The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : Mathias takes honours

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 22, 2004

Sport

Sport - Racing : Motor

Mathias takes honours

NEW DELHI, NOV. 21. Team MRF's Vikram Mathias overtook team-mate and overnight leader Karandip Singh to win the overall title for the sixth round of the MRF-Maruti Suzuki rally of the North in the Indian National Rally Championship that concluded at the National Stadium, here on Sunday.

With defending National champion V.R. Naren Kumar out of the fray, the coast is clear for Mathias and co-driver Sujith Kumar with one more round in hand. While Naren still leads the points tally with 44, Mathias' victory here, which fetched him 14 points, has taken his tally to 43.

Mathias' closest rival is Lohit Urs, who finished fastest on the second day and third overall to take his tally to 29.

The 1400cc was won comfortably by championship leader Prithveen Rajan and co-drover B.V.S. Murthy, while Sanjay Agarwal and Anil Wadia maintained their momentum in the Rally Star Cup and Gypsy Cup, respectively, by winning with ease.

Mathias, who trailed Karandip by nine seconds overnight, pulled back two seconds on the first stage itself before conceding one in the second.

Mysore's Lohit Urs, winner of the Chandigarh round, was the fastest today. Urs had finished the first day in sixth position, thanks to car problems in the initial stages, but he was literally flying on the second day and finished 13 seconds ahead of Mathias.

All the drivers praised the dirt tracks that were prepared by the organisers Northern Motorsports, which provided for smooth and fast drives. Of the 34 cars that had entered, only four did not finish. — PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport