Come the monsoon and rally enthusiasts converge to the Western Ghats.
This year too a motley gathering of rallyists — including the scion of a construction group, an apple orchard owner and a lady who walks the higher echelons of a telecom major — will manoeuvre their vehicles over twists and turns in the eighth edition of the Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare, to be run between Bengaluru and Goa, from Sunday onwards.
Aiming for a hat-trick will be Sandeep Sharma and giving him a run for his money and hoping to land his maiden title will be Suresh Rana.
The flag-bearer for the ladies will be Bani Yadav, who has more than held her own in a predominantly male-dominated sport and has clocked the fastest times among both sexes in various rallies.
Speaking of fast times, Sharma — in his Gypsy — had a blistering run to the title the last time around when the event culminated in Hyderabad. “We were the fastest in all the stages and in fact had a lead of eight minutes overall,” he told The Hindu .
Sharma was confident with a touch of caution over his chances this year. “I will be driving the same vehicle for this edition too. But the 1600cc ceiling is off this year, so more powerful vehicles are in the fray. There are a couple of Vitaras that I saw in the entry list. I expect them to give me a tough fight,” said Sharma.
Rana will be hoping that the extra horses under the hood — he will be steering a Vitara — will stand him in good stead in his quest to topple Sharma. “I have come first in my class, but never first overall,” said Rana. “My preparations have been excellent. In fact this is my fourth rally this year.”
Sharma though had the final word. “It is not just about the vehicle, but also about driving styles and how you endure during the whole rally.”
