For the love of Motor Sports: Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm 2017
In life, we seldom come across such events which keep us on the edge till the very end. When everything is going against the protagonist, we keep our fingers crossed; when he passes through difficulties, we croon a small prayer to give him strength; and finally, when he proves his mettle and comes on the top, we are unable to hide the joy and thrill it brings. In a similar fashion, Maruti Suzuki conducts various Motorsports to feed the passion of car/bike race fanatics starting from Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya followed by Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm which was recently concluded in Jodhpur, followed by Autocross championship.
All these races/rallies are conducted in a diverse pattern, covering a good geographic portion of India, and promotes safe and technically competent motorsport.
The 15th edition of the Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm has riders across the 4 categories traversed the challenging terrains of the grueling Thar Desert with a passion for motorsport as their fuel. One of the most anticipated Motorsport rallies, Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm, also saw amateurs matching shoulder to shoulder with the professionals when it comes to enthusiasm.
#MSDesertStorm was full of surprises where no one could have anticipated the winners until the final day. And how could we? If sometimes the riders in the lead were getting penalized, then sometimes some mishap with their rides was causing a huge tension in the minds of their team and supporters. For instance, CS Santosh, the defending champion in the Moto category, who maintained a narrow but vital lead till the end, lost in the most anti-climactic way. He missed the correct finish line and ended up giving his title to R Nataraj of TVS Racing. However, the skills this lad from Hero Motocorp showcased during the rally were truly appreciable.
R Nataraj of TVS Racing receiving his trophy
The Xtreme category witnessed the class of Suresh Rana and his co-driver, Ashwin Naik. It’s their 6th title, and witnessing their perseverance in this rally, I am sure that there is space for some more titles on their shelf.
Suresh Rana and Ashwin Naik with their 6th Title
The Ndure and Xplore category also saw some fierce competition and a touch of exuberance from the amateur riders. I love how such rallies bring the budding motorsport enthusiasts and veterans together because it makes the sport and the competitive spirit it involves as the ultimate winners. Nikunj Toshniwal and co-driver Suvrajit Dutta bagged the first spot in the Ndure category. Whereas, in the Xplore category, Karthick Maruthi and Sankar Anand were the winners.
Nikunj Toshniwal and co-driver Suvrajit Dutta
In all, Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm was a hell of a roller-coaster ride with upsets and glory waiting at the finish line to greet their guests. It concluded with an exuberant ceremony at Jodhpur, but it made me yearn for more. And I don’t have to wait for long as they have a busy calendar ahead with many such rallies to come. The most amazing thing about Maruti Suzuki rallies is that they take riders throughout the country, throwing a different challenge at them at each rally. Their Maruti Suzuki Raid De Himalaya challenges the riders amidst the grandeur of the mountains, calling participants from all around the world. Since its inception from 1999, this rally is one of the oldest motorsport events. Suresh Rana won this rally 10 times.
Suresh Rana has won 10 Times !!!
They also have rallies such as Maruti Suzuki Autocross Championship in which they cover cities like Kochi, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Jaipur & Noida. Participants in this event can take part just with their DL and unbolt the world of motorsports. This year as well as last year, Amanpreet Ahluwalia emerged as the winner in this rally which was held at Buddh International Circuit.
There is Maruti Suzuki National Superleague TSD Rally Championship, where the motorsport enthusiasts can relish the adrenaline rush and thrill of motorsports. It combines 6 different rallies like Uttarakhand Rally, Backwaters Rally, Mughal Rally, Deccan Rally, Rally of Arunachal and Rally of Himachal, which are to be qualified for the championship. Some of the rallies in this championship were held for the first time, like the Rally of Himachal, and Rally of Arunachal. This year the championship was bagged by Karthick Maruthi. However, I know that #MSDesertStorm will remain my favorite and I am eagerly waiting for its 2018 edition.
But for a true Motor Sports lover waiting for a year is too much and if you are into motor sporting just like me here are some other exciting Car Rallies in India that Maruti Suzuki is nurturing to encourage Motor Sports enthusiast in the country.
To know more about their upcoming Motor Sporting events in India please check >>http://www.marutisuzukimotorsport.com/or follow Facebook and Twitter page.
Here is a short video for you to enjoy the thrill of watching the best of the Motor Sports thanks to Maruti Suzuki.
What do you say? I am hooked on the thrill of Motor Sports and as an avid traveler; I am looking forward to the next one coming up soon. What about you?
Note: This post is written in collaboration with Maruti Suzuki Motor Sport.
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