34 riders for first round Indian national rally championship

COIMBATORE - The first round of the 2010 MAK Indian National Rally Championship for two-wheelers will be run here Sunday and, by all accounts, the event promises its share of thrills and spills with 34 entrants set to start.

Following the mandatory reconnaissance Saturday morning, the riders felt the going would be tough. The total distance of Special Stages is 77.82 km while the full rally distance, including the transport section, is 114.87 km.

Basically, there are two physical stages - Textool (11.7 km) and Premier (14.24 km) - that will be run thrice each in the same direction with two service breaks in between.

The first of the five rounds of the championship, promoted by IMG-Pro Sports Promotions, is being organised by Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC) in association with Spitfire Motorsports. The other rounds will be run in Bangalore, Pune, Goa and Hyderabad.

Reigning national champion K.P. Aravind of TVS Racing is eager to begin the season on a winning note and the competition comes from his own stable.

“We are well-prepared and the bikes too have undergone some important changes. Last year, I had a tough time from my teammates and was able to clinch the issue only in the last leg. So I am looking forward to begin the season on the right note,” he said.

Team-mate and last year’s winner here Pramod Joshua, is raring to go on his RTR 160.

“I love Coimbatore. I won here in 2008 and 2009 and am looking to begin with a hat-trick,” he said after a “slippery recce”.

Though TVS Racing is the only works team, riders from Zen Rallying, VMW Racing, Speed Racing and Vepsam Racing, are all vying for the top honours in various classes.