Sweeps top positions in the first round of Indian National Rally Championship 2017
July 31, 2017, Mumbai: Mahindra Adventure’s Super XUV 500 triumphed at the ‘Rally of Coimbatore 2017’, the first round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) held at Coimbatore. Mahindra Adventure claimed the 1st & 3rd position in this round, starting the INRC’s 2017 season on a high note.
The diesel powered Mahindra Adventure Super XUV 500 driven by two-time APRC (Asia Pacific Rally Championship) champion Gaurav Gill (co- driver Musa Sherif) took the top honors at the ‘Rally of Coimbatore’. They dominated the rally right from the start and maintained their lead to win the top position in 1 minute 33 seconds ahead of runner up Karna Kudur. While team- mate, Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) in their Super XUV 500, winners from last year, also had an amazing run despite a flat tyre in the second stage.
The competition was fierce but the rally prepared XUV500s along with their drivers proved unbeatable at the INRC class thus resulting in a double win for Mahindra Adventure Rally team.
The MRF Rally of Coimbatore 2017 is the 1st round of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2017, which runs in compliance with the International Sporting Code of the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) and the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). The Coimbatore rally has five special stages (SS1 to SS5) with covers a distance of 74.55 KM and a transport stage 63.22 KM, making it a 133.77 KM gravel surface.
Since entering the Indian Rally Championship in 2013, Mahindra Adventure’s Super XUV 500 has been setting the trails ablaze with 12 outright victories in 18 events.”
In 2013, the team won the Indian National SUV Rally Championship title, followed by the Indian Rally Championship title in 2014, and was the Overall championship winning team in the Indian Rally Championship 2015 and 2016.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Bijoy, Chief- Adventure Initiatives, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, ““The Mahindra Adventure Super XUV 500s proved to be the ones to beat at the Indian National Rally Championship yet again. The way the win was achieved shows how dominant a force the XUV 500 has become in the Indian rally scene. The focus of the team is now on consistent performances in the coming rounds and seal yet another national championship”.
About Mahindra Adventure Initiative
A unique concept to showcase the tough and rugged DNA of Mahindra vehicles, Mahindra Adventure functions as an umbrella brand with a series of adventure and motor sports events organized under its banner.
The Mahindra Adventure calendar comprises a series of experiential marketing events throughout the year such as the popular off-roading event, the Great Escape, several Challenges (sporting events in keeping with the company’s promise of providing adrenaline pumping challenges), Multi-Day Special Escapes, such as the Monastery Escape (10 days), Royal Escape (6 days), Authentic Bhutan (6 days), Authentic Myanmar Thailand (12 days), Spiti Escape(7 days) & Authentic North East Escape(Meghalaya, Assam & Arunachal Pradesh- 10 days) and enters official teams for India’s most popular rallies and motorsport events.
To spread the DNA of off-roading, the Mahindra Adventure team has also recently launched the Mahindra Adventure Off- Road Training Academy in Igatpuri to encourage off-roading amongst the adventure seekers.
Mahindra Adventure Off-road Training Academy is 28-acre facility, India’s first dedicated facility providing a one stop solution to learning everything about a Mahindra 4WD vehicle and how to use it to its full potential. Through this, we hope to leverage the brand’s off-road heritage, showcase the vehicles abilities and give the participants the confidence to explore the limits of the vehicles. Custom-made Mahindra Thars equipped with radio sets are exclusively used as training vehicles at the facility.
Mahindra Adventure’s Extreme Motorsport Program began in 2012, when it first entered the Desert Storm rally with the Super XUV500’s and tasted success at the first attempt itself finishing 3rd on the podium. It is still remembered as the biggest comeback in the history of Indian Motorsport and a modest first step by Mahindra & Mahindra into the world of extreme motorsports. The hall of fame includes:
- First time in the history of Indian Motorsports, a diesel car won an extreme rally with a debut Podium finish at the Desert Story Rally, 2012.
- Winner of Dakshin Rally, 2012
- Podium finish at Mughal Rally, 2012
- Podium 2nd and 3rd at Desert Storm Rally, 2013
- Winner of Indian National Rally Championship, 2013 – SUV Category
- Winner of Desert Storm, 2014
- Becomes first diesel SUV to win the Indian Rally Championship, 2014
- Overall Championship winning team during Indian Rally Championship 2015
- Overall Championship winning team during Indian Rally Championship 2016
About Mahindra
The Mahindra Group is a USD 19 billion federation of companies that enables people to rise through innovative mobility solutions, driving rural prosperity, enhancing urban living, nurturing new businesses and fostering communities. It has a leadership position in utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership in India and is the world’s largest tractor company, by volume. It also enjoys a strong presence in agribusiness, components, commercial vehicles, consulting services, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, steel, aerospace, defence and two wheelers. Headquartered in India, Mahindra employs over 200,000 people across 100 countries.
