Local participants likely to dominate Himalayan race

LEH, SEPT 1: He promises to remind us of one of those breathtaking, nail-biting sequences in a Bond movie. “I belong to the land where my favourite actor has his roots. So, don’t be surprised if I do a James Bond tomorrow,” says Juan Carlos Madrid, a participant of the HP Engine Oils Great Himalayan Motor Race.

Class FS3 (4-stroke bikes) promises tough competition. Subhash Parseonikar and Vijay Sethi, who finished first and second respectively last year, are in the same group again. Sethi’s was the debut effort in ’99 but this time he exudes self-confidence and vows to offer good fight against Parseonikar.However, when it comes to one’s self-confidence level, no rider or driver can match the local participants. As far as the four-wheeler category is concerned, the event has evoked not-so-encouraging response. There are just 11 four-wheelers among overall 60 entries. The organisers have been forced to extend the closing time.