Well-supported privateers, a lone factory outfit, four-wheel-drive monsters and a star driver are the ingredients of this year’s Indian Rally Championship
“We’re going to be really up against it this year,” FMSCI Indian Rally Championship (IRC) title holder Gaurav Gill told autoX while looking ahead to this year’s season. “We (Mahindra) are pretty much the underdogs this year as Volkswagen has a big field of customer cars and some drivers are also bringing some powerful four-wheel-drive cars like the Evos too.”
The defending champion’s admission of his and Mahindra’s potential vulnerability betrays the confidence with which he normally competes in whichever event he appears in.
The head of the Mahindra rally team, Bijoy Kumar, however, is a lot more bullish when it comes to the chances of an XUV 500 finishing on the top of the IRC pile this year.
“We are absolutely ready for the season,” Kumar told autoX. “We have homologated the XUV 500 as a two-wheel-drive car this year, we are aware of our disadvantages, which are the weight of the car and the fact that it is diesel but we feel we have done everything possible to prepare for the first round in Nashik.”
As the only Indian car company (or one that has operations in India) that competes in the IRC with a factory team, Mahindra doesn’t have any competition against which to compare its motorsport prowess.
Although unofficially – via their customer rally program – Volkswagen is the closest to a direct competitor that Mahindra has. It is a situation that Volkswagen Motorsport head Sirish Vissa hope changes soon.
“I wish there were more manufacturers in the IRC at at least a customer team level,” Vissa told autoX. “We would love to go up against guys like Hyundai, Maruti, Toyota and even Honda.”
Around 14 customer Polos will be part of the IRC field this year in the 2000cc and 1600cc class with some drivers who Vissa feels have the chance to be stand out performers along with Arjun Rao Aroor.
“Karna Kadoor has the potential to be a winner if he can be more consistent,” said Vissa. “Dean Mascharenas also showed he can fight at the sharp end in rallies last year so hopefully he will keep developing.
“You can’t discount the drivers who represent the Slideways Industries team as they know the Polo better than anyone.”
There is one name, however, that invariably pops up again when talking about competition at an IRC event. So much so that while talking up the chances of Polo drivers, Vissa cannot help but acknowledge the threat represented by Gill.
“His commitment to a corner is incredible,” said Vissa. “If there is a chance of him gaining even a thousandth of a second by taking both wheels off the road at a corner, he will do it.
“He is also meticulous when it comes to a recce and he knows where he can take risks to make up time.”
While the wait continues for more manufacturers to take the plunge, Indian rallying fans can at least be treated to the spectacle of a master at work and seeing privateers get a chance to drive some decent machinery.
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