An engineer and a management graduate, Jagmeet Gill takes the chequered flag at Raid de Himalaya 2013
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| Jagmeet Gill with his trusted Gypsy (Image credit: Sandeep Sahdev) |
Doctor-engineer syndrome has
grappled psyche of Indians since ages. Jagmeet Gill also got bit by the bug but
eventually found his calling in the form of octane power. The 30-year-old
Electronics Engineer.
Gill won the Adventure Trial 4W
category at the prestigious Raid de Himalaya’s 2013 edition. And to prove that
wasn’t a flash in the pan, he backed it up with a win at the Uttarakhand
Adventure Car Rally at Dehradun in December of 2013.
We caught up with the Punjab
University Management graduate to know what made him trade the excel sheet with
gear ratios, this is what he had to say.
How did you get involved in racing?
I was enroute Leh with my friends
in 2007 and I saw Raid de Himalaya taking place. I was always fond of cars and
driving, and that was the moment when I decided to start rallying.
Tell us about your experience winning the Raid in Adventure Trial
category.
I won the overall adventure
category in 2013 with a record penalty of 3 min 46 sec. This is the best time
in the history of adventure category for 6 days of raid. I was leading in the
results for all 6 days. It is one of the greatest win I’ve had and I’m really
happy for that.
Why Adventure Trial and not X-Treme 4X4?
My first rally was in Oct 2008
which was the Raid de Himalaya. First timers are allowed only in the Adventure
category and not in X-treme. Later, I started performing well in the same
category and was picked by Team Maruti in 2011, hence, I continued with
Adventure Trail. However, I do have plans to participate in the Xtreme category
in future; hopefully, Maurti will soon give me that opportunity.
You said you recently got Grand Vitara, how is driving the Grand Vitara
different than Gypsy? Which one do you prefer?
Grand Vitara is better for Desert
Storm where top end speed is needed for open sections. It is more comfortable
to drive and is the best machine Suzuki has to offer. However Gypsy is much
more tough and easy on maintainence. It’s well-suited for rallies like
Raid de Himalaya.
In your dream garage, which cars will we find?
Presently, I have an American
motorcycle, an European sedan, a Japanese SUV and an Indian off-roader.
Certainly would like to add an Audi R8 and Range Rover Sport in the future.
Has the sponsorship scene changed over the years? Is it better than what
it was when you started out or still the same?
Sponsors are still tough to come
for new comers, and also for people who have some years of experience. However
the scene has improved over the years and it’s much better than what it was
when I started rallying. Now, we have manufacturers like Maruti, Mahindra
and Tata, and also JK tyre and Yokohama promoting the sport. I personally
believe that the sponsors still have to come a long way in promoting rallying
in India.
In India, can racing be a full time career option?
Yes, it can be, only if the
sponsors shell in more to promote the sport and trust their drivers to perform
well internationally too.
What more needs to be done in India to ensure the growth of Motorsports?
Better infrastructure for
training, more awareness for Motorsport activities, more sponsors and most
importantly, recognizing Motorsport as a sport by the Government of India. Presently,
of all the Indian states, only Maharashtra recognizes Motorsport as a form of sport.
We certainly hope that
Jagmeet’s wishes come true and more and more sponsors start supporting
Motorsport events as well as the athletes; and hopefully, soon enough, the
Government of India will recognize Motorsport as a form of sport and
entertainment.
We wish him all the best for
his future endeavors and hope to see him racing with the big boys at Raid de
Himalaya, in the X-Treme category, soon enough.
If you have any thoughts about the state of Motorsport and/or sponsorship in India, feel free to share your views in the box below.
Disclaimer: The article was first written by the author for RedBull.com
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