An exhilarating spectacle unfolded, bringing joy to adventure enthusiasts, particularly those who didn’t fancy taking the driver’s seat at Rajapur Hill near Hospet. Visitors from distant locations such as Bangalore, Goa, and Kerala gathered to witness the off-road motor sports event orchestrated by the Motor Sports Academy, Vijayanagar, in collaboration with the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India.
This marked the sixth consecutive year of this adrenaline-pumping event, which owes its success to the relentless dedication of passionate individuals like Santhosh, Darpan Gowda, Rohit Gowda, Ashwin Naik, Musa Sharif, Manjunath, and others. Their efforts have transformed Hospet into a hub for motor sports, adding a new dimension to the region.
The event featured a diverse range of adventures, with a total of 64 vehicles participating in various categories such as Pro Modified Class, Modified Class, Stock Petrol, Diesel Class, Thor Class, Ladies Stock, and Ladies Modified. These robust jeep-type vehicles, each with two contestants on board, attracted a total of 128 participants from both within and outside the state. Notably, each section was carefully tailored to match the vehicle’s power and capacity, demanding participants to showcase their skills, agility, punctuality, and bravery in the face of challenges before an eager audience.
The Pro Modified class, characterized by its challenging course, witnessed substantial investments in vehicles and additional rally-specific enhancements. Participants had to conquer rocky terrain, navigate deep pits, and extricate themselves from these obstacles using their jeep’s extra power and a rope. All this had to be accomplished within a specified time frame, with scores determined based on those who achieved the target within the allotted time.
While the Modified class didn’t entail the same level of extremity, the rugged trails presented a formidable challenge. Contestants had to reach their destination without touching a pre-tied rope, navigating downhill and uphill sections, as well as hairpin turns.
If you venture a bit further along the Sandur road and make a right turn, you’ll arrive at a lush green field. Following the road that meanders through sugarcane, corn, and pepper fields, you’ll reach Rajapur Gate, only four kilometers away. Ascending from there, you’ll find yourself atop the hill, gazing upon the magnificent backwaters of the Tungabhadra River and wind power plants. The spectacle of jeeps conquering such terrain left an indelible impression on the audience.
The 4×4 Off Road Challenge Motor Sports event at Rajapur Hill concluded on Sunday evening, and the Pro Modified Class title was secured by Bijender Singh-Gajender Singh with an impressive 644 points. A total of 64 vehicles participated, and the award ceremony on Sunday night distributed prizes totaling 5.50 lakh among the winners in each category, including 75 thousand for the top performers.
Here are the results in various categories:
Pro Modified Class: Bijender Singh – Gajender Singh (644), M. Ramababu – T. Kumaraswamy (622), Chetan Chengappa – Mayur Bopaiah (580).
Modified Class: Mohammad Fahad-Rajeev Lal (640), Cyril DeMello-Subhash Uthekar (614), Manoj Biradar-Sachin Gadashetti (592).
Modified Petrol Class: Sarjerao Kavade – Vaibhav Shelukar (565), Umesh Rane – Ariya Lad (510), Mahesh Birmane – Kalidas Donagere (454).
Stock Patrol: Krishnakanth S. Saindhav-Ashwin Shinde (750), Pradeep-Sandeep (715), Plaban Patnaik-Shelton Gomes (703).
Diesel Class: Poonachcha PB – Gaurav Ayyappa (725), Vinay Kumar HC – Vikram – Gowda (706), Vaibhav Reddy – Anurag Angol and Appanna BK – Shamanth (689) (tie).
Thor Class: Naveen Puligilla-Giri Babu (759), Vinay H.-Sachin R. (678), Adarsh-Chandramouli (672).
Ladies Stock: Prerna Bhalla-Ravi Bhalla (720).
Ladies Modified: Anvita Aniket – Anilet (160).
