Rally enthusiasts from across the country will be converging in Goa for the MRF Rally de Goa slated to be held on the 20th and 21st of September in north Goa. Goa will be hosting the 5th round of the Indian National TSD Rally Championship 2014 with total prize money amounting to over 2.5 lakhs.
Organised by FB Motorsports, MRF Rally de Goa is expected to host over 20 entries for the national championship round, from enthusiasts across cities including teams from Tata Motors, Mahindra and Maruti Suzuki. Classes include Pro Expert, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Ladies.
To encourage local, budding, motor sport enthusiasts, a local TSD event will run simultaneously along with the national rally. Classes include, Couples Class, Ladies Class and Open Class.
Regularity rallying, also known as TSD rallying (Time, Speed, Distance), is a form of motor sport usually conducted on public roads but sometimes including off road and track sections. The object of these rallies is to maintain precise times and precise average speeds on various segments of a predefined route. Each team usually consists of a driver and navigator. Teams usually start a regularity rally at fixed intervals creating a field that is spread along the route.
Farad Bhathena of FM Motorsports who is spearheading the initiative of bringing TSD rallies to Goa is a well known rally driver having competed in over 200 rallies and races in India and South East Asia. A three time National Rally Champion and multiple winner of the iconic Great Himalayan Desert Rallies, BBC Top Gear has rated him as amongst the 10 best drivers ever in the country. Farad Bhathena, FB Motorsports, said, “This event is one of our many efforts to encourage and groom drivers to maintain safety, control and to sharpen their skills, as well as to imbibe navigational skills. Thanks to MRF, IMG, Nazri Resort, Manipal Hospital and the Government of Goa for the support given to us. FB Motorsports hopes to bring many such national and international motor sporting events to Goa in the future”.
Keith D’Souza, Organizing Committee, Rally de Goa added, “There is a lot of interest in Regularity rallying among enthusiasts in Goa. Simultaneously with the National event, we are also running a local TSD event, open only to residents of Goa, and we hope to receive many entries from the budding motor sport enthusiasts in our state”.
TSD rallies are run on public roads, in normal cars, at speeds that are at or below the legal limit for that road section of road. Most of the roads are dirt or gravel back roads, but are chosen carefully.
MRF Rally de Goa is supported by MRF, IMG, Nazri Resorts and Manipal Hospital.
