Motorsports: Lankan rally champs invited to drive for Mahindra Monsoon Challenge

Sri Lankan rally champion driver Shafraz Junaid and co-driver Akhry Ameer have scored another first for local rally drivers with an invitation to participate at the Mahindra Monsoon Challenge 2018 to be held in India this weekend. 

The popular Monsoon Challenge held in the regularity rally format will commence from Mangalore on Friday (29) and conclude in Goa on Sunday (1) having traversed some of the most scenic routes of India in the peak of the monsoon season. 

The duo who are now brand ambassadors for Maxxis will compete in the open category in a Mahindra KUV sponsored by Mahindra Adventure. 

The participation poses a different challenge to Shafraz and Akhry as the rally runs on a different regularity system. 

“Our local rallies are fast with accumulative debit points throughout the route. The Indian regularity rallies are non-accumulative and require technical navigation to avoid penalties at the varied types of time controls. Nevertheless as sportsmen we are always looking out for a new challenge”, said Shafraz Junaid of the event. 

The open category will also have higher speeds and include night stages as part of the competition. 

“As rally enthusiasts we are also looking at learning and bringing knowledge about this format to introduce into our local events. This is one of our main intentions at this event. We also hope to create connections for local drivers to participate at these events”, added co-driver Akhry Ameer, both of whom have also have been plotting and conducting rally events in Sri Lanka for their club away from the competitive challenge. 

The Sri Lankan duo who emerged third overall at the final round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championships last year, are taking this challenge as a practice before their main two events for the season, the Dakshin Dare and Raid de Himalaya where they will be competing in their rally prepared 4WD cab for the Maxxis Xtreme Racing Team. 

Mahindra Adventure is a unique experiential marketing unit of Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. 

It started with its first off-road outing in 1996 with a couple of events a year. 

With the inception of Mahindra Adventure in 2011 the programme has been expanded to give people trips of a lifetime, be it the single-day off-road adventure – Great Escape or the multi-day expeditions to the most beautiful places in India and abroad.