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Journalism of Courage
Sandeep Sharma,a champion rallyist from Delhi,and his navigator Varun Davessar are leading in Extreme (SUVs) category on the first day of the 26th SJOBA Thunderbolt Sub-Himalayan Rally that was flagged off on Saturday morning. Abhishek Mishra,an emerging rallyist,and his navigator Sudip were in the second place while Suresh Rana,the reigning king of cross-country marathon motorsport in the country and winner of Raid de Himalaya and Desert Storm,was third on Day One of the Rally.
In the bikes section,there were few disappointments. It was a major upset when two champion bikers -Jes David and Mohit Verma -had to bow out of the rally. Jes David’s bike hit a stone during a transport stage of the event on Saturday. He sustained minor injuries and was taken by the SJOBA Marshals to a hospital in Solan,from where he was discharged. On the other hand,Mohit was leading in the fifth stage of the rally,when the engine of his bike seized,and he had to quit the event.
Tragedy averted
The Prabhakar household must have heaved a sigh of relief on hearing the news of brothers Ravi and Gaurav being safe and sound. Anything could have happened as the Subaru Forester- the vehicle which the brothers were driving- went down a high cliff about ten kilometers from Parwanoo on the first day of the 26th SJOBA Thunderbolt Sub-Himalayan Rally. The SJOBA Rally is all about adventure and testing driving skills on tough terrains and rough roads.
The SUV of the brothers rolled about 250 meters down a steep cliff and finally hit a bump. The brothers,who were saved by the stringent safety measures followed by motorsport,crawled out of a front window with only a few bruises and minor injuries. Ravi Prabhakar,an experienced rallyist,was driving the vehicle.
Gaurav,his navigator,said that a competitor’s car had just taken a steep right curve,and there was a cloud dust. “It was typical motorsport adventure. We couldn’t see anything and went right off the cliff. Our Subaru must have rolled about 50 to 60 times. Fortunately,the seat-belts,roll cage and other FIA (Federation Internationale de L’Automobile) approved equipment saved us. The SJOBA Marshals reached the mishap site almost immediately with a doctor. After initial examination,we were brought to a hospital in Chandigarh,” said Gaurav. The Prabhakar brothers had ranked second in Rally Extreme at the 3rd J&K Bank Mughal Rally,held in Kashmir in June last year.
Sanjeev Kumar,president of SJOBA,said that the SJOBA Rally follows all the motorsport and regulations specified by FIA and Federation of Motorsport Clubs of India (FMSCI). “We are happy that the two rallyists escaped unhurt. This only underlines the importance of following the strict regulations for motorsport,” he said. FIA is the governing body of all motorsport events across the world.
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