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The dusty curve
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The Rally Cross held at the Palace Grounds went off well despite budgetary constraints
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Racing buffs had the time of their life at Bangalore's Rally Cross held for the first time under floodlights at the Palace Grounds.
IN EVERY field of sport, there are some die-hard enthusiasts who live, breathe, and swear by the game. Motor racing too has its own aficionados and the numbers are growing as evident in the rising popularity of the sport. Some months ago, the Speed Run drew huge crowds as curious spectators flocked to the Jakkur Aerodrome to catch a glimpse of foreign sports cars. Last Sunday, a fair gathering turned up at the Palace Grounds to witness the first ever Rally Cross run under floodlights.
The Rally Cross 2004 was not a new event. It has been staged twice earlier, but the third edition had a number of "firsts" to its credit. For the bikers, the organisers introduced an expert class and a foreign class for the first time. With the sun reaching its peak, the organisers felt it was appropriate to run the event in the cooler evening and under lights.
With a large number of entries, the organisers were forced to conduct elimination rounds in the morning session. And to pep up the entertainment for the spectators, a rock band, Atma, was commissioned to provide the music between events as well as after the prize distribution.
The Rally Cross was based on the lines of the competition held at Langley Park, Australia. A 1.5 km track was designed to allow two competitors a face off on separate tracks. One of the participants had to race over a specially constructed bridge and the other had to take the track under the bridge. In the next lap, the tracks interchanged so that the drivers faced the same track conditions. Spectator galleries were constructed around the tracks so that the crowd had a good view of the progress of the race.
There were some pitfalls before the event. The whole show had a budget of around Rs. 7 lakh.
Sponsors were hard to come by. Thanks to the largesse of the Shamrao Vittal Co-operative Bank, Hot Tracks, Essentially Metal, and Valliappa Logo Textiles, the event got the green signal. Enthusiasts such as Jaidas Menon, Sujit, and Deepak Jouhari chipped in with their contributions to make the event a success.
The event had a mix of thrilling as well as tepid moments. The two-wheeler riders showed a bit of flair and panache as they revved up their engines over the bridge and while taking the dusty curves. Competition was intense and the finishes close. Some of the cars too looked impressive when literally flying over the bridge. However, some of the participants looked as if they were involved in a drag meet on Brigade Road. Some even looked as if they were appearing for a driver's licence test. Anyhow, it was the spirit of participating and making up the numbers that mattered.
A word about the lady drivers: unless there are more women in cars willing to take the risk, spectators will continue to see the same few faces.
D. RAVI SHANKAR
Photos: K. Bhagya Prakash
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