The demanding route posed challenges to professionals and amateurs alike on the second day of Dakshin Dare 2015. Merin RebeccaHubli: Hemmed in barren mountains, the imposing windmills on the horizon and incredible vistas, the quaint town of Hubli tasted speed for the first time on Tuesday when its quiet morning was abruptly interrupted by the thunderous roars of engines revving up on the second day of Dakshin Dare 2015.
Scores of people, including women and children, had gathered to watch the adrenaline pumping racing action, which happened over the day at a stage, which was tucked away on a remote and picturesque hillside. The rally took place in two different legs at Kapad and Guda hills.
Although the demanding route posed challenges to professionals and amateurs alike, the rough terrain – tracks skirting the high mountains, steep climbs, gravel traps and tricky turns – provided the perfect setting for extreme racing to the motorists who went full throttle to seal their place in their respective categories.
Team Maruti’s Sandeep Sharma and Karan Arya who drove their Gypsy at a breakneck speed all the while expertly negotiating the hairpin bend clocked a record breaking timing of 2:35:06 to maintain their lead position.
The rough terrain provided the perfect setting for extreme racing to the motorists. Merin RebeccaClose on their heels were Samrat Yadav and Gaurav who covered the distance in 2:39:2. Rally champion Suresh Rana and Parminder snatched the third position at the end of the second leg, from Harpreet Bawa and Parminder Thakur.
Defending champion Sandeep oozed confidence and composure when asked about his journey so far.“I have tried my best to keep my lead in the rally and I feel that if I continue to do so, the trophy could be mine. This year’s route is quite tricky especially with the uneven terrain and hairpin turns.
“All these factors make it difficult to manoeuvre the car, but that is where the thrill of a motorsport event comes from. The competition is also fairly tough as a lot of the drivers are experienced and confident with their vehicles, so I’m making an effort to maintain my place in the rally,” he said.
A rider competes in the Extreme Bikes category. Merin RebeccaIn the Extreme Bikes category, Arvind K.P. maintained his lead with a record time of 2:23:51, followed by Natraj who sealed the second position. Abdul Wahid came third clocking in 2:37:24. Among the women racers, Bani Yadav, Harshita Gowda and Anu Rana were seen pushing themselves to their limits.
In the Endurance category, Dilip Jain-Chandra Shekhar pair and Ganesh Moorthy-Nagarajan duo engaged in a close fight with each other all through the day. However, what awaited them was an anti-climax. Subhir Roy and Nirav Mehta beat the other two teams and emerged winners.
On Wednesday, the rally will be traversing the iconic Tungabhadra canal stage.
Results (Day 2): Ultimate Cars: Sandeep Sharma and Karan Arya (Team Maruti) 2:35:06; Samrat Yadav and Gaurav 2:39:23; Suresh Rana and Parminder 2:42:10.
Ultimate Bikes: Arvind K.P. 2:23:51; Natraj 2:31:15; Abdul Wahid 2:37:24.
Endurance Cars (TSD): Subhir Roy and Nirav Mehta (Team Maruti) leading with a penalty of 1 minute 48 seconds; Dilip Jain and Chandra Shekhar second with a penalty of 1 minute 53 seconds; Ganesh Moorthy and Nagarajan (Team Maruti) third with a penalty of 1 minute 57 seconds.
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