THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Some said the timing was excellent, as it arrived before the frenzy created by the Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit died down. Some others thought the timing was bad, since it coincided with a motor vehicle strike in protest against the fuel price rise. However, regardless of varied opinions, everyone admitted that the Great Escape, the off-road motor rally held in Ponmudi on November 5, the first- of- its-kind for Thiruvanathapuram, was a hit. The rally was organised by Indian Motor Sports Club (IMSC) in association with Mahindra Adventure, the leading four-wheel-drive SUV manufacturers in the country. As many as 45 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), including Thar, Scorpio, Bolero and Xylo, churned out from the factory of Mahindra Motors, rolled into the deep and braved the uneven terrains in the valley filled with boulders and mire. Heavy showers, thickets that blocked the sight and mountain streams that cut across the track threw perfect challenges that tested the skill of the drivers. And we at TNIE had a first hand experience of it all. Despite a motor vehicle strike observed on the day, the rally roped in overwhelming repsonse from those owning Mahindra four-wheel drive vehicles. Adventure motorists from Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai too participated in the rally, which covered nearly 28 km.‘’We are here as part of a mission to promote adventure motor sports in the state. We have already conducted rallies in Ernakulam and Kuttikanam in Kottayam,’’ said Musa Sherif, the secretary of IMSC and also a former national rally car champion.He added that the city had great potential in adventure motor sports, both in terms of talent and infrastructure. It is only a matter of support and encouragement, for which IMSC is here. ‘’The track here was not as challenging as the tracks in other states. But it has the potential to be developed into a standard off-road track,’’ Musa said. Despite being the organiser, Musa Sherif and his team mate at MRF, Ashwin Naik, remained the stars of the event.
Comments
0 comment