The FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021 got rolling with a ceremonial flag-off of the Rally of Coimbatore here on Friday while leading competitors put their seal of approval of the Special Stages that will be run over two days from Saturday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) T Senthil Kumar flagged off the Rally, orgainsed by the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club, which is also the first round of the 2021 National championship promoted by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) with MRF Tyres as the Associate Sponsor.
Earlier, at the pre-event Press Conference attended by select competitors, National champion Gaurav Gill, who is aiming for his eighth title, echoed the views of fellow competitors by describing the Special Stages as “twisty and tricky with some flowing corners and fast stretches”.
The event, which comprises of 120 Kms of Special Stages, has attracted 57 entries in the five National championship categories – INRC, INRC-2, INRC-3, INRC-4 and the Junior INRC.
Gill, the three times FIA Asia Pacific Rally champion and Arjuna Award winner, said: “It was a long break (due to the pandemic) for all of us and it is good to be here as rallying is what we love to do. The terrain is not the typical Coimbatore stages.
“The surface is slippery and it could be difficult to generate traction. So, it is important to keep the right momentum as it will be no walk in the park.” His experienced co-driver Musa Sherif, competing in his 294th Rally, agreed and said: “I had to write 95 pages of notes. The calling has to be precise.”
Sahil Khanna, the 2020 INRC-2 champion, said: “The stages are nice and tricky at the same time. So co-ordination with navigator is very important.”
Expressing his views, last season’s INRC-3 winner, Fabid Ahmer said: “The stages are smooth and good. I like them, but mistakes will be punished severely.”
Reigning INRC-4 champion, Vaibhav Marathe, agreed with the views expressed by the fellow-competitors and said: “I have some updates to my Honda City prepared by Chettinadu Racing and I am looking forward to the rally.”