Well now let’s find the gentleman who said India’s is a country of Cricket fanatics, don’t the thunderous appeal at Meassi’s Kolkatta show impress us or the roaring fast bucks made by the F1 circuit prove the point. The popular nature of the country that in diversity we enjoy unity is true within us also. True with diverse interests we maintain unity of spirit. As figures speak the Coffee Day Rally, the fifth round of the Indian National Rally Championship, beginning at Chikmagalur – Karnataka from today and stretched till November 22, will be in collaboration with the Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur. Infact the event attracted an impressive 41 entries headed by a four-car team of MRF. Of which 37 competitors contested the curtain raiser event, today. The curtain raiser on Friday at the premises of Amber Valley School on the outskirts of the city had brought some exhilarating moments to the spectators. People stood spell bound at the thrilling moments of the power show of brands such as Gypsy, Esteem, Baleno, Cedia.
Gypsys received more applause from the spectators, for their speed and ‘acrobatics’. For the first time in the history of the City, a large number of people gathered for a car rally. This is courtesy to the Formula-1 which recently concluded at Noida.
The Coffee Day Rally holds fond memories for Gill who clinched the 2009 championship by winning this event despite being stuck in second gear and it amply compensated for a string of retirements. Of course, he received a little help from team-mate Lohitt Urs who took a three-minute penalty to drop to second place while enabling Gill to finish on top.
The total Distance of the Coffee Day Rally is 505.73 kms of which the liaison distance is 398.73 kms and the Special Stage Distance being 107.00 kms. The entire rally will be run on Gravel/Dirt. The Coffee Day Rally has gone back to the previous year's format of conducting the Rally over 4 days instead of the specified 3 days from this year. The Special Stage will be run in the Amber Valley School on Friday the 18th at 1300 hrs and on 19th and the 20th the stages will be run at Birur and Kadur which are approximately 60 kms from Chickmagalur. The Stages on the 19th start at 0830 hrs and run till 1600 hrs and on 20th start at 0630 hrs and finish at 1200 hrs.
