JOIN USBengaluru-lad CS Santosh impressed with a second-placed finish at the India Baja 2018 – the only 'Dakar Challenge' rally in the country on Sunday.
Spain's Lorenzo Santolino of TVS Racing won the Moto category making it a 1-3 finish for the Hosur-based team after Mysuru's Abdul Wahid Tanveer came in behind Santosh.
Victory gave the TVS rider an entry into the iconic Dakar Rally for 2020 and a complimentary pass for the 2019 Merzouga Rally.
The final leg of the rally resumed action in the Golden City of Jaisalmer where the Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider arrived at the finish ramp at Majid ki Basti, maintaining the team's 100 percent finish record at the India Baja.
After completing the 274-km run across Jaisalmer, it was time to mark yet another milestone finish for the factory rally team. The closing stage of the rally went rather smooth compared to the fast-paced first day as the competitors had to tackle a hard pack terrain due to heavy rain the previous night.
Santosh said, "I am glad to cross the finish line of India Baja to be on the podium after a tough race with great competition and challenging weather conditions. This is the first race on home soil where I am walking away healthy in the past three years and that is a big positive I take forward going into the final months before Dakar."