Flat Out

The Sixth Iteration Of The Valley Run Saw A Huge Turn Up Of 475 Participants. Time To Smoke Some Tyres, And A Record Or Two

- Janak Sorap

The distance is a quarter mile, 402 metres to be precise. What happens in those mere 15 seconds after the Christmas tree lights up green, is a result of the countless number of hours and dedication that people have invested to make their machine faster. You’ve got one shot at it, and any mistake will cost precious seconds, which will lessen your chances of making it to the top of the competition. Welcome to the fast-paced sport of drag racing. Held at the Aamby valley airstrip in Lonavala, ‘The Valley Run’ is an annual drag race event organised by Elite Octane that witnesses the participation of tricked-out cars and bikes across the country. It is a weekend when an otherwise serene township wakes up to high-revving engines, screeching tyres and race-tuned exhausts.

There were outright sports cars going up against tuner cars, while performance sedans were competing against SUVs. Everything here is about the pursuit of clocking the fastest time. There were also highly tuned smaller displacement motorcycles that gave a few stock superbikes a proper run for their money. In short, there was never a dull moment over the three-day event at The Valley Run.