Desert Storm begins next week

The route will take the 170 rallyists through competitive and transport sections. The competitive section includes tough,off-road terrain that has gravel,sand and rocks,while the transport section is run on normal inter-city roads.

Following the ceremonial flag-off in New Delhi on the afternoon of February 17,the rallyists will assemble at Shahpura (outskirts of Manesar on the Delhi-Jaipur highway) where the first competitive section starts. The participants will be flagged off at midnight from Shahpura to Bikaner.

This section of the rally will have two firsts. One,this will be the first time when an Indian rally will be conducted at night and secondly,this is the maiden occasion when rallyists at the Desert Storm will be crossing semi-dry river beds on the Aravalli.

The rally will then halt at Bikaner before proceeding towards the sand dunes of Jaisalmer. As the desert sand of the mighty Thar greets the rallyists in the backdrop of the medieval fort,the four-wheel drive will come into play.

After the desert,the next halt will be at Adesar,which connects the Small Rann to the Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. Here,the participants will rev up their vehicles and sprint across the wet and dry sand along the Gujarat coastline — another first for any motorsports event in India.