Hard-Fought Tarmac Glory

Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif’s elimination in the penultimate stage gave Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik the ultimate opportunity to secure a win for team Mahindra Adventure in the Rally of Arunachal.

- Divyank Kushagra Bansal

It was Arunachal Pradesh’s turn to play host to round three of the 2018 Indian National Rally Championship (INRC). Termed as the Rally of Arunachal, the two-day round gave spectators a one-of-a-kind opportunity to witness the kings of gravel and muddy terrain showcase their skills on tarmac, which was indeed a first for any round of the INRC yet. With this unique aspect, the overall setup of round three was straightforward – Seven Special Stages (SS1-SS7) spread across two days with each one running a distance of 14.30km on a winding patch of National Highway 415, between Itanagar and Hollongi. Continuing with the usual modus operandi, the competitors were divided into three vehicle classes – INRC 1, 2 and 3. The rally was flagged off on 2nd November 2018 in the presence of the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Mr Pema Khandu.