Day two of the 2015 Dakshin Dare Rally concluded in a nail biting finish between the competitors as they passed through the hilly terrains of Kapat Hill, located in the Gadag district of Karnataka. Through the winding trails, the rally proceeded towards Hubli covering a total distance of around 400 km. The rally took place in two legs in different Kapat Guda stages.
The chilly weather and gravel roads full of difficult twists and turns made it challenging for the drivers to manoeuver their vehicles. Sandeep Sharma and Karan Arya driving for Maruti Suzuki in the Extreme Car category took top honours in their Maruti Gypsy with a time of of 2:35:06.
Samrat Yadav and Gaurav came a close second covering the distance in 2:39:23. Manali man and multiple Raid de Himalaya champion Suresh Rana along with his navigator Parminder gained one spot over the day, clocking the distance in 2:42:10 in their Maruti Gypsy.
In the extreme bike category, Arvind K P maintained his lead covering the distance in 2:23:51, followed by Natraj who maintained his second position. Abdul Wahid grabbed the third position by covering the distance in 2:37:24. Among the women participants, Bani Yadav, Harshita Gowda and Anu Rana have been challenging each other.
Talking about his experience of the rally so far, Sandeep Sharma said, “I have tried my best to keep my lead in the rally and I feel that if I continue to do so, the trophy could be mine. This year’s route is quite tricky especially with the uneven terrain and hairpin turns. All these factors make it difficult to manoeuvre the car but that is where the thrill of a motorsport event comes from. The competition is also fairly tough as a lot of the drivers are experienced and confident with their vehicles so I’m making an effort to maintain my place in the rally”
In the endurance category, Dilip Jain along with his team mate Chandra Shekhar and Ganesh Moorthy along with Nagarajan continued their dice throughout the day. At the end, Subhir Roy along with Nirav Mehta managed to beat the two drivers.
The rallyists will be traveling through the iconic Tungabhadra canal stage tomorrow with a mesmerising views alongside.
2015 Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare
Day 2 Results:
Ultimate Cars:
1. Sandeep Sharma/Karan Arya (Team Maruti) – 2:35:06
2. Samrat Yadav/Gaurav – 2:39:23
3. Suresh Rana/Parminder – 2:42:10
Ultimate Bikes:
1. Arvind K P – 2:23:51
2. Natraj – 2:31:15
3. Abdul Wahid – 2:37:24
Endurance Cars (TSD):
1. Subhir Roy/Nirav Mehta (Team Maruti) Penalty: 1 minute 48 seconds
2. Dilip Jain/Chandra Shekhar Penalty: 1 minute 53 seconds
3. Ganesh Moorthy/Nagarajan (Team Maruti) Penalty: 1 minute 57 seconds