Syed Asif Ali of Team TVS Racing thwarted Shamim Khan’s bid for a record fifth crown in the Gulf Monsoon Scooter Rally.The Bangalore rider, astride a TVS Wego, won the 27th edition of the popular rally, sponsored by Gulf Oil Lubricants India Limited, and organized by Sportscraft, with 32.43 seconds in penalties. Shamim Khan, of Team Mahindra, astride a Mahindra Gusto, placed second, with 33.36 seconds in penalties, while Erimal Shekharan from Navi Mumbai, astride a Yamaha Alpha, was third in 34.18 seconds.
How tough the rally, incidentally Sportscraft’s 351st event, was, this time, can be gauged by the fact that former champions Rustom Patel, Manjeet Singh Bassan and Avtar Singh did not even place among the top five finishers.
In a field of 53 riders, and on a course one would dread taking his two or four-wheeler through, Syed Asif Ali proved a class above, beating Shamim Khan in the third and last stage of the rally with judicious riding over the water-logged stretches along the backwoods of Navi Mumbai.
Syed Asif Ali produced the right bursts of speed to pip Khan by 1.33 seconds.Seshraj Yadav, astride a Yamaha Alpha, and Bhopal’s Muzaffar Ali, also astride a TVS Wego, were fourth and fifth respectively. Syed Asif Ali, Shamim Khan and Erimal Shekharan finish in that order in the class for FSG upto 1660cc four stroke.
“This time the course was really tough. In addition to the slushy areas we had a couple of trucks coming in our way and forcing us to slow down. It did not rain heavily during the race, but, still it was challenging,” said Syed Asif Ali after the event.
Heavy rain over the last few days made riding on the gravel-laden, winding course dicey. Under the circumstances, riders had to exercise extreme control while negotiating the steep inclines, hairpin bends and water-logged stretches they encountered. Some of them took a tumble or two, some even damaged their scooters and had to even withdraw.
Like last year, Nidhi Shukla of Team CEAT, astride a Honda Activa, was the best lady rider, completing the course in 45.20 seconds.
Former champion Manjeet Singh Bassan, though failing to finish among the top five riders, however, won Class S2 for scooters 111cc upto 160 2 strokes in 37.14 seconds. Special mention must be made about the first-timers who went through the motions with aplomb.
Mohsin Mehbook Khan, astride a Yamaha Alpha, was the best of the lot, finishing in 37.18 seconds. For his gallant efforts he was awarded the late Firdosh Vajifdar trophy. Despite the grueling challenge, the riders applauded Sportscraft’s organization of the rally. Some wondered how they found terrain, which even utility vehicles would have found difficult to negotiate.
FINAL RESULTS
OVERALL WINNERS
1st – SYED ASIF ALI (03) TVS WEGO 00:32:43
2nd -SHAMIM KHAN (01) MAHINDRA GUSTO 00:33:36
3rd – ERIMAL SHEKHARAN (11) YAMAHA ALPHA 00:34:18
4th – SHESHRAJ YADAV (29) YAMAHA ALPHA 00:35:54
5th – MUZAFFAR ALI (05) TVS WEGO 00:36:05
CLASS S1 – 81CC UPTO 110CC – 2 STROKE, GROUP – C
1ST – ROHAN THAKUR (06) KINETIC MARVEL 00:36:54
2ND – NILESH THAKARE (16) KINETIC HONDA 00:38:34
3RD – KUNAL RAO (27) KINETIC MARVEL 00:39:10
CLASS S2 – 111CC UPTO 160CC – 2 STROKE, GROUP – C
1ST – MANJIT SINGH (14) BASSAN LML VESPA 00:37:14
2ND – RAVINDRA SINGH (43) LML VESPA 00:43:58
3RD – VIKRAM BOPARAI (13) LML VESPA 00:47:34
CLASS FSG – UPTO 160CC – 4 STROKE, GROUP – C
1ST – SYED ASIF ALI (03) TVS WEGO 00:32:43
2ND – SHAMIM KHAN (01) MAHINDRA GUSTO 00:33:36
3RD – ERIMAL SHEKHARAN (11) YAMAHA ALPHA 00:34:18
BEST LADY DRIVER ENTERING IN TWO WHEELER RALLY
NIDHI SHUKLA (41) HONDA ACTIVA 00:45:20
BEST PERFORMANCE BY THE FIRST TIMER ENTERING IN TWO WHEELER RALLY LATE FIRDOSH VAJIFDAR TROPHY
MOHSIN MEHBOOB FAKI (46) YAHAHA ALPHA 00:37:18
BEST MUMBAI RIDER
JAGJEET SINGH THETHI (37) HONDA DIO 00:36:12
BEST NAVI MUMBAI & THANE RIDER
RATHISH NAIR (17) MAHINDRA RODEO 00:39:28
BEST NASHIK RIDER
NILESH THAKARE (16) KINETIC HONDA 00:38:34
BEST BHOPAL RIDER
MOHAMMED ALI KHAN (04) SUZUKI SWISH 00:36:57
BEST PUNE RIDER
TROPHY & RS. 2000 20 LOKESH BHOSALE KINETIC HONDA 00:43:43
BEST BANGALORE RIDER
TROPHY & RS. 2000 8 MADHU S TVS WEGO 00:39:43
BEST DEHRADUN RIDER
RISHABH RAWAT (39) LML VESPA 00:54:28
BEST AURANGABAD RIDER
AAKESH SATPUTE (23) MAHINDRA RODEO 00:44:04
BEST JODHPUR RIDER
ABHISHEK DIWAKER (50) MAHINDRA RODEO 00:53:19
BEST RAIGAD RIDER
AJINKYA KULKARNI (48) HONDA AVIATOR 00:52:41
