Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm 2017 concludes: Suresh Rana and R Nataraj emerge victorious in Xtreme and Moto category respectively
As briefed in my previous post, the 15th edition
of Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm rally has concluded in Jodhpur, Rajasthan last
week. This post provides additional details on the final stage of the
#MSDesertStorm, in addition to the previous post published here.
Let me talk about 2
wheeler section (Moto category) first. CS Santosh, who was the defending
champion, maintained lead, till last day and was a strong contender to the
title. However on the last day he reportedly checked-in late to the venue, late
by full 30 minutes, which penalised him heavily. Nataraj R and team who had
closed in on Santosh from his early leads, managed to take full advantage of
the time penalty imposed on Hero MotoSports team and clinch victory. This
observation hints at multiple things:
-It is not over till it is over-
no need to lose hope if you’re not in the lead. Persistence pays
-One or two mistakes are enough
to turn the tables. Even best of the sportsperson can do mistakes
Congrats to team TVS and better luck next time team Hero!
Xtreme: In the Xtreme
(4 wheeler) category defending champions Suresh Rana and Ashwin Naik retained
their title by winning the Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm rally for the 6th
time. Apparently this was not without challenges. On the last day they had to
keep topping up engine oil at regular intervals. They had started 3rd in line but soon
overtook other competitors to gain and maintain the lead.
Xplore and NDure:
These two categories are lighter versions of Xtreme, meant for new enthusiasts.
NDure is the 4x4 category while Xplore category was for 4x2 sedans and
hatchbacks. Amateurs participated with equal enthusiasm just like professional
racers. Nikunj Toshniwal and co-driver Suvrajit Dutta won the Ndure category
while VitaraBrezza driven by Karthick Maruthi and S Sankar Anand bagged the first place in the Xplore
category.
The 5 day rally that covered most of Rajasthan was no doubt
an action packed event. There was action, there was drama, there was tragedy
(accidents and break downs) and there was celebration. Good work by Maruti
Suzuki to keep the adventure and adrenaline rush high year after year, pushing
the limits of endurance, navigation and driving skills.
What began with Maruti Suzuki Raid De Himalaya in 1998 has
since grown to include an array of events such as Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare,
Maruti Suzuki Autocross Championship, Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm and Maruti
Suzuki National Superleague TSD Rally Championship. With a strong belief to
make motorsport accessible to everyone, Maruti Suzuki has been actively
promoting motorsports in India for over 15 years now. Whether you are an amateur or a professional,
Maruti Suzuki Motorsport’s calendar is always lined up with events that will
keep fuelling the adrenaline rush in you.
While we cherish memories of the Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm
2017, we have to wait another year for the 2018 edition.
Watch the video below-
Leave a Comment