Who will win the Dakshin Dare? Vinod-Shailendra lead as Karnataka's Aieman-Sagar prepares for the final push!

Anantapur (A.P.), Aug 30 (NationPress) Team Ashva’s Vinod Singh and Shailendra Singh have taken the lead on the second last day of the Motorsport Inc fmsci 14th Dakshin Dare cross-country rally following a precise and strategic performance on Saturday.

The duo from Indore, racing in a 1300cc Maruti Gypsy customized by Dr Perk Customs, took advantage of a miscalculation by the previous day’s leaders, Adith K.C. and co-driver Harish K.N. The pair from Team VM Motorsports, hailing from Thrissur and Bengaluru, lost valuable time due to a brief off-route detour, resulting in a drop to third place overall.

In second place, Aieman Ahmed from Chikkamagaluru and Bengaluru co-driver Sagar M. (Team VM Motorsports) maintained a day of controlled aggression. “We still have to tackle 77.27km twice tomorrow, and we are geared up for the challenge,” said co-driver Sagar.

The stage victory was claimed by Kolkata’s Raunak Jana and Uday Ganguli of Bro’s Racing, who clocked a remarkable time of 46 minutes, 27 seconds in the 33.44km selective segment. “We only pushed hard in certain areas, aiming for a steady finish,” commented Raunak.

Team VM Motorsports showcased impressive depth, with four of its five vehicles securing positions in the top five overall. This includes team leader Vamcy Merla, who rebounded from mechanical troubles on Friday to finish among the top contenders, and Shillong’s Phoebe Nongrum alongside co-driver Venu Ramesh Kumar, who concluded the day in an impressive fourth overall and first in the Ladies class.

The day’s final stage was cancelled by organizers due to safety concerns. “Despite the presence of bouncers, police, and local marshals, a large crowd gathered, prompting the stewards to make this decision,” explained Jaidas Menon, a past multiple National champion and promoter of the Dakshin Dare.

The rally is set to conclude on Sunday, with competitors facing two runs of a lengthy 77.27km selective section, ensuring a thrilling finish, followed by a return to Bengaluru for the prize distribution ceremony.

Provisional unaudited results:

Cumulative Overall for all three days (after leg 3):

1. Vinod Singh/ Shailendra Singh (Team Ashva) (05 hours, 26 minutes, 19 seconds);

2. Aieman Ahmed/ Sagar M; (Team VM Motorsports) (05:29:07);

3. Adith KC/ Harish KN (Team VM Motorsports) (05:30:43);

Stage winners of SS4 (Day3):

1. Raunak Ja Uday Ganguli (Kolkata, Bro’s Racing) (46 minutes, 27 seconds);

2. Vinod Singh/ Shailendra Singh (Team Ashva) (00:47:52);

3. Archit Jindal/ Aashish Bhaskar (Team Ashva) (00:48:07);

Class Leaders:

Class 2: Group T1: 1. Aieman Ahmed/ Sagar M;

Class 10: Group T2: 1. Vinod Singh/ Shailendra Singh;

Ladies Class: 1. Phoebe Nongrum/ Venu Ramesh Kumar (Team VM Motorsports) (05:32:14);

Class 5: Group T1: Vamcy Merla/ Ashwin Naik (Team VM Motorsports) (05:37:20);

Class 11: Group T2: Archit Jindal/ Aashish Bhaskar (Team Ashva) (04:13:55);