The Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya will take on two of the highest mountain passes in the world this year – the Khardung La and the Wari La. Across its history, the Raid has conquered the passes only once.
This will be on occasion of the motorsport competition completing 15 years since inception. The Raid will run from October 4-12.
Mr Manohar Bhat, vice president marketing of Maruti Suzuki, said that the 15th Maruti Suzuki Raid De Himalaya boasts the maximum number of competitors ever, and a record number of entries in each category. This year, the Raid will have 45 teams in Raid Xtreme (4x4) and over 45 in Raid Xtreme (Motorcycles and Motoquads). Raid Adventure will have 70 teams from across the country.
The Raid will begin from Shimla and will be flagged off by Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh. It will traverse the difficult stretches of Kaza and the Monastery Necklace, Khardung La and Wari La, and the temperamental Nubra Valley. It will draw to a close at Leh.
The Raid is organized by the premier Shimla-based motorsport club, Himalayan Motorsport.