After having won the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) in China Sunday, Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) and reigning National Champion Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) will headline a field of 30 entries in the Karnataka-1000, the fourth round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), to be run near Tumkur this weekend.
While Gill would be in a modified Mahindra XUV 500 and competing in the SUV class that is outside the INRC, Ghosh, unbeaten this season, will be in a Group N spec Mitsubishi Lancer Cedia.
Also in the fray is former World Rally Champion (production class) Karamjit Singh, who will be piloting a factory-prepared Volkswagen Polo in the Indian Rally Championship (IRC) class that is also being run concurrently with the INRC.
The final entry list would be finalised only late tonight, according to Clerk-of-the-Course (CoC) Praneeth Perumal, who addressed the media here Tuesday.
For the first time in 39 years, the K-1000 is being run in November as against August while the three physical Special Stages that would be run thrice, are located about 90 km from the city, along the Bangalore-Pune National Highway, according to Perumal.
"Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) has contributed extensively towards nurturing and developing motorsports in Karnataka. Many champions have emerged from its stable of riders and drivers and this was possible only by the constant endeavour by the club to promote the sport," said KMSC president Bharat Raj, whose company India Mines Group is the main sponsor.
"The total distance of the rally is 562.48 km of which 111.11 km comprise the Special Stages and the rest, liaison distance. Two of the three Special Stages are 14.5 km and the third is 7.32 km," said Perumal.
Competitors Vikram Devadasen, Rahul Kanthraj and Lohitt Urs said they were looking forward to the event especially since all the three Stages were being run for the first time while the third Stage in the India Mines property was last run a decade ago.
"Since none of us have driven on the three Stages, we all are looking forward to the Rally. I expect the Mines stage to be very challenging," said Urs, echoing the views of his fellow-competitors.
The entrants will be doing a reconnaissance run of the three Stages Friday morning before heading back to city for a ceremonial start in the evening at the Mantri Mall. The Stages will be run Saturday and Sunday.
