The routes were tricky and it did test the skills of the drivers but they managed it with aplomb in the recently concluded 16th Chander Memorial Rally here.
Organised by the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC), the rally run on a time, speed and distance (TSD) format saw 27 cars in fray. Of the 27, eight took part in the Pro Expert class, nine in Pro Stock and the rest in novice category.
A TSD Rally is a test of precision navigation and driving skills. Competitors are expected to maintain specified time and speed throughout the rally and, with it, also follow all road regulations.
Fast-running competitors earn twice the penalty of those running late. And the perfectly-timed competitors walk away with zero penalty.
There are time and passage controls placed at undisclosed locations to make it challenging for the participants.
The competitors also cannot afford to miss any route and take wrong routes. This will lead to excessive penalties and change their position dramatically.
The rally, which was flagged off by K.R. Mathurasekaran, the Coimbatore Chief Judicial Magistrate from the National Model School, passed through various villages before finishing at Sithanaickenpalayam. And, the first car rolled in at 12.30 p.m.
The good news is the rally, despite the big challenges it had, did not witness any untoward incidents.
The organisers made sure the route was interesting for the competitors. They had tricky time controls that not only tested the drivers but also the navigators.
The competitors enjoyed their drive as well.
“We had no issues in navigation as the tulip charts were very accurate. There was lots of work but we enjoyed every bit,” said Erode veteran Karthick Maruthi, who finished on top in the Pro Expert class.
“It was a very good event with some tricky routes. CASC events are always well organised and the ideal speeds are quite appropriate to the terrain,” said T. Nagarajan, Maruthi’s navigator.
“We enjoyed all the way,” said T. Arumugam, a Coimbatore participant.