Former Production World Rally Championship winner Karamjit Singh feels that the rallying in India is not in the best of shape.

"Rallying is dead," Karamjit said on the sidelines of the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix. "The standard of competition could be far better. Basically, you need to have good rally cars and not the ones that are used today.
The Indian National Rally Championship drivers use road cars and that is not a good sign," he added.

"A country like China will have over 100 entries for their National Championship, which is phenomenal. And the cars some of them use are Subaru Imprezas and Mitsubishi Evos," he noted.

Karamjit, who now drives in the Malaysian championship with Jagdev Singh for his team Karamjit Motorsport, feels that India should not have banned foreign drivers participating in the INRC. "That was not a good move," he felt.

The Malaysian, who was feared in the rallying world during his heydays, said he enjoyed driving in India for JK Tyres.

"I have some fond memories of driving in the INRC in the 1999 season. It used to be fun. There was a healthy competition even within the team," he said.

Asked what he thought of India's VR Naren Kumar, who will drive in the 2008 PWRC, Karamjit said: "There will be a lot to learn because the best will drive in the PWRC. But I wish him all the best and hope he will do well."

Replying to a question about the talented and young Gaurav Singh Gill, Karamjit said: "He has to get more exposure at the international level. Rallying at the world level is not so easy.

"He should get more used to slower cars than the Evo IXs and then go for the more powerful cars," he felt.