Its intricate, volatile routes in its last two editions had generated a lot of interest, but the addition of another 300 km (from 1800 km to 2100 km) and the absence of defending champion Niaz Ali in the Ultimate category are bound to spice up things even more this time around.
The Ultimate category – closed circuit -- has its share of following amidst motor sport enthusiasts and is entertaining, but it’s the Endurance category that most people have their eyes on.
Both categories will be officially flagged off from the Madras Motor Sports Club in Sriperambadur on Monday, and will run side by side right through the course of five days.
However, drivers in the two categories will have to adapt two entirely different styles of driving/riding.
In the Ultimate section, participants will go through 11 closed stages with numerous transport stages in between. There might not be too many close encounters in the Ultimate section’s four-wheeler category, but TVS Racing’s presence in the two-wheeler section will definitely add a dash of fun as team-mates KP Aravind and Pramod Joshua will have to battle each other for the crown.
The task of sticking to racing lines whilst traveling long distances on the transport stage might prove cumbersome and going by the ‘if you survive, you win’ slogan that the Ultimate category participants seem to chant, it seems like a gruelling challenge.
The Endurance race is, however, a far greater test. With routes unknown until the morning of the race, most Endurance drivers looked jittery while preparing their cars, and with good reason.
Endurance terrain
From Chennai to the outskirts of Kerala to Bangalore, the Endurance terrain will pose a big threat to the drivers but if there is one team that can overcome all odds and win without so much as a glitch, it’s Tata racing.
Winner-picking even before the start of the event based on past performances and machine specifications is hazardous, especially given that what the 2100-km stretch holds is anyone’s guess.
