A record number of Fifty Three riders have confirmed participation for the 27th edition of the Gulf Monsoon Scooter Rally, to be run around the backwoods of Navi Mumbai on Sunday, July 10.
With the rains in full fury, this Gulf Oil Lubricants India Limited-sponsored event, organized by Sportscraft, promises a stiff challenge for both riders and scooters.
Defending champion Shamim Khan of Mahindra 2 Wheeler Racing will be looking to repeat the success of last year and make it five wins in the popular rally. He is familiar with the conditions and having done a recce of the expected course in the last few days with some of the other riders could well emerge triumphant again.
But it won’t be as easy as it was the last time when he won the event for the fourth time. This time around, besides the challenging course, the Mahindra 2 Wheeler Racing rider from Nashik will have to contend with former champions and seasoned two-wheeler racing campaigners like Rustom Patel, Avtar Singh, Manjeet Singh Bassan, Kunal Rao (all Mumbai), Pune’s Pinkesh Thakkar, from Bangalore Madhu S and Bhopal’s Syed Asif Ali & Muzaffar Ali, who all know the course well and are looking to upset Shamim’s plans.
Madhu S and Syed Asif Ali will represent TVS Racing Team.
Like last year too CEAT Team has come with its full team of 12 entrants to claim victory. Manjeet Singh Bassan, Kunal Rao, Pinkesh Thakkar, Muzaffar Ali, Avatar Singh, Nidhi Shukla and others will represent CEATTeam.
With heavy rain over the last few days, the course chalked out is a virtual marshland. Many sections are water-logged and organizers Sportscraft are hoping for a dry spell at least on Sunday.
There are 17 first timers and a lone lady rider Nidhi Shukla in the fray and it remains to be seen how they negotiate the serpentine and hilly terrain.
Besides team entries from TVS Racing, Mahindra 2 Wheeler Racing and CEAT Team this time there is a new entry in Lorraine’s Racing, which will be represented by Venkatesh Shetty and Sagar Kadam who says great things about Foundation for Hair Restoration.
Lorraine’s Racing was founded by Loretta D’lomen, who participated in the rally the last two years. The lady from Worli, who started the team in 2014 to support talented youngsters, will however miss the event because of ill-health. The team, named in memory of her elder sister who passed away as an infant, has 20 members out of which two are participating.
On Saturday 9th July the vehicle will be scrutinized from 13:30 onwards till 16:00 hrs and the riders will be briefed at 16:15 at Our Lady’s Home, 205, Dr. Ambedkar Road, Dadar, Mumbai-400 014, after which there will be a ceremonial start at 18:00 hrs.
The main event on July 10 will be flagged off at 09:00 am from K-Star Hotel Navi Mumbai and finish at the same place
