An Indian First

16:14

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Rally Raid

CS Santosh becomes the first Indian to finish in top 10 at the Cross-Country Rallies World C’ship

An Indian First (Image Credit: Cristiano)

In the racing circles CS Santosh is widely touted as one of the most talented racers India has ever produced. And he has statistics up his alley to back that claim. His trophy cabinet is decorated with nearly ever trophy there to win in the Indian racing scene – from the National Supercross Championship to the Raid de Himalaya and everything in between. But make no mistake, he doesn’t excel only on the home turf. Santosh has won trophies and accolades overseas as well.
 
This year, Santosh took his game to new heights. Owing to two top-10 finishes – in Abu Dhabi and Qatar – he became the first Indian to finish the season in top 10 at the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship 2014.

Over the decades, there were numerous cross-country rallies all over the world. In 1999, FIM unified all of these one-off rallies and created a Word Cup which was later christened as World Championship in 2003. The 2014 edition saw six races across six countries where Marc Coma emerged as the eventual winner.

We caught up with the 30-year-old Bangalore lad to know more about his cross-country exploits. This is what he had to say:
 
Q. At had encountered a terrible accident at year’s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Going in to the same race – first race of the season – this year, what was going through your mind?
 
Last year’s accident wasn’t something that I was worried about when I returned to Abu Dhabi this year. Last year, a lot of things went wrong at the same time. There were a lot of things that I didn’t factor in. When I returned there this year, I felt like I belonged there. I did training in Dubai before going to Abu Dhabi; and before that, I had won the Desert Storm, so that had definitely given me confidence. I knew that 2013 crash was an on-off and it such freak incidents doesn’t happen regularly.

Q. Which was your best race at this year’s FIM Cross-country Rallies World Championship?
 
Without a doubt, it had to be Abu Dhabi. There was so much riding on it. People expected me to do well. Going there and getting the monkey off my back, was a big relief Despite my crash last year, I knew I had it in me to finish in top 10; even other people had the confidence in me. So finally when I managed to finish in top 10, it was a huge relief.

Q. Which was the toughest race of the season?
 
Morocco was the toughest one. I had a five month break in between; hence, I struggled with form there. In fact, Morocco is pretty similar to Dakar – it gives you a feel for it – it has mountain passes, river crossings, deserts and such other elements that you would otherwise encounter at the Dakar.

Zipping by on his KTM (Image Credit: Cristiano)

Q. Tell us about your machine.

It’s a KTM 450. It’s the same bike on which Marc Coma won Dakar earlier this year. It is super reliable and a top class machine – the best in the industry.

Q. How is it working with Red Bull Kini?
 
The level of talent and professionalism is something that you can’t imagine. You have to be there to see for yourself. All these guys have worked on Enduro, Motocross, Supercross and such other international events. They bring so much of experience with them coming from countries which are at peak of motorsports.

They have won 13 Dakar Titles. For the rider, all he wants is for the bike needs to be reliable. At the end of the leg, I handover my bike to the engineers and they take care of it. I don’t need to concern about it one bit. It’s one less thing for me to worry about. It inspires confidence. And it’s this confidence that then translates into great results.

Disclaimer: This article first appeared on RedBull.com

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16th Raid de Himalaya: A look back

12:52

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Rally Raid

Shock and awe. That's one way to describe the 16th edition of Raid de Himalaya.

Dune buggy in action (Image credit: Binoy Parikh)

Let’s be honest, the Motorsport scene in India is not as glorious as it is in the European countries. Our short and dirty love-affair with Formula 1 also lasted for only three years. The only torch bearer for India over the years has been Raid de Himalaya. Raid de Himalaya is one of the toughest rallies in the world. It is run in some of the most beautiful and harshest environments.
 
The event starts two-days prior to the flag off where the vehicles are tested by the officials to check for the safety and technical specifications. The provisional flag for this year's rally off took place on 4th October with the reigning and nine-time champion Suresh Rana getting a rockstar reception. Inclusion of the Actor-Director Sohail Khan, who was competing in the Adventure Category, also got additional media attention.

On 5th October, while the rest of the Shimla was still in their woolen blankets, before the day-break, the participants gathered at the flag-off venue – Hotel Peterhoff, Shimla. At 5 AM, at first, the Raid Xtreme bikers and then the cars began their transport (transport is basically travelling from one point to another – often, between or before the start of the stages; here, the time in the transport is not calculated but you need to ensure that you reach the next stage in time for the flag-off) to the first stage’s starting point at Luhri – 100 km. from Shimla. The Adventure Trial, the category of amateur racers, observes a speed-time-distance format and their transport section is also much less.

Team Army's Lt. Col. Shakti Bajaj in action during stage 1 (Image credit: Binoy Parikh)

Winner Amartej Buwal in action on day 1 (Image credit: Binoy Parikh)

The same format carries on for rest of the rally where the riders and drivers are flagged-off one after the other on competitive stages and in between, they’re transported to the flag-off points. It’s often said that the weaker-lot gets filtered out of the rally on the first day itself. As the rally progresses, the terrain weeds out more and more weak links; and by day three, only the toughest and the most serious racers survive. This was evident when at the start of the first leg on first day, a biker had an accident; resulting in the rest of field to have more than 30 minutes delay.

While the drivers are dealing with unforgiving corners and tyre-shredding tarmac, their support crews rush to the finishing point (through an alternate route or hours in advance, often in the middle of the night before the route gets closed for general traffic), so that they can service their cars/bikes and mend any issues that the vehicle may have developed during the course of the race, and get them ready for the next race. In those brief few minutes, the drivers also gather time to grab a bite or two. In all this madness, they never forget one fact about ‘The Raid’ that the danger is right around the corner. Literally. Even if you’re leading the race, all it takes is a slip of concentration and you’re history. And it is not just philosophy here. The exact same thing happened to the nine-time champion Suresh Rana. Rana who was negotiating the tricky route to Nakee La Pass (a high mountain pass situated at an altitude of 15,547 ft) on the fifth day, when he misjudged the maximum cornering speed at a turn and plunged several feet in the valley. Till that point, Rana was leading the rally for four days. Not just he, his closest competitor Abhishek Mishra, who was trailing him by just 7 minutes, also went down on the very same corner few minutes later, crashing few feet away from Rana. Thankfully, both the drivers and their respective navigators walked away from the crash.

With the top two contenders out, this gave others a chance to push for the win. In the end, it was Team Thunderbolt’s Amartej Buwal who took the top honours in the Xtreme category. Team Winning Wheels’ Capt. AVS Gill took the second spot; while, completing a double podium finish for Team Thunderbolt was Karan Jung in third place.

In the Adventure Category, for the third year in a row, it was Team Maruti’s Jagmeet Gill who took the chequered flag. It was 1-2 finish for Team Maruti as Subir Roy took the second spot, and holding Team Tusker’s flag in third place was Ranchi’s Ashish Budhia.

As far as two wheel challenge is concerned, Team TVS’ R Natraj, riding his massive Apache RTR 450, won the Xtreme Motorcycle and Quads category. Privateer Suresh Babu Janarthanan finished second while Team Tusker’s Sourav Handa took the third place.

It was a huge victory for Team Thunderbolt as they managed to win the Team Trophy in both Xtreme four-wheelers as well as two-wheelers category. In the Adventure T-S-D (Time-Speed-Distance) format, Team Maruti took the top spoils.

A KTM rider riding through Chhatru Bridge (Image credit: Binoy Parikh)

It’s not just the non-existent roads and craters the size of black holes that take a toll on the man and the machine. It’s also the weather. At altitude above 15000 ft. you might go to bed with clear skies and wake up to find your machine covered in snow. That’s exactly what happened on fourth day of the rally in Kaza when due to excess snow, that leg had to be called off. So was the second stage on day one, when the soil on the route turned to slush due to overnight rain. In the Adventure Category, only 39 of the 55 teams managed to finish the race. It was even worse in Raid Xtreme. Of the 41 cars that started the race, more than half of them failed to finish it; only 19 of them managed to bring their machines home.

But despite the bone-crushing rides, unnerving routes and hazardous conditions; there is no bigger adrenaline in the Indian motorsport circuit than crossing that finish line at the end of the sixth day! And the beauty of this race is that absolutely anyone – with or without experience – can participate. All you need is a vehicle, a rally license, some nerves of steel and some octane-diluted-DNA!

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Nine Time Raid de Himalaya Champion’s Victory Run

12:27

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Rally Raid

Suresh Rana talks about his chance encounter with racing

Suresh Rana at Desert Storm (Image credit: Suresh Rana management)

Suresh Rana has won the Raid de Himalaya nine times, Desert Storm thrice and INRC title six times. He is arguably one of India’s best off-road racers. But his brush with racing was more coincidental than planned.

On one fine day in 2001, he was hurtling down his Gypsy at Kaza on his way from Kunzum Top when Mandeep Bhalla spotted him. With an eye for recognizing talent, Mandeep immediately noticed that Rana was taking the perfect racing lines while driving his non-race spec Gypsy. He informed Rana about Raid de Himalayan; Rana got interested and decided to participate in the 2001 Raid. He spent next few months prepping his beloved car with roll bars and other safety features. And the rest, as they say is history.

He started racing at age 20. In 2001, he participated in Raid de Himalaya for the first time where he finished 2nd in his group and 6th overall. He bettered his performance next year by topping his group and getting a 2nd place in overall standings.

But it was only in 2004 after gaining enough experience that Rana came into his own – and started the series of wins. And when we say series of wins, we mean, FIVE back-to-back Raid de Himalaya titles. An unfortunate incident didn’t let him finish 2009 race but he came back strongly next year and regained his crown. He backed the 2010 win with no less than three more wins in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

His wins in Raid de Himalaya doesn’t mean he can drive fast only on the mountains; on the sand too, not many can overtake him. A testament of that is the fact that he’s also won three Desert Storm titles – in 2009, 2012 and 2013.

Though Desert Storm and Raid de Himalaya, both are rallies, they’re still very different from racing point of view. “In Raid, physical fitness is of utmost importance. At times, the temperature reaches as low as -30 C. You need to be capable enough to handle that,” says Rana. “In Desert Storm, the navigator is very important. Raid is just one road and hence, you can’t really get lost. But in Desert, one wrong turn and you may end up doing a 20 km detour,” added Rana.

According to Rana, Gypsy is the one of the better for rallying on the mountains as well as in the desert. No wonder, he stuck to it for ten years from 2001 to 2010. Post that, he started racing for Maruti which saw him progress to Grand Vitara – which again reigned supreme at the Raid in 2011, 2012 & 2013.

When asked about the best cars for rallying, Rana’s picks (in no particular order) were: Maruti Gypsy, Skoda Fabia, Mitsubishi Evo 10 & Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara. But irrespective of how talented one is, it’s fairly difficult to find a sponsor who can finance the car and the crew for you – a thought that’s resonated by Rana as well. “It’s very difficult to get sponsors in India. Even I got my first sponsor – Thunderbolt – only after I won my first title in 2004,” says Rana.

Despite the fact that the 33-year-old had a chance encounter in motorsports, for those who wants to take up rallying as a career, Rana suggests that they should start with the basics. “If you get a sponsor, it’s good. Else do it on your own. Start with the basics – like Autocrossing. Here, the participants do rally on a smaller scale, in the grounds and not on the mountains,” he says. “Then look at your talent on skillset and based on that, take a call whether you can make it to the top or not” exclaims the nine-time-champion.

We wish Suresh Rana all the luck and glory in days to come. He’s truly been an inspiration for hundreds of racers in India.

Disclaimer: The article was first published by the author for RedBull.com

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One Of India's Most Promising Talent On Two-Wheels

17:00

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Rally Raid

In conversation with one of India’s best Supercross rider CS Santosh

CS Santosh: The next big thing. (Image Credit: Cristiano)

CS Santosh is arguably India’s most accomplished Supercross champion and one of the finest off-road racers on two-wheels.

His natural talent, skill as well as his hard work has led him to not only become the Supercross Champion on the national circuit four times, but also win numerous races in the Sri Lankan Championship. Last year, he also participated in the World Cross Country Championship where an unfortunate fire accident ended his run prematurely; he was running in top 10 when the incident took place.

We caught up with the 30-year-old champion to know what goes inside that helmet of his. When asked about what goes in the making of a world-class professional rider, he said, “When it comes down to racing you have to be born with talent, skill is acquired through years of practice. I would say that hard work is granted, in order to be successful you have to be willing to put in the work and make sacrifices. The mind is the most important aspect in a professional athlete. There is always a wave of ups and downs that you experience and mental toughness and will to succeed will see you through. I always bet on myself!”

Off road racing is a very physical sport and he trains through the year mostly with running, swimming and spending a lot of his time in the gym pumping iron and cross training.

He recently established his own Motocross Park – Big Rock Motopark at Kolar to train the next generation of motocross riders. “Big Rock was built to fill the need for an Off Road park in India. At this park not only do we have beginner to intermediate level tracks but they are also really safe. We also have killer trail riding which is the main attraction! Apart from the tracks we also have 6 off road bikes mainly the Honda 230Fs,” said Santosh. “We provide riding gear and all the protection necessary along with basic training for you to be able to have fun. It’s a one stop shop for off roaders and we entertain only enthusiasts,” he added.

Having a facility of this scale comes with its own scale of problems. Sourcing the equipment was the biggest issue since all of it had to be imported and in a country like India where even an event like Formula 1 is categorized as “Entertainment”, importing equipment, spares, tools and bikes for off-roading brings a new level of headache.

But everything’s finally in place. “Eventually, it should function like the parks abroad and we will also host events and races in time,” says an optimistic Santosh.

A typical day for him includes training, riding his beloved motorcycle at the Big Rock Facility and taking people out on the trails around the park! The toughest race for him so far has been the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. After last year’s failed attempt, he’ll be back on the saddle in Abu Dhabi to try his luck for the second time when the race gets underway from 3rd of April. “I’m really excited to go back there!” says an animated Santosh. We wish him all the best for the same, counting on him to bring the trophy to India.

If you wish to get a glimpse of what goes in the making of an off-road champion, hitch a ride to Kolar and train with the man himself at his Big RockMotopark facility


Discalimer: This article first appeared on RedBull.com

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Rayomand Banajee On Racing

12:07

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Track Racing

Rayomand Banajee is one of the veterans of Indian motorsports. He’s one person who can claim to have seen the drought as well as the impending tide sweeping in the Indian motorsports scene.

Rayomand Banajee with his team (Image credit: Rayo Racing)

At one point, he had tested with a certain Daniel Ricciardo for Formula BMW. While Ricciardo is taking his first steps with the Red Bull Racing team, Banajee is heading his highly successful Formula Car and Go-Kart Racing Team.

We caught up with the Champion to know more about his transformation from a racer to a team owner.

When and why did you quit racing?
 
I quit at the end of 2008. It was when the recession was at its worst. I had lost my biggest sponsor – Speed (Bharat Petroleum). They had stopped all promotional activity due to the massive losses they were incurring. I was very keen on International Formula Racing, but I wasn’t able to get the required funding for this. 

From coaching point of view, what goes in to preparing a champion racer?
 
A talented racer might be quick. But a champion needs to be much more than that. Commitment, dedication, physical fitness, mental toughness, intelligence, knowledge of the sport, etc . are all crucial to be a champion.You're a tough taskmaster when it comes to discipline. 

So how important a role does discipline plays in motorsport?
 
I’m tough only with those who are very serious and want to reach a high level. Racing is not easy and a lot of effort is required to be successful. Any person in any sport needs to be disciplined if they want to achieve something. Lack of discipline means you lack the focus required to get up there. Those who are pursuing it as a hobby don’t feel any pressure from me.

When one of your racer (Ameya Bafna) was getting hair in his eyes while racing, you cut off all his hair and then you returned the favour by going bald yourself when he won the race. Is this true? Why did you do it?
 
*Laughs* Yes, it is true. I had told Ameya to cut his hair multiple times. He ignored this and when it reached a point where his hair was getting in the way, I ensured that he went bald. It was to teach him a lesson that I meant business and if something was required, it had to be done. Another driver Raj also went through the same procedure later.

At the same time, I wanted to show the drivers in the team that I was well capable of doing the same things that I made them do. So, I promised to go bald myself if either of them won their first race that year. Ameya soon won the 3rd round of the National Championship. I kept my word and shaved off all my hair.

How has motorsports changed over the years in India?
 
When I started racing, there was just 2 categories of car racing possible – Formula Maruti & Saloons. Sponsorship was an alien term! We did not even have 2 stroke kart racing in India. Since then it has grown enormously. Today, we have an extremely high level of karting in India, thanks to the JK Tyre FMSCI Rotax Championship. It is this series that is churning out drivers of high quality. Proof of this is, that our drivers have won 5 International Titles in Karting. 

Tell us about your academy.
 
The Rayo Racing Karting Academy is based out of Pune. We have various levels of training programs for drivers. Members can then use our karts regularly to practice over the weekends. It’s very exciting because we have a quite a few drivers in the 5 to 7 year age bracket. 

What do you think should be done to change the sponsorship scene in India? How can motorsports grow in a cricket-crazed nation like India?

There is no single solution. Formula One coming to India of course gave a huge boost. The single biggest requirement would be to have more circuits, especially karting circuits around the country. The craze for motorsport is actually very high in India. It’s just that people do not have anywhere to go.

The costs are also extremely high. Government support in terms of reducing import duties and taxes would certainly help to bring down some of these costs. Other things like wider coverage from the media and some companies realizing that they do have an alternate to cricket (by funding events, drivers) would also be very helpful.

Disclaimer: The article was first published by the author on RedBull.com

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Girl Power comes to Stunt Biking

18:05

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Motorbike Stuntriding

In conversation with India's Youngest Female Stunt Biker - Anam Hashmi

Anam Hashmi (Image credit: Team Anam Stunts)

They say, never judge a book by its cover. The same holds true for Anam Hashmi. The pretty girl-next-door is just another bubbly college girl in her normal attire, but give her a motorbike and she’ll give any guy a run for his money when it comes to stunt biking. At 18, Anam is India’s youngest female stunt biker and her admirers include none other than India’s Cricket captain MS Dhoni.

We caught up with young lady to know more about her stunt biking exploits.

Anam, what’s your stunt biking avatar called?

My full name is Anam Hashmi but in the biking circle they call me Anam Stunts.

What’s your current ride?

I’m currently riding an Apache RTR 180.

Tell us something about your group.

I’m a part of this group called RSA aka Rubber Smoking Angels. It’s a Pune-based group. There are three of us in the group right now, but I’m the only girl.

Which is your favourite bike for doing stunts?

My current bike – Apache 180 is just perfect for me right. Having said that, I’d love to own a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R (636) someday and do stunts on it.

What will we find in your dream garage?

Honda Fireblade

Yamaha R6

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R (636)

Which has been the most difficult stunt to attempt for you?

In the beginning, doing the highchair wheelie was really difficult for me since your hands are in front and your weight is also in the front, and you're also trying to lift the front part. It took a while for me before I could perfect it; but now, I’m pretty comfortable doing it.

Is there anything different women bikers need to keep in mind while doing stunts or are they all the same?

Being girls, our hands are much softer.  Hence, when you do wheelies 2-3 times back-to-back, you get blisters on your hand. Even when we fall, due to the lack of muscles, we get hurt a lot more easily. We’re a lot more prone to cuts and bruises than guys are.

How difficult it is for someone like yourself who's not too muscular or huge, to handle the bike?

Only time when my size pose an issue is when I fall. Like I said before, in case of a crash, being a thin person, I get injured a lot more easily.

Now that I’m 18, I’m soon planning to join the gym to gain muscles and upper body strength. Earlier, the gyms didn’t accept me since I was a minor, now that I’m 18, I can work out in the gyms with trainers. But for now, besides the usual stretches, I run a lot in order to increase my stamina.

Any do's & don'ts for a thin person for stunt riding?

Nothing like that. Just go ahead and go for it. If you have it in you, irrespective of whether you're fat or thin, you'll still be able to perform the stunts equally well.

What's the best compliment that you've received till date?

Just two days ago when I was at an event with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, he complimented me saying that the stunts that I do, even he can’t do. That’s probably the best compliment I’ve received till date.

What's the worst criticism that you've ever heard?

I’m my own biggest critic. Most of the people in the industry as well as the fans, no one really criticizes; they all appreciate me. But I set high standards for myself and hence, when I see more experienced stunt bikers, I start critiquing myself for not knowing these stunts despite being totally aware of the fact that I’m a lot less experienced.

Do you face issues while finding the right gear of your size?

Leah Peterson has always been my idol. I would always try to colour my helmet and style myself like her. For this very reason I contacted people at Icon Motorcycle Gear and asked them when they’d be available in India. They had already heard of me and asked me to give them a list of things that I required. I did that and they sent everything without charging a penny. And since then they’ve been sponsoring me and supporting me with regards to all my riding gear. I’m very fortunate to have them as my sponsor.

Having said that, yes, before I got associated with Icon, it was pretty difficult for me to find riding gear of my size. I couldn’t even find the right fit for something as simple as riding gloves.

What does being India's Youngest Female Stunt Biker mean to you?

It feels amazing. Whenever someone addresses me as ‘India’s Youngest Female Stunt Biker’, at an event or anywhere, I feel really happy.

Are you planning to start a professional course for female riders?

I wouldn’t mind but most girls whom I meet are not committed enough. Very often, many girls ask me to teach them, I ask them to join me at my daily practice, they come there for a couple of days and then they'll run away. Nobody is willing to do the hard work for longer duration. If I find any girl who’s dedicated and passionate enough, I’d love to teach her.

If someone has to start stunt biking, how do they go about it?

Safety is the most important thing. You need to ensure that you have the right protective gear.

Also, one need to make sure that they have a safe place to practice the stunts. It’s not advisable to do the stunts on the open roads. Find an empty parking lot or a dead-end road with zero traffic to do the stunts.

Make sure your bike is protected too. Even before you do your first stunt, install the crash guard on your bike. It’s not a question of “if” but “when” you’ll crash.

What's the first stunt that a newbie should learn?

I don’t really know. It varies from person to person. If you’re muscular, you might be more comfortable starting out with a ‘Stoppie’ but in case you’re thin like me, you might want to try your hand at a ‘Wheelie’ or a ‘Christ.’

Like, when I first started, I did a Christ on my Activa.

Care to share any funny/weird/unusual experiences you've had while doing stunts?

Once, I was doing a circular wheelie and my hand slipped, my collar bone hit the key and broke it; hence, the bike kept going because there was no way to turn it off. The bike took two full circles before crashing down. That was one of the funniest and weirdest things I had ever experienced.

What are you future plans?

If XDL comes to India this year then I’d practice for that. I’d even like to participate in XDL international, someday. If not, there are many other events in which I’d like to participate in future like the stunt biking events in Indonesia and elsewhere in Asia.

Disclaimer: The article was first published on RedBull.com

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