Karandip-Jaidas win but Leela-Farooq clinch National Championship title
Mangalore, 28 Nov 2001: Karandip Singh and Jaidas Menon conquered the final rally of the 2001 season winning the Coffee Day Action Rally, the eighth and final round of the Motorsports Association of India’s (MAI) Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) which concluded at the Taj Manjuran Hotel, here, on Sunday.
The combination of Chandigarh-Bangalore pair of Singh and Menon, saw that former National champion Leelakrishnan and co-driver Farooq Ahmed, play second fiddle for the final rally in the south, winning the seventh round Overall honours. But the Coimbatore-Chikmagalur duo of Leela and Farooq clinched the National Championship for the year 2001, with Leelakrishnan taking the National title for the sixth time.
Karandip Singh displayed enough speed but was in full control as he ruled the stages in this sea-shore city and put Team MRF on the top pedestal as they won the Coffee Day Action Rally 2001, with ease.
However, the Coimbatore veteran representing MRF regained his National title after a gap of two years. While it is the sixth title for Leelakrishnan, it is the third championship for Farooq Ahmed, who won the National Championship with Leela in 1998 and 1999.
Last year’s Group N champion, Singh, struggled with his Maruti Baleno, whose wheels did not live up to the gruelling test of a rally. In 2000, Karandip, driving a Maruti Esteem, claimed the Group N title but missed the overall championship by a whisker. Both Leelakrishnan and Karandip won two rounds each but Leelakrishnan won on better points. In between, Sagar Muthappa and Sandeep S Rao, won two back-to-back rallies in Coorg and Cochin and threatened to steal the title from Leela and Farooq but had to be content with the runners-up spot in the National Championship with a DNF here following punctures, the same fate that met Leela
The stretch of Subramanya-Bisle ghat road, for about 20km, took a toll on the drivers and proved nemesis to many including the Zero car.
“For five of the eight rounds, I was leading the field, before having to pull out due to car problems. On the two occasions that I managed to finish, I emerged winner,” said Karandip after the Mangalore round, while savouring his victory along with co-driver Jaidas Menon.
Karandip’s first victory came at the K-1000 at Bangalore, where he ruled the dirt tracks and in Mangalore, too, driving a Maruti Esteem, he managed to nurture his car despite a broken drive shaft, and won the rally. “At that point, I did not expect to complete the first leg,” he admitted. However, he lead the rally after the first leg leading Vikram Mathais, who was placed second behind by 14 seconds on Day 1. Karandip did go all out on the second day but was second fastest in the 1400 category, and the Honda Citys were faster but were not in contention for the title as they failed to fiish the first leg.
Provisional Results:
Overall: 1. Karandip Singh/ Jaidas Menon (Team MRF) Esteem (1hour, 43min, 59sec); 2. Vikram Mathias/Sujith Kumar, Esteem (1:44:26); 3. Jagat Nanjappa/ Anita Nanjappa, Esteem (1:45:52); 4. Philipos Mathai/Sudarshan Gowda (1:46:10).
Rally Star Cup: 1. Dr Bikku Babu/Bonnie Thomas, Esteem, (1:48:45); 2. Lohit V Urs/MK Bopanna, Esteem, (1:48:52); 3. Rahul Kantharaj/ Vivek Bhatt, Esteem (1:51:45).
National Championship: Winners: Leelakrishnan/ Farooq Ahmed – 59 points;
2. Sagar Muthappa/ Sandeep S Rao 51 points;
3. Vikram Mathias/ BS Sujith Kumar – 43 points;
4. Karandip Singh/ Jaidas Menon – 31 points;
5. Jagat Nanjappa/ Anita – 29 points.
