Rally of Rajasthan Thanks to one and all
Veteran VR Naren Kumar and co-driver Ram Kumar of Red Rooster Racing claimed top honours in the Rally of Rajasthan, the third round of the Speed Indian National Rally Championship, in Jodhpur last Sunday. It was sad that Gaurav Gill of MRF had a break down .
They battled all odds, including all that the weather gods threw at them, to emerge triumphant.
But the real champions of the grueling rally, organized by Sportscraft, were none other those who made the event possible.
A day before the flag-off many thought the rally would not get underway, because of the heavy rain and the damage it left in its wake. But thanks to the unyielding efforts of a tiny, silent band of workers, led by the never-flagging Navaz Bathena, the event went through .
The heavy rain, something never seen in preceding years, made the course conditions dicey and improper to drive through. Many stretches of the route had to be reworked and reassessed. It required someone with the never-say-die spirit to do step up and do it. And that one was none other than former rally champion driver Navaz. The manner in which she went about helping to rework the stage routes was commendable.
Special thanks is due to the whole team, they all chipped in some way or the other to ensure a smooth event and make the Rally of Rajasthan one to remember.
The obstacles to this event were many, some apparent, some known only to a few:
1. The unprecedented rains were disastrous
2. Truncating the event from two days to one-day, at such short notice, is a logistical nightmare .
I would like to convey my sincere thanks to all the participants who extended all their support right till the end and took all the changes till the last minute in their stride. Thanks Guys.
Also big thanks to everyone in our team for roughing it out and being with us till the end to see the event through. Big thanks to you guys too.
Last but not the least big thanks to Navaz, in whom I found a very able Captain ‘ to steer the ship through the storm’.
Shrikant Karani
