Team MRF’s moment of glory

By George Francis

Nashik, 6 June 1999: Red Thunder (Team MRF Tyres) struck terror again in Nashik, taking with it the first three placings in the Cars and Motorcycles Overall category, to beat the challenge out of the Yellows (JK Tyres Rally Team). Team MRF, bitten by a miserable performance in the EMSA Wild Run Rally, 1999, took the NASA Challenge seriously, to secure the championship point they very much needed, to bid for the 1999 Castrol National Rally Championship for Cars and Motorcycles.

Leelakrishnan and navigator Farooq Ahmed won the rally followed by teammates Sagar Muthappa and Sandeep Rao in second and Vijayant Choudhari and MK Chander in third.

Tuners are the kings behind in the world of Rallying or Racing. They are the unsung Heroes. The JK Tyres Rally Team, who have imported tuners like Brian Palmer and Patrick Roert (British) and Abdul Gani and Noor Sha Ali, the skilled Chinese Malaysian Mechanics, and who sport Vicky Chandhok, Mohinder Lalwani and PD Satyanarayanan from India found the MRF juggernaut tough to beat once again. The team MRF had not prepared perfectly in the earlier leg of cars in the National Championship at the EMSA Wild Run Rally, Calcutta, was clear the way the cars were ship shape for NASA.

Brian Palmer, the `Suspension Specialist’ for JK Tyre Rally Team, is the ex-Technical Director of Proton World Rally Team and Ralliart World Rally Team and operates from Malaysia as part of Palmer Motorsport Inc.

On the other hand, N Leelakrishnan, the home-grown hero tunes the team MRF Group A (modified) cars and ace circuit racer and automobile manufacturer J Anand tunes the Group N (Unmodified) cars. Their bunch of mechanics are from Coimbatore and are hard working, with support from Mr Murali of MRF Limited.

On the two-wheeler front, the story is different. The bikers who ride from MRF Limited are sponsored by MRF, but technical expertise comes from Team TVS Suzuki and Team Escorts Yamaha and Zen Rallying known as the lesser-privileged rallyists, it is these bikers who provide the thrills for the common man, who identifies with them.

Rajaram and Jayaram are two TVS Suzuki tuners, who have been in Indian Rallying for the past 10 to 15 years. Sekhar Bojana of Down Town Works, Bangalore and Chennai, the `Escorts money bad manager’ from Delhi and their team put together the Pacer Yamaha Team last year, and have now christened the Team Escorts Yamaha. Team Zen Rallying run by Krishnamurthy and Praneeth Perumal, two confirmed Bachelors who were school-time friends are the saviours of the poorer souls in Indian Motorcycle rallying and racing. If you have a Suzuki bike and loves rallying or racing are are sure of your performance levels, walk into Zen Motors and meet Krishnamurtehy or Praneeth. Most probably they would give you basic support for your machine in any rally. It is said that Zen Rallying do not get free spares from TVS Suzuki, but are crazy about the sport and the up and coming rider. Then comes the tuning outfit of a four-wheeler driver from Hyderabad, Nihar Mody, who is part sponsored by JK Industries Limited. A truck carries all his spares, tools, mechanics? and what not. And the car, to whereever he rallies, pitches tents and slogs until the rally is won or lost. A highly professional outfit managed by Dr Rao (he is better treating cars than human beings) and his team, Nihar could never ask for a better deal.

The 258km of canal embankment roads cracked the wits out of the 19 dare devils in the cars and 42 solo motorcyclists, in one of the radically different routes ever set in Indian Rallying. One could not believe the shockingly narrow route set by the Nashik Automotive Sports Association (NASA) officials. Of course, two wheeler riders revealed as they had only two wheels to bother about, while the four wheeler driver shivered to let their four wheels pass over such a narrow embankment roads. The fear was reasonable, for, it one went off the road, they would land into four feet deep water in the canal on one side or roll down 10 feet on the other side on the dry ground, generally spread with grass.

“I was mentioning to one of the competitors Dicky Gill that four feet is okay if the car landed. Imagine if we rolled upside down,” Dicky feared to vision up.

On June 2, NASA conducted the now compulsory organised Recee for the competitors. The trial run across the canal embankments, spelt `Fear’ for the `adventure seekers’, who were shocked at the sheer prospect of taming these roads at rally speeds of 120kmph at times. The discussion with the rallyists ater the recee gave the feelings that the number of dropouts would be high.

On June 3, he pre-event scrutiny on the competing vehicles was done and the drivers briefing and press conference was held. The Tuners of the MRF and JK Cars were working hard on their cmpeting cars, as Team Escorts Yamaha, Team Suzuki and Team Zen tuned up their motorcycles for the ensuing competition.

The Motorcycles were running the first rally fo the 1999 season, while the cars had already run the EMSA Wild Run Rally in Calcutta in April.

Team MRF Tyres had four Group A, three Group N cars and four Group C (modified) bikes. Team JK Tyres was next with two Group A cars, three Group N cars and one partly sponsored Group N Car. Team Escorts Yamaha supported two Group C and two Group D bikes. Team TVS Suzuki supported two GRoup C Shoghuns and one Group C Shaolin. Team Chettinad sporting brought in three Group N cars and Team Zen Rallying had a battalion o bikers, supporting them in tuning and spares. There were hardly four cars without sponsorship, but at least 28 bikers without any sponsor wanting to challenge the NASA terrain and the sponsored teams.

There were two motor Sporting families one competing and the other officiating. The Patel family from Mumbai had father Kersi Patel and sons Zubin and Rustom competing on bikes. The Bathena family from Mumbai had father Darayus and his wife and sons Farad and Zoru officiating and of course daughter Nava was competing under Team Chettinad banner.

It is interesting to ntoe that the entire route where the NASA ran, is land that belonged to the Department of Irrigation, Maharashtra, who had given them permission to run the event, despite a Dam in the areas. Further, `hats-off’ to NASA, they proved that if there is a will, there is a way, literally. With Castrol India Limited walking out of the individual rally sponsorship scene, the onus was on NASA to run the event with other sponsors, or pull out of the National Championship. “We wanted to stay in the Castrol National Rally Championship for cars and motorcycles and that is why we are running the NASA Challenge, even though there are no sponsors,” said Shekhar, one of the NASA Officials. “We are thankful to Janalakshmi Co-operative Bank, who gave us Rs.6lakhs loan without interest for a year to run the rally. We have to now earn from sponsorship of other smaller events and repay. Our FDs and our Goodwill are our security,” quipped Hoshi Patel, the top boss of NASA, who proved they coud run a well-organised rally even without a sponsor.

On June 3, at 7.01am, the first bike, Rohitaaz Kumar of Team MRF took the starters flag at Sai Palace Hotel on the Mumbai Agra highway. Kudos to Sai Palace, who gave excellent support to NASA to take care of all the rallyists who stayed in the same hotel and where all the official meetings and Prize Distribution were held.

One after the other, the bikes left in one minute intervals followed by a break of an hour between bikes and cars. Manik Raikhy of Team JK Tyre was the first car to be flagged off followed by others in two minute intervals. It was shocking to note that the 1998 winner Zubin Patel (bikes) and N Leelakrishnan (cars) were not flagged off first, which is a customary practice.

It was a treat to watch the two wheelers weaving through the forests on the tank bund at hectic speeds, but when the cars appeared the were disappointingly slow.

The route was very  simple. There were five special stages to be run thrice in the same direction (read boring) on the Nashik to Walkhed part of Mumbai-Agra highway. The rallyists went on the highway up to Khatwad where they turned right and did the first stage  a loop back to the highway and crossed the hghway to the left side where they did stages 2 to 5, before rejoining the highway at Walkhed. It was at the finish of the Stage 1 that the SErvice Park was set up, a common feature in modern Indian rallying. There was a regroup halt after every trip round the five stages. The Petrol pump Saptashrungi Highway services at Nashik-Dindoni road owned by  Mr Thakur had closed their daily operations to support the rally. Speaks for his interest in motor sport and NASA’s goodwill.

When we were at the stages, we realised that why the stages were scary. Narrow canal roads with no run-off areas, were frightening. One wondered the predicament of the car drivers as they drove their machines through these life-or-death roads. The first casualty was three bikes and the Chettinad Sporting car of Sam Katgara and Neville Poonawala of Mumbai. Sam misjudged a corner, went off the canal road, down the slope and crashed a tree and landed. Thank God, the roll cage saved them. As for the motorcycles, two of them did not start the stage and the third retired with minor problems to his bike. Paritosh Kohok, 1998 Castrol Natioinal Rally Motorcycles Group D champion, now on a Group D bike crashed with no injury. The Nashik lad is getting used to a more powerful bike and once he settles down should be a force to reckon with.

The rally proceeded further. Manik Raikhy had climbed an electric pole while testing his Esteem and rendered Nashik powerless for 10 minutes on June 3. The rally proceeded further and then came the shocking news of Naren Kumar of Team MRF and Hari Singh of JK Tyre had pulled out and Amol Talpade (bikes) and many more `also rans’. Whenever the cars or bikes reached the service park, it was a treat to watch the mechanics work. Said Vicky Chandhok, Chief Tuner for JK Tyres Rally  team. “Hari had  lost time in the first stages and was going for it. He made 59 seconds in the 11th stage and misjudged a turn and crashed, the second crash in his career of 10 years.” The first was MASA 1994, when his brakes failed and crashed.

By the time the rally was over, there were 14 finishers in cars and 30 motorcycles. The NASA Chalenge routes were the best for bikes, while being very unsafe for cars.

Team MRF Limited proved that their 1998 run to the Championship was not a joke and took the top three placings in cars and motorcycles. Team Escorts Yamaha, won the top spot in Overall, Group C an Group D for the first time. “It was my mistake,” said Zubin. “I eased out in the beginning and tried to make time later and had a flip and so finished three seconds behind,” he added. He finished behind Rohitaaz who was astride a Yamaha.

The championship points for the Castrol National Rally Championship are interestingly poised as JK and MRF are even in Overall, Group A and Group N points. The Bikes of course have run only one round and Team MRF leads overall, Group C and Escorts entered in Group D.                        

On June 6, the post-event scrutiny and Prize Distribution were held at  Sai Palace. Pradeep Mhaskar, Clerk of the Course, for the first time in Indian Rallying pointed out the lethargy in competitors filling up entry forms. A press release given out by the Team MRF Limited did not speak about their bikers and proved the old saying that bikers are the `nobodys’ in Indian rallying. The JK Press Release appeared a bit more professional.

In the Prize Distribution, Manik Raikhy and Vivek Ponnuswamy (JK) gave up their prize monies to NASA as a gesture to a club running a National event without sponsors. Kudos to NASA who gave prize monies, though running without a sponsor.

With the NASA Challenge 99 won by few and lost by many, we spoke to the tuners who ensure performance. The Group N tuners for the MRF Limited, J Anand said: “The new FIA regulations format had made the cars much slower. Stock radiators and cylinders, give us very little for our imagination.”

“We were well prepared and the results prove that, said Leelakrishnan, the overall winner and Tuner of MRF Group A cars. The Escorts Yamaha team fizzing champaigne for the first time, pucking up an overall, Group C and Group D victory in the rally said: We are very serious about our efforts now and you will see the scenario changing soon.”

The Castrol National Rally Championship for cars and motorcycles is any ones for the taking today. The South India Rally 1999 at Chennai in July, the favourite of JK Rally Team and the headquarters of MRF Limited and TVS Suzuki will be the focus. Whoever takes the early lead, will be less tense for the rest of the season.

Provisional Results:

Overall Cars: 1. N Leelakrishnan/ Farooq Ahmed (Team MRF) (1hour, 55min, 42sec); 2. B Sagar Muthappa/ Sandeep Rao (Team MRF) (1:57:07); 3. Vijayant Choudhari/ MK Chander (Team MRF) (2:00:13); 4. PG Abhilash/ Jeff PG (Chettinad Sporting) (2:01:41); 5. Nikhil Taneja/ Musa Sherif (JK Tyres) (2:01:52).

Cars, Group A Modified: 1.  N Leelakrishnan/ Farooq Ahmed (Team MRF) (1:55:42); 2. Manik Raikhy/ Vivekanandan P (JK Tyres) (2:10:33).

Cars, Group N Unmodified: 1. B Sagar Muthappa/ Sandeep Rao (Team MRF) (1:57:07); 2. Vijayant Choudhari/ MK Chander (Team MRF) (2:00:13); 3. PG Abhilash/ Jeff PG (Chettinad Sporting) (2:01:41); 4. Nikhil Taneja/ Musa Sherif (JK Tyres) (2:01:52); 5. BS Pruthvi/ Shivu Shivappa (JK Tyres) (2:03:43).

Motorcycle Results:

Overall: 1. Rohitaaz Kumar (Team MRF) (1hr, 53min, 35sec); 2. Zubin Patel (Team MRF) (1:53:38); 3. K Prasad (Team MRF) (1: 53:50); 4. Nipender Jessy (Escorts Yamaha) (1:54:11); 5. Amarinder Sandhu (Team MRF) (1:55:07).

Group C: 1. Rohitaaz Kumar (Team MRF) (1:53:35); 2. Zubin Patel (Team MRF) (1:53:38); 3. K Prasad (Team MRF) (1: 53:50); 4. Nipender Jessy (Escorts Yamaha) (1:54:11); 5. Amarinder Sandhu (Team MRF) (1:55:07).

Group D: 1. G PRasad (Escorts Yamaha) (2:05:40); 2. Kunal Singh (TVS Suzuki) (2:08:03); 3. Rohan Rego (TVS Suzuki) (2:09:36); 4. Rustom Patel (TVS Suzuki) (2:10:51); 5. K Amit Kumar (TVS Suzuki) (2:12:02).

Novice class: 1. Nipender Jessy (Escorts Yamaha) (1:54:11); 2. SP Chinappa (TVS Suzuki) (2;04:13); 3. Akash Ithal (TVS Suzuki) (2:04:47); 4. G PRasad (Escorts Yamaha) (2:05:40); 5. Rohan Rego (TVS Suzuki) (2:09:36).

 ends/updated from old archives to support INRC winners: Hall of Fame