India’s Urs tops in Malaysian rally

TEMERLOH - Indias Lohitt Urs was crowned the 2009 AAM Malaysian 4×4 Rally Championship when he drove his trusty Isuzu D-Max to a well-deserved victory in the final event here.

Lohitt’s co-driver Moosa Sherif was placed second in the championship before the start of rally and it was a must win for them to get the Championship for Moosa as well. By winning the rally at the weekend Moosa too was crowned the overall Champion Navigator.

Securing his third win this season with a determined drive throughout the weekends three slippery and treacherous special stages, Lohitt, who hails from Mysore in Karnataka, battled first with championship contender Chong Wee Siang in an equally-powerful Isuzu D-Max before a front snapped driveshaft threatened to end his winning streak in his debut season on Malaysian soil.

Equally delighted were his sponsors Isuzu Malaysia as CEO Takashi Hata congratulated the new champion for his impressive drives this season.

It has to be noted that Lohitt did us proud by proving the capabilities of the D-Max, winning three out of the four rounds. He drove with remarkable skill and determination, said Hata.

This years AAM Malaysian 4×4 Rally Championship has been very challenging as all four rounds placed their own demands on man and machine with conditions ranging from rough and narrow tracks to high speed and bumpy forest roads.

Despite leading the points standings going into the event, Lohitt knew that defending champion William Mei and newcomer Chong Wee Siang who were just 10 and 11 points adrift. With 15 points available to the winner, it was anyones championship trophy for the taking.

As rain fell incessantly before the start of the event, the tracks became extremely greasy through the forest complex of Hutan Kemasul and Chong threw down the gauntlet by setting the fastest time through the stage, beating Lohitt by 24 seconds despite having gone off the road once.

First timer to Malaysian rallies, Anil Wadia of India, did well by finishing third overall driving a D-Max for the first time and revelling in the muddy conditions. Less happy was Mei who was more cautious on the slimy forest roads and was down in sixth position.

Special Stage-2 was the turning point of the championship as Chong clipped a tree stump in his efforts to catch Lohitt and suffered a puncture. He had to stop and change the flat tyre, losing him 13 minutes and dropping him out of contention.

Lohitt also faced an unusual driveshaft snap in the same stage but the remarkable pace and balance of the driver meant that he only lost less than a minute to Lims Mitsubhishi Triton.

Despite having his only title rivals leave the race, Lohitt did not wish to settle for a safe result. He held a slender 32-second lead over the Mitsubishi driver and was going to go for glory.

The last stage was run in a more traditional oil palm plantation near Kerdau. Lohitt blasted through the 32-km stage to win by a margin of 54 seconds and with it, record his first hat-trick of international rally wins and his first international rally title.

I am absolutely elated with the win and the championship. The D-Max performed magnificently and apart from the broken driveshaft today, we have had a trouble-free run all season. I am really thankful to my sponsors Isuzu Malaysia for giving me a competitive and reliable car all year, said Lohitt.

Mei conceded the championship title and was magnanimous with praise of the new champions abilities. Lohitt drove very well this year. He knew when he could push his D-Max hard and held back when necessary. He is a deserving champion and I am glad that he has helped Isuzu retain the trophy, said William.