The 6th Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare concluded its thrilling journey after covering
over 2000kms in a span of five days. Dakshin Dare, which is one of the most prominent
events in the Indian motorsports circuit, made its way through picturesque Northern
Karnataka for the first time ever, traversing through South India’s most exotic
locations like Tumkur, Hiriyur, Chitradurga, Bellary, Hospet, Hampi, Koppal, Hubli
and Karwar.
On the 5th and final day, Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare 2014 made its way towards the
west coast driving through the beautiful countryside to finally reach Goa. On their
way to the Arabian, stood the final Windmill leg of the rally- the last chance for
the drivers to win the coveted competition. The four stages of the day were set
in the hills of Koppal district which formed a scenic route, with dense clouds cover
while the cars brought in the thunder. A dirt track running up and down the slopes
with gravel and slushy corners made for the ultimate adrenaline pumping finale.
Altogether the drivers drove a total distance of 500 kms across the four stages
bringing the final day to an exciting end.
The top honours for the entire rally went to Team Maruti’s Sandeep Sharma and Varun
Davessar in the extreme category registering a total time of 3:41:26, in their Maruti
Gypsy. Sanjay Agarwal and Venu Ramesh Kumar also from Team Maruti, driving a Maruti
Gypsy, kept their momentum going to retain their second spot with a time of 3:42:49.
Defending champion of Dakshin Dare 2013, Amanpreet Ahluwalia and Sudeep Halder displayed
exemplary driving skills and determination to finish the rally at 3rd position with
a time of 3:44:56, after being 8th on the second day. Suresh Rana a legend in the
motoring circuit continued to push his Maruti Gypsy, to finish fourth with a total
time of 3:47:01.
In the Extreme Bike category, Mohit Verma edged out Nataraj to grab the first place
finishing the rally with the overall time of 3:29:15. The defending champion of
2013, Nataraj (3:33:30) and Pramod Joshua (3:35:37) stood second and third respectively.
Team Maruti drivers Karthick Maruti and Sankar Anand driving Maruti Suzuki’s latest
hot seller Ertiga came first in Endurance category with a total penalty time of
just 2:13. The second spot went to Sachin Singh and Prathima who finished with a
penalty time of 2:51. Again in third place were Ganesh Moorthy and T Nagarajan of
Team Maruti finishing at 3:10.
After a challenging and enthralling five day battle, the final winners were announced
during the closing ceremony held in Goa on the 10th of August. Speaking on the successful
completion of the rally Mr. Manohar Bhatt, Vice President, Marketing, Maruti Suzuki
said, “The rally touched new heights with the new route throwing up unexpected and
daunting challenges. The skill and the spirit showcased by the participants has
been exemplary. It’s great to see the Maruti Suzuki teams being on the podium positions
in both Extreme and Endurance categories. It’s a testament to the fact that Maruti
vehicles are suitable for any kind of terrain and can come out on top each time.
We hope to see next year’s Dakshin Dare to raise the bar higher.”
Final Results:
Extreme Cars: Sandeep Sharma/Varun Davessar (3:41:26), Sanjay Agarwal/Venu
Ramesh Kumar (3:42:49), Aman Preeth/Sudeep Halder (3:44:56)
Extreme Bikes: Mohit Verma (3:29:15) ,Nataraj (3:33:30),Pramod
Joshua (3:35:37)
Endurance: Karthick Maruthi/Shankar Anand (2:13), Sachin Singh/Pratima
(2:51), Ganesh Moorthy/Nagarajan (3:10)
About Maruti Suzuki and Motorsport:
Be it a motorsport enthusiast, an amateur or a professional, Maruti Suzuki creates
opportunities for all to experience the thrill and joy of motorsport. The Maruti
Suzuki motorsport calendar is packed with exciting motoring events. For families,
there are events like Women’s Rally and Treasure Hunt throughout the year, across
cities. The Maruti Suzuki Autocross brings action for amateurs and professionals,
together. But what makes the Maruti Suzuki motorsport calendar an attraction in
India (and internationally too), are Maruti-Suzuki Raid-de-Himalaya, Maruti Suzuki
Desert Storm and Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare.
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