Gaurav Gill set to fire in Rally of Arunachal

Itanagar: Country’s top rallyist Gaurav Gill will be hoping to inch closer to his sixth national title as the ‘Rally of Arunachal’, Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI (Federation of Motor Sports Club of India) Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2018, unfolds here on Saturday.

The ceremonial flag-off was done by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu here on Friday in presence of other dignitaries.

Gill, the Team Mahindra Adventure spearhead, who won the gruelling Dakshin Dare Rally last month, has been in imperious form through the season, winning the first two rounds with consummate ease.

Along with his trusted co-driver Musa Sherif, Gill is expected to thrill the local crowds with his speed and daredevilry behind the wheel. He will have to keep his eye on his team-mate Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik), though, who will be aiming to upstage him.

Ghosh is currently in the second position and has been driving a lot more assuredly, even though he had to drop out of contention in the Dakshin Dare Rally owing to vehicle malfunction.

Team Mahindra Adventure will be wary of Arka Motorsports' Karna Kadur, who is likely to enjoy a slight edge over the tarmac stretches.

Kadur has a new driver by his side, PVS Murthy, and is leading the charts in the INRC 2 category. He is third behind Gill and Ghosh in the overall championship standings. His team-mate Rahul Kanthraj (co-driver Vivek Y Bhatt) is also a strong contender, currently holding the second position in the INRC 2 category.

Aroor Vikram Rao (co-driver Somayya AG) is leading the INRC 3 category and he will be keen to consolidate his position in the picturesque locals of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Rally of Arunachal will cover a total distance of 135.92 kilometres, with total of 100.10 kilometres earmarked for seven special stages.

Altogether 16 rallyists are participating in the event.