Gill declared champion of national rally championship

CHENNAI - Gaurav Gill of Team MRF has been declared as the champion driver of the 2009 Speed-Indian National Rally Championship following a ruling by the Indian Motor Sport Appeals Court (IMSAC) here last week on two appeals.

Gill, along with team-mates Lohitt Urs and Aroor Arjun Rao had finished in that order at the Coffee Day Rally of Chikmagalur last month, but subsequently the Stewards excluded them from the results on technical grounds following a protest by Red Rooster Racing team.

MRF exercised their right to appeal the Stewards decision and a three-member IMSAC heard both the parties in Chennai on Dec 20 and set aside the exclusion, but imposed a penalty of Rs.30,000 on each of the three MRF drivers.

The IMSAC, in another ruling, upheld the results of the K-1000 Rally held in August when MRF had completed a 1-2-3 sweep, according to a press release from the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India.

Red Rooster had appealed after their protest on a technical issue involving the MRF team and was thrown out by the Stewards.

While upholding the results, the IMSAC imposed a fine of Rs.30,000 on each of the three MRF competitors, Arjun Balu, Gill and Aroor Arjun Rao, besides Rs.2 lakh towards costs to be paid to Red Rooster.