TEAM FROM INDIA LINES
UP FOR MRC 2008
Kangar 23 May, 2008: There’s
a new, international team in the 2008 Malaysian Rally Championship
(MRC). Jasbir Singh Randhawa and navigator Musa Sheriff
from India have confirmed their participation for the next
five rounds of the Championship.
This is the first time the two will
drive together and also the first time for both to drive
outside India. They will compete as Privateers in the P11
category in a rented Proton Satria 1.8, the same car Karamjit
Singh drove to second Overall in the last round in Bahau,
Negeri Sembilan.
Jasbir Singh Randhawa has been driving
since 2004 and won the Arunachal State Rally Championship
earlier this year. Musa Sheriff is very well known as the
most experienced co-driver in India with 160 rallies under
his belt.
Musa who was crowned Overall Co-driver
Champion at the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC)
in 2007 has long been Gaurav Gill’s co-driver as part
of the MRF Team which also competed in the Asia Pacific
Rally Championship (APRC) in Johor Bahru last year.
When asked why they chose the MRC,
Jasbir said, “Malaysia is the only country that allows
international competitors to compete for Overall Championship
Points. However, our aim is to get a feel for the car and
to finish first in the P11 category.”
“The Perlis stages are very
good from a safety standpoint, because they are in the sugar-cane
fields which means no trees, hopefully less damage and means
we can take some risks,” Jasbir added. “In the
next rounds we will be competing in the palm oil and rubber
estates which will help us improve technically and develop
our skills.”
This is the only rally the two will
compete together. In future rounds Jasbir’s co-driver
will be PVS Murthy and Musa will navigate for Arjun Rao.
All four are Indian Nationals.
Jasbir and Musa signed up for the
MRC under a new International Competitor Assistance Package
which was launched by MRC Organisers, Wheel Sport Management
on 1st May.
Under the package all holders of Overseas
International Competition licenses are eligible to compete
in the MRC and are provided with free entry into the Championship
(for Privateers) 50% discount (for commercial teams), free
accommodation at the rallies, a complimentary service tent
and the services and support of the International Competitor
Coordinator.
Since the launch of the package
WSM has received a number of enquiries which has been spurred
on by the FIA’s announcement that it is on the search
for the next rally star team. Under its ‘Pirelli Star
Driver’ scheme, hopefuls must compete in the final
Leg of the APRC which is once again to be held in Johor
Bahru in October this year in order to qualify. Regional
and international competitors are therefore looking to ‘get
a feel’ for the Malaysian rally courses in the lead
up to that Leg.
19 teams will compete in Round Two
of the MRC which will be held in the cane fields of Chuping.
The Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail
will flag-off the competitors at noon tomorrow (Saturday
24 May) at Dataran Dato’ Sheikh Ahmad in downtown
Kangar.
Clerk of the Course for the Championship,
Tengku Shaharin Abu Bakar Almarhum Tengku Suleiman, said
the course is dry and fast. “It looks good out there,”
he said. “We are expecting some fast finishes especially
from the experienced drivers and a very close competition
in many of the categories.”
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