said.
VM Motorsports’ Phoebe Dale Nongrum of Shillong emerged as the winner in the Ladies class in the cars category. Driving a Polo 1.6 shod on JK Tyres, she was ahead of at least a dozen men.
Organised by Motorsport Inc under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the rally attracted 18 cars and 32 bikes, which rallied over 2000km for five days, including a timed 350km.
“We kept our focus and pushed through the dust, heat, and long hours on the tricky terrain. Huge thanks to my co-driver, Shailender Singh, who stayed sharp through every twist and turn, and to our brilliant tuners Dr. Perk and Kapil Thakur, who gave us a machine that could take a beating and still deliver top performance,” said Vinod Singh of Indore, not just a gypsy driver but a National-level showjumper in equestrian. For Vinod and Agra’s Shailendra, the victory in their 1300cc Maruti Gypsy is their maiden title in Dakshin Dare.
--IANS
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