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Round 1
Rally of Coimbatore 26 - 28 June 2009
Organised by Coimbatore Auto Sports Club
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Contents Programme of events........................ 04-05 Team Profiles........................................06-19
Mitsubishi Lancer Cedia N+.............24-25 Maruti Suzuki Baleno ............................. 26 Maruti Suzuki Esteem.............................. 27 Stage Map.............................................28-29 About Coimbatore...................................... 30 INRC Calendar 2009................................. 31
W
elcome to the first round of the 2009 Speed Indian National Rally Championship, one of the most spectacular motorsport events to be held anywhere. This season marks a new dawn for rallying in the country. As you might have noticed, the INRC has a new title sponsor and a raft of associates and the championship is backed by a professional and highly enthusiastic promoter. By guaranteeing financial and technical support to every individual rally, IMG Sports and PSP are committed to raising the standard of Indian rallying to world class levels. There’s a collective zeal to give rallying a boost and lay the foundations for the eventual return of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship to India and, in time, even the World Rally Championship. Rally Coimbatore will once again see record participation in all classes though eyes will obviously be trained on Red Rooster Racing who are all set to defend their championship titles against a full fledged attack from Team MRF. Watching Vikram Mathias and Gaurav Gill battling it out in their 200bhp + Mitsubishi Lancer Cedias is going to make your hair stand on end. The action starts in Coimbatore on June 26!
contents
2008: the season that was...............20-23
Welcome to the Rally of Coimbatore
Sirish Chandran Editor, OVERDRIVE
Published by OVERDRIVE magazine in the June 2009. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph or illustration without the permission of the editor is strictly prohibited. e-mail: editorial@overdrive.co.in, web: www.overdrive.in. Pictures: Yogesh Kalro / Moto Foto & rally.co.in
speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
Itinerary
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Program of events TC/ SS
LOCATION
SS DIST
LIAISON TOTAL DIST DIST
TARGET FIRST AVG TIME CAR SPEED
Itinerary – Leg I 0 ADJACENT TO JENNEY’S CLUB OA SERVICE A IN 51.40 51.40 1:15 SERVICE A 51.40 51.40 0:20 0B SERVICE A OUT 1 TEXTOOL 1 0.13 0.13 0:07 SS1 TEXTOOL 1 START 14.13 0:03 2 PREMIER 1 0.97 15.10 0:20 SS 2 PREMIER 1 START 14.50 0:03 3 LMW 1 8.13 22.63 0:30 SS3 LMW 1 START 11.50 0:03 3A/B REGROUP IN /FLEXI SERVICE B-IN 9.73 21.23 0:28 FLEXI SERVICE B 40.13 18.96 59.09 0:20 3 C FLEXI SERVICE BOUT/ REGROUP IN REGROUPING 0:35 3 D REGROUP OUT 4 TEXTOOL 2 0.13 0.13 0:07 SS 4 TEXTOOL 2 START 14.13 0:03 5 PREMIER 2 0.97 15.10 0:20
7:00 8:15 8:35 8:35 8:42 8:45 9:05 9:08 9:38 9:41
41.12
1.11
45.30
45.26
10:09 45.49 10:29
10:29 11:04 11:04 11:11 1.11 11:14 11:34 45.30
TC/ SS
LOCATION
SS DIST
LIAISON TOTAL DIST DIST
SS 5 PREMIER 2 START 14.50 6 LMW 2 8.13 22.63 SS 6 LMW 2 START 11.50 6 RE-GROUP IN 9.73 21.23
TARGET FIRST AVG TIME CAR SPEED 0:03 0:30 0:03 0:28
A/B /FLEXI SERVICE C-IN FLEXI SERVICE C 40.13 18.96 59.09 0:20 6 C FLEXI SERVICE COUT/ REGROUP IN REGROUPING 0:35 6 D REGROUP OUT 7 TEXTOOL 3 0.13 0.13 0:07 SS 7 TEXTOOL 3 START 14.13 0:03 8 PREMIER 3 0.97 15.10 0:20 SS 8 PREMIER 3 START 14.50 0:03 8 RE-GROUP-IN A/B /FLEXI SERVICE D IN 8.51 23.01 0:30 FLEXI SERVICE D 28.63 9.61 38.24 0:45 8 C FLEXI SERVICE DOUT/ REGROUP IN
11:37 12:07 45.26 12:10 12:38 45.49
12:58
12:58 13:33 13:33 13:40 25.53 13:43 14:03 44.31 14:06
14:36 46.02 15:21
15:21
speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
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Sunday, June 28
7:00am Cars leave Jenney’s Club Service A
6:00am First car leaves Jenney’s Club
8:42am First car at SS1 - Textool 1
7:15am First car at Service E
9:05am First car at SS2 - Premier 1
7:55am First car at SS1 - Premier - R
9:38am First car at SS3 - LMW 1
8:19am First car at SS2 - Textool - R
10:09am First car at regroup and Service B
8:41am First car at Service F
11:04am First car leaves regroup
9:36am First car leaves regroup
11:11am First car at SS4 - Textool 2
11:06am First car at Jenny’s Club Parc Ferme
11:34am First car at SS5 - Premier 2
1:20pm First car at Super Special Stage
12:07pm First car at SS6 - LMW 2 12:38am First car at regourp and Service C 12:58pm First car leaves regroup 1:40pm First car at SS7 - Textool 3 2:03pm First car at SS 8- Premier 3 2:36pm First car at regroup and Service D
Itinerary
Saturday, June 27
4:16pm First car leaves regroup 5:46pm First car at day finish - Jenney’s Club
TC/ SS
LOCATION
SS DIST
LIAISON TOTAL DIST DIST
TARGET FIRST AVG TIME CAR SPEED
REGROUPING 0:55 16:16 8 D REGROUP OUT 16:16 8 E* FINISH ADJ TO JENNEY’S CLUB 51.85 51.85 1:30 17:46 34.56 TOTAL LEG 1 108.89 150.78 259.67 * Denotes early check-in allowed At the 20 minutes Flexi Service crews may wait for up to 25 minutes in Regroup before entering Service without incurring penalty At the 45 minutes Flexi Service crews may wait for up to 50 minutes in Regroup before entering Service without incurring penalty TC/ LOCATION SS LIAISON TOTAL TARGET FIRST AVG SS DIST DIST DIST TIME CAR SPEED Itinerary – Leg 2 TC/ LOCATION SS LIASON TOTAL TARGET FIRST AVG SS DIST DIST DIST TIME CAR SPEED 8 F ADJACENT TO JENNEY’S CLUB 6:00 8 G SERVICE A IN 51.40 51.40 1:15 7:15 41.12 SERVICE E 51.40 51.40 0:20 7:35 9 PREMIER – R 8.51 8.51 0:20 7:55 25.53 SS 9 PREMIER - R START 14.50 0:03 7:58 10 TEXTOOL – R 1.01 15.51 0:21 8:19 44.31 SS TEXTOOL - R 10 START 14.13 0:03 8:22 10 REGROUP-IN A/B /FLEXI SERVICE D IN 0.22 14.35 0:19 8:41 45.31
speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
TC/ SS
LOCATION
SS DIST
LIAISON TOTAL DIST DIST
TARGET FIRST AVG TIME CAR SPEED
FLEXI SERVICE D 28.63 9.74 38.37 0:20 10 C FLEXI SERVICE DOUT/ REGROUP IN REGROUPING 0:35 10 D REGROUP OUT 10 E Parc ferme * Adaj to JENNEY’S CLUB 51.85 51.85 1:30 10 F PARC FERME OUT 11 SSS 0.20 0.20 0:05 SS 11 SSS START 1.20 0:03 11 A* PARC FERME 0.40 1.60 0:10 TOTAL LEG 2 29.83 113.59 143.42 LEG 1 TOTAL
108.89
150.78
259.67
LEG 2 TOTAL
29.83
113.59
143.42
9:01
9:01 9:36 9:36
11:06 34.56 13:15 13:20 2.40 13:23 13:33 9.60
RALLY TOTAL 138.72 264.37 403.09 * Denotes early check-in allowed At the 20 minute Flexi Service, crews may wait for up to 25 minutes in Regroup before entering Service without incurring penalty.
team profiles
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Red Rooster Racing Team MRF Tyres’ absence made Team Red Rooster Racing’s winning the championship a mere formality but to their credit RRR didn’t put a foot wrong in the 2008 debut season. The clockwork-like efficiency of ace tuner N Leelakrishnan, former national champion Vikram Mathias and former racing champion Amittrajit
Ghosh ensured Team RRR swept everything in their path. The style and finesse with which they won their first championships, winning five out of the six rallies shows their commitment and professionalism. Having retained both their drivers, Red Rooster Racing look all set for yet another scorcher of a season. www.redroosterracing.com
VIKRAM MATHIAS | 2000cc N+ | Red Rooster Racing
Vikram Mathias
P V S Murthy
Vikram Mathias simply stunned audiences with his series of wins in the 2008 INRC season. Having made his debut in the year 2000 with Team MRF, Vikram showed consistent performances throughout and joined the JK Tyre team in 2006. With his splendid winning streak in 2008
with Red Rooster Racing, Vikram now has two drivers championships to his credit. He won the 2008 INRC drivers championship with distinct ease. Racing the 2000cc N+ Cedia in the 2009 season should see him put up a stronger fight, not to mention giving other drivers a tough time. speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
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red rooster racing
amitTrajit ghosh | 2000cc N+ | Red Rooster Racing
Amittrajit Ghosh
Ashwin Naik
The 24-year-old from Kolkata is incredibly promising. A former national racing champion, Amit has made the switch to rallying with relative ease, bringing home the silverware with an efficient and consistent driving performance through the course of the season. He speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
also ensured Red Rooster Racing comfortably won the team championship with a string of podium finishes. In 2009 Amittrajit will be rallying the 2000cc N+ Cedia, his second season in the Group N+ class, and expectations are high now that he has enough experience.
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team profiles
Team MRF Team MRF has a strong lineup of cars and drivers with four contenders for the drivers title. The team will be headed by Gaurav Gill who is also competing in the PWRC and APRC championships. Gaurav, Arjun Balu, Lohit Urs and Arjun Rao Aroor will all be driving
the 2000cc N+ class Cedias. Philippos Mathai will be the sole 1600cc class driver. All the MRF cars are tuned by J Anand and the team will be expected to put up a serious fight against current champions Red Rooster Racing. www.mrftyres.com
Gaurav Gill | 2000cc N+ | Team MRF
Gaurav Gill
Musa Sherif
Arguably the best and definitely the most highly rated of the current crop of rally drivers in the country, Gaurav Gill is all set to storm the 2009 season in the N+ Cedia. Team MRF’s absence in most rounds of the INRC last year the 2007 national rally champion couldn’t defend his crown
but will be out there to regain his title this year. He is the only Indian driver with a win in the APRC and also to score points in the PWRC, and all the international experience is sure to stand him in good stead. Gill is also driving a Mitsubishi Evo X in the APRC for Team MRF. speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
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ARJUN BALU | 2000cc N+ | Team MRF
ARJUN BALU
MRF’s second strong contender in the 2000cc N+ class is Arjun Balu. Being one of the coveted few to have made such a spectacular transition from road racing to rallying, Arjun sure has a distinct advantage over his fellow competitors. A loyal MRF driver, he has
numerous INRC victories, wins in the AZC and past experience of the APRC in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 which makes his profile impressive, to say the least. With one of the best and fastest cars in the INRC and loads of experience, Arjun is a surefire title hotshot.
LOHIT V URS | 2000cc N+ | Team MRF
LOHIT URS
R Chandramouli
Fast becoming one of the most challenging drivers of Indian rallying, Lohit is another prime contender from Team MRF. Last year he won the Cochin rally in a Group N+ Cedia but owing to Team MRF’s withdrawal from most rounds of the 2008 INRC calendar, Lohit competed the rest speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
of the season in a privately entered 1600cc N+ class Maruti Suzuki Baleno. In the 2009 INRC, Lohit will be seen rallying in the 2000cc N+ class in the Mitsubishi Lancer Cedia. This marks Lohit’s tenth season in the INRC, and judging by his performance, a shot at the top is on the cards.
team mrf tyres
SUJITH KUMAR
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Team MRF TYres
ARJUN RAO AROOR | 2000cc N+ | Team MRF
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ARJUN RAO AROOR
SATISH KUMAR
This 26-year-old has been a consistent performer in the MRF team. Arjun has won the 2003 Rally Star Cup championship and is a fast and consistent driver. He will be seen displaying his skills in the 2000cc N+ class in the 2009 season. Apart from his enthusiastic driving, he
fills up the younger end of the MRF squad. With hs own team members to compete against apart from the other contenders, Arjun has a task on his hand but he has the abilities to rise to the demands. This will be his first season in the Cedia and expectations will be high.
Philippos Mathai | 1600cc N | Team MRF
Popular young driver Philippos shot to fame with giant-killing performances in his debut season but then has fallen by the wayside with lack of sponsors or competitive cars. The young gun from MRF will be rallying a 1600cc Maruti Suzuki Baleno and for a change will be competing
PHILIPPOS MATHAI
in the entire season. His target will be class honours and he will also be aiming to add to Team MRF’s overall points tally. His main rival will obviously be his G S Joshy of team Winspeed. Whoever can build a lead in the opening rounds will be be favourite to win the championship. speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
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G S Joshy | 1600cc N | Winspeed Motorsports
G S Joshy
The 31-year-old Girijashankar Joshy has a lot of experience and one of the winningest records in the 1400cc class among the current crop. Girijashankar won the 2005 INRC Rally Star Cup class championship in his debut season. He won the 1400cc class championship in
the following year and finished 2nd overall in the 2008 1600cc class championship. If that’s not enough, the man has won 49 of the 59 races he has competed in, in his six-year lustrous career. He will be driving for Hyderabad based Winspeed Motorsports which debuted in 2008.
MAZDAYAr VATCHA | 1400cc N | Winspeed Motorsports
MAZDAYAR VATCHA
VINAYAKA N
In a long career in motorsport, Mazdayar Vatcha has earned a plumage of feathers for his cap. He has notched spectacular performances throughout his career and 2008 was one of his best seasons. One of the seniormost contenders for the 2009 season, Mazdayar is also one of the speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
most versatile, with his skill extending to motorcycles and go-karts. He’ll sum up the fiery end of the very capable Winspeed Motorsports team. Mazda won the 1400cc championship last year and this season is set to defend his championship driving the venerable Maruti Suzuki Esteem.
team winspeed
G M SRIKANTH
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chettinad sporting
ARJUN GURUDEV | RSC | CHETTINAD SPORTING
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ARJUN GURUDEV
B A DEVAIAH
Arjun Gurudev will be rallying the Esteem in the Rally Star Cup in the 2009 INRC. He revels in surfaces of any type and is admittedly a two-wheeler fanatic. Though he hasn’t had a single win in his rallying career, the ambitious lad hopes to take home the RSC title this season.
With his optimistic approach, Arjun will surely be the man to look out for in 2009! Though Chettinad Sporting hasn’t seen much success in the INRC spectrum, the experience they have gained running with the leaders of the pack is sure to be a massive advantage to this competitive team.
VIKRAM DEVADASAN| rsc | Chettinad Sporting
VIKRAM DEVADASAN
RAYMOND D’SOUZA
Steadily becoming one of the star faces of the INRC is Vikram Devadasan. He put in some seriously good performances in 2008, in his Rally Star Cup entry. At one point, Vikram was leading the championship and only just got beaten, but finished second overall. Prior to
2008, he made rally appearances in four events and is and emerging rally superstar. With Arjun Gurudev and Vikram Devadasan being at the forefront of the battle, Chettinad Sporting has a healthy season this year. Also, with debutant Vir Raina in their ranks, 2009 should be competitive. speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
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Vir Raina | RSC | Chettinad Sporting
VIR RAINA
The 2009 INRC marks the debut of yet another road racer turned rally driver, Vir Raina. The 25-year-old from New Delhi has a lot going for him. Vir finished thrid overall in the JK National Racing Championship in 2008 in the Race Star Cup category. Although his performance
in the rallying world is not known, going by his family tree, which has an impressive motorsport history (his grand father, MR Suresh Kumar, a past president of the Calcutta motorsports club was credited with building the first Formula Indian), he cannot be ignored.
vishal g a | 1600cc N | KARI SPORTS
VISHAL G A
MUKUND BV
Vishal G A has some interesting accolades to his credit and he is expected to be the lead charger from the Kari paddock. Vishal wil run in the 1600cc Group N class in this season. Though he hasn’t tasted victory yet, his experience in various forms of the sport is speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
valuable. With competition in the form of Chettinad Sporting and Winspeed Motorsports heating up, Kari has a strong force to deal with. Its popularity among enthusiasts in the south is an advantage, though to get to the forefront, they have to strengthen their form.
CHETTINAD / KARI
ADHIRAJ BARDHAN
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KARI SPORTS
Venkatapathy m r | RSC | KARI SPORTS
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VENKATAPATHY M R
SANTHOSH KUMAR
In his second INRC season, Venkatapathy M R is Kari Sports’ bet for the Rally Star Cup category. The 30-year-old has raced motorcycles extensively on track and dirt, and was also part of the National Racing Championship in 2008. Venkatapathy’s experience will come
in handy for Kari Sports to form a compact, competitive unit. Kari Sports has a challenging year ahead. For 2009, Kari has a three-car lineup. Kari will make their presence felt in three classes, the 1300cc Rally Star Cup, the 1400cc class and the 1600cc Group N class.
Amith Anand | 1400cc N | Kari Sports
AMITH ANAND
PRAKASH RODRIGUES
Participating in the 1400cc class from the Kari Sports team is Amith Anand. He has experience as a navigator from 2001 to 2005 with a best second place finish in the RSC. His first rally driving stint happened in the 2007 in the K1000 rally, in the
1400cc class. As an ex-motorcycle racer, he finished second in 1999 at the Chennai race track. He is back in action after a four-year sabbatical and we’ll have to wait and watch this IT analyst display his prowess acquired through his invaluable experience in motorsport. speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
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DEEPAK PAUL CHINNAPPA | 1400cc N | FRK Racing
DEEPAK CHINNAPPA
Budding rally ace Deepak Chinnappa has constantly been improving his motorsport career profile. Deepak has been active in the motorsport scene in the country. Incredibly focused, and with a tremendous passion for rallying, Deepak has a good opportunity of
scoring high in the 1400cc Group N class in the 2009 season. He is Team FRK’s number one driver this season. Team FRK’s technical team is strong and as tuners, they excel in turning road cars into track and rally tools. Deepak’s skills should see FRK get good results.
KAR SANKETH| RSC | FRK Racing
KAR SANKETH
ABHISHEK
In the 2009 INRC, Team FRK Racing will have a two-car entry, with Deepak in the 1400cc Group N class and Sanketh competing in the Rally Star Cup. Expect some high speed action from Team FRK Racing. Debutant Kar Sanketh will be competing in the Rally speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
Star Cup. To his credit is extensive training at Akbar Ebrahim and Lohit Urs academies. Though his experience is rallying is negligible, his training should see him through. He is undergoing extensive physical training to get fit for rally driver chores.
FRK RACING
SRIKARUNYA
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DDL SPORTS
JOSEPH C JOS | 1600cc N | DDL Sports DDL sports is the new team on the block, getting together Kerala’s rally enthusiasts. Joseph will take charge of DDL Sports’ 1600cc Group N entry. He was seen putting his car through its paces in the Monsoon Rally, Coimbatore in 2008. He faces tough competition, but DDL will ensure him the best he needs to cut the edge.
FRANCIS KJ | 1400cc | DDL Sports Francis KJ’s performance in the 1400cc class in 2008 was good. While he has no victories to his credit, his best so far is 3rd on the podium at the Cochin Popular rally in 2008. He runs a textile and edible oil business and admits nothing gives him a better high than rallying! DDL sports look well prepared for the season.
BOBBY JOSE C | GYPSY CUP | DDL Sports Probably the most interesting resume among the current INRC drivers is Bobby C Jose’s who is DDL Sports’ entry in the Gypsy class for the 2009 season. Bobby has eight years of motorsport experience. Apart from motorsport, he is involved in movies, interior designing and is also a lawyer! speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
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elias paarel | RSC
After successful runs in previous motorsport events, Abhilash Pallath will be rallying the Baleno in the 1600cc Group N class in the 2009 INRC. His co-driver for the season will be Nikhil Pai.
Two years of being around the Indian rallying scenario but loads of accolades mark Elias in as a title contender this season. Ambitious and fiery, he aims straight at the 2009 Rally Star Cup championship. He has been performing well, having won the Rally de Coorg in 2008. He has been runner-up in the 2008 INRC and is expected to put up a good show this season too. He was the Fastest Novice driver at the Maruti Suzuki Cochin autocross in 2007. He also was the first runner-up in the same event, in the 1400cc Class. Having made his debut in the Coffee Day Rally in the INRC 2007, Elias has had a short but successful career. He is presently going through rigorous training in Technical Rally Driving.
ABHILASH PALLATH
NIKHIL PAI
Sujay Naidu | 1600cc
Den Thimmiah | RSC
Probably the youngest and most spectacular in the achievement spectrum is Bangalore lad Sujay Naidu. He started his motorsport career at the age of 18 gained experience in Autocross and TSD rallies. At SUJAY NAIDU just 19, he ranked fifth in the Rally Star Cup in the 2006 INRC. By 2007 he upped his performance by finishing third in the 1400cc INRC championship, and in 2008, he clinched the 1400cc title.
Den Thimmiah makes his burning desire to be at the top of the league loud and clear. Den is flamboyant and proud of his do or die attitude when it comes to rallying. His INRC experience is commendable too. He won the Kerala Rally and the Rally de Coorg in the Rally Star Cup category in the 2008 INRC season. He managed fourth and fifth position at the Nashik Rally and the K1000 Bangalore rally last season. Also to be noted are his times, which were exceptionally good in the 2008 Rally de Coorg. With more training during off season, Den’s performance should be stronger this season.
speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
PRIVATEERS
Abhilash Pallath | 1600cc
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PRIVATEERS
KARAN A m | RSC
bALRAM CG | RSC
Karan A M was the fastest driver in the RSC class in the 2006 K1000 Bangalore rally. He has an edge over other drivers in terms of speed and will be seen setting the paces in his RSC entry. KARAN A M
SOMAYYA A G
Balram CG participated in five out of six rallies in the 2008 RSC. Immensely passionate about rallying, his results for 2008 were third and fourth in the Coorg and Coimbatore rallies respectively. BALRAM CG
RAGHURAM CG
SHAILENDRA HEGDE | RSC
KAMALJIT VIRDI | GYPSY CUP
Shailendra won the RSC event at the IMG Mill rally 2008. He pipped Byram Godrej and Deepak Paul Chinnappa to the line and achieved what is his best victory yet.
Among the top runners in the privateer category is Kamaljit Virdi. Kamaljit put up some seriously fast times in the Gypsy class in 2008. For 2009, Kamaljit will again run in the Gypsy class.
SHAILENDRA HEGDE
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SHERAZ AHMED
KAMALJIT VIRDI
KAMALJIT VIRDI
speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
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Rashid Raza | GYPSY CUP | FRK Racing
Karna makes his INRC debut this season. He owns Team Kadur, but will be making his INRC entry as a privateer. At 20, he leads the pack of young drivers making their foray into the INRC.
Rashid co-drove Sandeep Sharma to the 2008 INRC Gypsy Cup title and is now in the drivers seat. Last year’s season was a tough battle, with minimal but rough competition. There will be tougher competition RASHID RAZA this season. Rashid has been making regular appearances in the Indian rallying scene and has adequate rallying knowhow. His rallying debut was in 2009 and he aims for a fruitful season in the 2009 INRC.
KARNA KADUR
SAMUEL C
Sanjay Takale | 1600 Group N
Vighnesh Devarajah | RSC Rally Star Cup contender Vighnesh Devarajah is a highly experienced driver. Having tested his skills in national racing events, he is an exciting inclusion in the privateer drivers category. driver will be C. Mukesh Raja in 2009. V DEVARAJAH C MUKESH RAJA
Pune entry Sanjay Takale will compete in the 1600cc Group N class. He has the support of Pune based Millennium Racing Team and will be entering as a privateer for this season. SANJAY TAKALE
RAHUL SANCHETI
speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
PRIVATEERS
KARNA KADUR | RSC
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2008 Season review
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Vikram Mathias and PVS Murthy won the 2008 INRC drivers championship
2008: The season that was
A
t the start of the season enthusiasts and optimists believed that rallying in India received a timely boost with Naren Kumar’s entry into the PWRC. This was bound to rub off on younger aspiring drivers whose dreams of driving a factory car with full opposite lock in the WRC maybe a little premature but its not just building castles in the air either. The 2008 championship
however turned out to be a rather low key affair and even though events were recording large entries, with MAI and FMSCI washing their dirty laundry in public, the championship would be remembered for all the wrong reason despite Vikram Mathais and Team Red Rooster Racing’s domination. From the opening round of the championship in Cochin, Vikram was all conquering. It wasn’t just Vikram who
made the perfect start to the championship but also his team-mate Amittrajit Ghosh, making it a perfect start for Team Red Rooster Racing with a 1-2 finish. Vikram led the rally from the opening day and though Amittrajit was able to match the pace of the former national champion initially, Vikram’s pace and experience combined was too much of an ask for the Kolkata driver. Finishing in third place was Shailendra speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
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2008 Season review Gaurav Gill was hampered by electrical problems in round two but put in a flying performance on day two to finish third
Hegde. An autocross regular, Hegde was driving in the Race Star Cup and credited his pace to the suspension developed by J Anand. In fourth place and winning the 1400cc class was KV Samarth. Winning the 1600cc class was Arjun Surya while winning the Gypsy class was Sanjay Aggarwal while Dhiraj Doiphode finished second. The second round in Bangalore was held amidst the MAI and FMSCI battle. speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
JK tyres pulled a rabbit out of the hat by re-entering and by having Akhil Khushlani as their main driver straight into an N+ Cedia. Team MRF also made a comeback with Gaurav Gill leading the charge. Gill immediately went fastest but then an electrical problem cost him ten minutes. This put Vikram in the lead and MRF suffered another setback when Lohith Urs dropped out with a broken driveshaft. Gill went fastest on all
the stages on day 2 and made quite a remarkable comeback from 30th overall to finish the rally in third place. Vikram recorded his second win of the rally with Amittrajit finishing second. Winning the 1400cc class and in forth overall was Mazdayar Vatcha. Sanket Shanbhag finished fifth overall and won the 1600cc class while top honours in the Gypsy class went to former champion Sandeep Sharma. At the Cochin Rally, the
2008 Season review
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first tarmac event of the season, six N+ Cedias made it to the start. Getting his hands for the first time on the 200bhp car was Lohit Urs. After the formalities of the SSS, the drivers had to negotiate roads rendered even more treacherous and slippery by rain and misjudging the grip available on the slippery roads was Gaurav Gill who crashed heavily on the opening stage. From there on it was advantage Mathias. By middle of the rally Lohit repair MRF for promoting him to the top ranks by leading the rally ahead of Vikram who faced problems with the car set up and eventually retired with engine failure. Lohit maintained his lead and inheriting second place was his team-mate Arjun
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Team JK Tyre made a one-off return with Akhil Khushlani in Bangalore
Rao Aroor on the N+ Fiesta. Girijashankar Joshy’s miserable season continued and the driver dropped out from his third place overall with a broken connecting rod. The rally was then easily won by Lohit, his second tarmac win of his career while Aroor finished behind him. Like Joshy, Sanket’s miserable season also continued and for the second time he dropped out from what seemed like a certain podium finish with a mistake in the last stage. Inheriting third place and winning the 1400cc class was Bonnie Thomas while Biju Thomas won the 1600cc class. The RSC was won by Den Thimmiah and Sandeep Sharman won the Gypsy class for the second time in the season. From Cochin the champi-
onship shifted to Coimbatore and in the absence of Team MRF tyres winning the rally was a mere formality for Vikram. He and Ghosh were the drivers to watch and they juggled for stage times between them. Ghosh led the rally till SS3 when a gearbox failure put an abrupt end to his chance of winning his first INRC event. At the end of day one Vikram comfortably led from Joshy driving a Baleno while Shailendra Hegde driving in the RSC was third. On the second day making the places up the leader board was Sanket Shanbhag but his charge was a little too late in the day to challenge Joshy. The rally once again was a cakewalk for Mathais and RRR with Joshy in second and Sanket managspeed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
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ing to get past Hegde to finish in third place. Hegde finished fourth overall and won the RSC. JM Manju won the 1400cc and Sandeep Sharma again won the Gypsy class. Moving to the coffee plantation of Coorg from Coimbatore, the championship was a forgone conclusion for Vikram and his win in Coorg sealed his second championship and Team RRR’s first. At the end of day one Vikram driving now with his usual aggressive and flowing style looked comfortable but knew that the tight stages of Coorg wouldn’t let any mistake go unpunished. Ghosh and Sanket both dropped out on the opening day with broken driveshafts. Joshy was in second place, a position where he would finished the rally. speed INRC 2009, Round 1, Rally of Coimbatore
Finishing third was S Sujoy. Sujoy also won the 1400cc class while Den finished forth and first in the RSC. Mazdayar rounded off the top five while Sanjay Aggarwal won the Gypsy class. At the concluding round in Nashik, Vikram made in five wins out of six starts in
2008 Season review
Sanket Shanbagh had a huge run of misfortune but still won the 1600cc class
the year Vikram Devadasan of Chettinad Sporting and Shauilendra Hegde finished in second and third places respectively. Sanket claimed fourth and won the 1600cc championship while Sandeep Sharma won the Gypsy class and championship for the second time.
Gaurav Gill had a huge shunt in Mysore
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cars of the inrc
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Mitsubishi Lancer Cedia N+ On its debut event in 2006, the Mitsubishi Lancer Cedia won and sounded a warning to rivals, loud and clear. The Cedia was first introduced by Team JK and Gaurav Gill piloted it to a winning debut. The competition, which was mainly the Baleno and the Fiesta, was in for a rude shock. With the Baleno being a consistent player, Team MRF relied on it solely. The Fiesta though fast, hadn’t quite hit the mark then. It was three rallies old but hadn’t won a single event. The Cedia’s debut win shook the foundations of its competition. The Cedia has been competing in the Group N Plus class, and how! Veteran tuners N Leelakrishnan and J
Anand have tuned the Cedia’s engine to develop up to 200bhp, sometimes even more. Group N+ rally cars can have numerous modifications and the Cedia has been given a thorough workout by the tuners. Apart from the bottom end, the engines are all-new with high performance Mitsubishi Evo parts finding their way in. The blueprinted engine includes individual throttle bodies, high-lift cams, forged conrods, lightened components and required bracing in the set-up. The ECU has been extensively remapped of course. A fully programmable electronic module is employed and set-up can be altered as per varying conditions
and performance requirements. What really gives the Cedia an edge over the rest is its genes. Carrying over a lot from Mitsubishi’s rallying history, the Cedia is a very well set up and great handling car. It has imbibed a lot from its family tree. Indian rally drivers swear by the Cedia’s handling capabilities. The very first Cedia that was rallied, was set up over only eight days by Leelakrishnan and the results were absolutely fantastic! JK simply fit their rally tyres on to the Cedia and the car went about kicking up dust in a most casual but impressive manner. It initially had a top speed deficit against the Fiesta but what it lost in kmph it made up in
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mitsubishi cedia N+
sideways action. Rally veterans say that the real advantage the Cedia has over the other cars is its chassis. It is such a sweet handler and has such a soundly engineered chassis that even the unacquainted can push it beyond their capabilities. Overdrive’s Bertrand D’souza drove a Cedia at the Kari Speedway against the Formula Rolon and was more impressed with the former! Of course, he was more infuriated than bewildered because the Cedia simply refused to misbehave. The car is so undeterred by anything you give it, it’s almost unbelievable! For spectators and rally enthusiasts, another very endearing aspect of the Cedia is the way it looks.
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Mitsubishi Lancer Cedia Group N+ Displacement 2000cc Type 16V DOHC Fuel Petrol
Custom high-lift cams, ITBs, 4-1 header, custom head, Limited Slip Differential, Autronic ECU
The entire styling of the Cedia is so much akin to the Evo that it looks fast even standing still. Yes, it may not be as incredibly fast as the Evo but it sure is light years ahead of anything and everything being rallied in the country. Styling-wise, the Cedia is the only car that fits the bill of a rally car among the Fiesta, Baleno and Esteem. From the stonking yellow livery it made its debut in to the slick Red Rooster Racing colours it now sports, the Cedia is a visual treat, parked or otherwise. In the 2008 INRC season, the Group N+ Cedia led Red Rooster Racing to its championship win. By the way, it was Red Rooster Racing’s debut season! Vikram Mathias was
seen jumping and sliding his way through some of the most difficult courses on the 2008 INRC calendar. The Cedia went through a bit more preparation, again in the hands of Leela, as the Red Roosters were certainly aiming for a holeshot in their debut season. And win they did! We saw Vikram Mathias clinch victory at the season opener at Mysore. The Cedia left everything else in a blur on the high speed gravel stage. The car saw just one mechanical failure in the entire season. In the 2009 season, there is no car that seems to be capable enough of challenging the Cedia and one can trust it to continue its reign.
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maruti Baleno
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Maruti Suzuki Baleno 1600cc N
T
he Maruti Suzuki Baleno has been the long standing favourite of professional rally drivers in the INRC. More than five years in the INRC and the Baleno still gives most drivers their kicks. Its career was thought to be all but over with the inclusion of the Fiesta in the INRC, but that never happened. The Fiesta had a rather illfated run in the INRC and went without a win for a botheringly long time. Till then the rally drivers had already acquainted themselves with the ways of the sprightly 1600cc mill under the Baleno’s hood and it became the
natural choice of most competitors. The Baleno was part of both the MRF and the JK teams and for a very long time was their ace car. Arguably India’s best rally driver, V R Naren Kumar has taken the Baleno to numerous victories before his career took off to an altogether new high. Similarly, reigning INRC champion Vikram Mathias in his Team MRF days, honed his skills in the Baleno starting midway through the 2002 season. The Baleno, in its sparkling career, was also taken to its peak by Bangalore favourite Lohit V Urs, who also entered
as a privateer in the 2008 INRC season in the Baleno. While the figures of the Baleno were always a bit of a question mark, those well acquainted with the car were of the opinion that it could easily crack the 200kmph barrier. Whatever the numbers may have been, the Baleno’s race record simply never fails to stun one and all. The Baleno will be seen in the 2009 INRC season as well. Though there were reports of the Swift and the SX4 making an entry, nothing concrete has come up yet. The Baleno will continue to dominate the 1600cc N+ class.
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Maruti Esteem
Maruti Suzuki Esteem
T
hink Indian rally car/ track tool/ drag racer and the first name that comes to mind is the Esteem. It is perhaps the longest serving rally car in the Indian motorsport scene, except for the Gypsy. Be it raiding the Himalayas, wading through slush or simply strutting if off on dirt, the Maruti Suzuki Esteem has done it all! In the INRC, it has unabashedly dominated the Rally Star Cup. Being every rally driver’s first preference, the Esteem has the most coveted record of rallying in India. One could say that almost every rally driver in the country
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made his beginning in the Esteem. So seamless has its record been, that we won’t be surprised to see the Esteem going strong even after a decade! The Esteem also was in a class of its own (literally) in the 1400cc INRC championship. A respectable number of today’s leading rally drivers have all had their roots in the Esteem. From veterans V R Naren Kumar to spirited young drivers like Philippos Mathai, all have tremendous goodwill for the car that pushed their careers ahead. The Esteem continues to dominate every event it is entered in today and
is still the tool for budding rally stars. To the Esteem’s credit is its extremely low weight. Also, the 1300cc Suzuki mill is very tunerfriendly and rev-happy. With even lowered weight, the Esteem has been a rocket of sorts and continues to improve with every passing race/ rally. The Esteem’s handling is not what you can call exceptional, but for novice drivers, it can be quite a thrill. In the hands of the ripened, the Esteem can still give bigger, faster cars a sweat. That’s after more than a decade of roughing it out regularly!
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MAP
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How to get there... Proceed from Coimbatore to Palladam, at Palladam turn right and go on the Palladam Udumalpet road for about 10km and you will come to a 4-cross junction at Kethanur village. Turn left to go to the service park, Textool Stage and Premier Stage. Proceed straight for another 5km to go to Vavipalayam. Turn right there to go to the LMW Stage. At the 4th cross junction at Kethanur, boards will be placed to direct spectators. Each stage has a spectator point and the boards will direct the spectators to these. At all the stages arrangements have been made for refreshments and a shaded area is provided for spectators to view the rally action.
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Stage Map MAP
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About Coimbatore S
Visitor Information
outh of the Vindhyas and right in the foothill of
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to make a mark in the international arena.
Niligiris, blessed with a salubrious climate, the city
Racing is perhaps closest to the city’s heart.
of Coimbatore has plenty to offer. It is primarily an indus-
Coimbatore earned the distinction of being one of the
trial city, often called the Manchester of South India.
first cities in India to have a Formula 3 category circuit.
Coimbatore is a hub for engineering, textile, poultry
The Kari Motor Speedway has earned a legendary sta-
industries in South India.
tus in the nation’s go-kart circuits. Coimbatore is an
Situated in the lush green Western Ghats and
important stage in the INRC and its champions have
Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, Coimbatore is the gateway to
brought home myriad laurels. Its avid sports engineers
the ‘god’s own country’ and is the halt for visitors to the
have made significant contributions to the technical
enchanting Nilgiri Hills. How can one not mention the
development of racing and rallying cars.
Siruvani water which is among the sweetest in the world.
Being well connected by air, road and rail and hav-
Being a city with a rich tradition and culture the city is
ing regular international services to South-East Asia and
dotted with ancient temples and religious places.
the Middle East, access to Coimbatore is never a prob-
In an era where knowledge is power and education
lem for both domestic and international visitors.
the only means to development, the city of Coimbatore
Coimbatore’s list of racing and rallying’s who’s-
is perhaps one of the best centres for education in the
who include the legedary S Karivardhan, India’s first F1
South. With a host of engineering, medical and science
driver Narain Karthikeyan, seven-time national champion
colleges and universities, the city is making huge strides
N Leelakrishnan, champion tuner and racer J Anand, the
in educating society.
brains behind today’s formula race cars B Vijayakumar,
Coimbatore has always enjoyed a special relationship with sport. It has been the epicentre of Indian mot-
India’s first APRC and PWRC driver Naren Kumar and more.
orsport for long and has relentlessly pushed its talent
Coimbatore Auto Sports Club S he Coimbatore Auto Sports club has been a pio-
the IMG Mill and Monsoon Rally and was adjudged the
neer in promoting motorsport in this region. In its
best rally in the INRC 2008.
54 years of existence it has grown leaps and bound
The 2009 Coimbatore Rally is tipped to be one of
from being a small group to major force to reckon with
the fastest circuits on the INRC Calendar. The rally this
even in the world of international racing. This journey
year might be in for a date with slush and wet track this
of CASC started way back with its first race in 1957
year owing to the monsoon.
and first rally in 1961.
The rallyists are set for an early start at 0700hrs
Being one of the founding members of FMSCI,
form Jenny’s Club on Avinashi Road. The Special
it has been instrumental in creating awareness about
stages will be run in and around Kethanur village
motorsport in India.
located 10km from Palladam on Udumalpet Highway.
The Coimbatore Rally was first run as an TSD
After a long day of adrenalin pumping action packed
Rally sponsored by ITC in 1981. Then in 1989 it ran
rally with nine special stages the rally will finish at the
in the CS format and used to run in the hills of Ooty
start point itself at 1900hrs.
and Vallparai. From 1997 it was moved to the windmill
The second leg will have a special stage at GD
farms in Kethanur. The Asia Zone Contender ran in
driving school about 12km from Coimbatore and a
the year 2000. In the year 2001 it was the first round
Super Special Stage adjacent to Jenny’s Club where
of the Asia zone championship which Naren and D
arrangements will be made for spectators to view the
Ramkumar won. In the year 2008 it was run again as
rally cars up close.
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Previous INRC winners Season Driver
Co-driver
Team
Car
2008
Vikram Mathias PVS Murthy
2007
Gaurav Gill Moosa Sherif Team MRF Mitsubishi Cedia
Tuner
Red Rooster Racing Mitsubishi Cedia
N Leelakrishnan J.Anand
Naren Kumar D Ram Kumar
JK Rally Team Mitsubishi Cedia
N Leelakrishnan
Naren Kumar D Ram Kumar
JK Rally Team Mitsubishi Cedia Group A
N Leelakrishnan
2004
Vikram Mathias Sujith Kumar Team MRF
Honda City Group A
N Leelakrishnan
2003
Naren Kumar D Ram Kumar Team MRF
Honda City Group A
N Leelakrishnan
2002
Naren Kumar D Ram Kumar Team MRF
Honda City Group A
N Leelakrishnan
2001
N Leelakrishnan Farooq Ahmed Team MRF
Honda City Group A
N Leelakrishnan
2000
Naren Kumar D Ram Kumar Team MRF Maruti Baleno Group A
N Leelakrishnan
1999
Naren Kumar Farooq Ahmed Team MRF Maruti Esteem Group A
N Leelakrishnan
1998
N Leelakrishnan Farooq Ahmed Team MRF Maruti Esteem Group A-1-A (IND)
N Leelakrishnan
1997
Hari Singh
WSRF
Gurinder Singh Mann
JK Rally Team Maruti Esteem Group A-1-A (IND)
1996
Hari Singh
Gurinder Singh Mann
JK Rally Team Maruti Esteem Group A-1-A (IND) PNR Satish
1995
Hari Singh
Gurinder Singh Mann
JK Rally Team Maruti Gypsy Group A-1-A (IND) S.Karivardhan JK Rally Team Maruti Gypsy Group A-1-A (IND) S.Karivardhan
1994
Hari Singh
Gurinder Singh Mann
1993
N Leelakrishnan
N Mahindran Team MRF Maruti Gypsy Group II (A)** (IND)
1992
(Tie on all accounts)
N Leelakrishnan and N Mahindran Team MRF Maruti Gypsy Group II (A)* (IND)
N Leelakrishnan
N Leelakrishnan
Farad Bathena Farooq Comssariat Team MRF
J.Anand
1991
N Leelakrishnan
N Mahindran Team MRF Maruti Gypsy Group II (A)* (IND)
N Leelakrishnan
1990
N Leelakrishnan
C V Jaykumar Team MRF Maruti Gypsy Group II (A)* (IND)
N Leelakrishnan
1989 Farad Bathena
Raj Bagri Team MRF Maruti Gypsy Group II (A)* (IND)
J.Anand
1988 Farad Bathena
Raj Bagri Team MRF Maruti Gypsy Group II (A)* (IND) Mohinder Lalwani
FMSCI INRC Calendar 2009
DATE
ROUND
VENUE
26 - 28 JUNE
ROUND 1
COIMBATORE
21- 23 AUGUST
ROUND 2
BANGALORE
19 - 21 SEPTEMBER
ROUND 3
KOLKATA
30 - 01 OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER
ROUND 4
NASHIK
20 - 22 NOVEMBER
ROUND 5
CHIKMAGALUR
12 - 14 DECEMBER
ROUND 6
SHIMLA
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Calendar 2009
2006 2005
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Round 2
Rally of Bangalore 16 - 17 August 2009 www.fmsci.in
India’s No.1 Car & Bike Magazine
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Published by OVERDRIVE magazine in June 2009. All editorial material generated is solely for the purpose of this rally guide. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photographs or illustration without the express written permission of the editor is strictly prohibited. e-mail: editorial@overdrive.co.in, web: www.overdrive.in
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