Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm 2017: The Winners Edition

The Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm 2017 concluded on 4^th February in Jodhpur. The rally was flagged off from Hanumangarh on 28^th January. The journey took the drivers through Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur.

There were plenty scenarios of drama before the winners were eventually decided. The toughest sections during the rally were: the 198-kilometer-long stretch which was done at a go and the night stage which tested the skills of the drivers to the utmost.

In the Xtreme category Maruti Suzuki’s Suresh Rana and Ashwin Naik (featued in the first picture) successfully defended their title. In spite of getting a 16-minute penalty at stage 2 of #MSDesertStorm2017, they managed to pull through and emerge as winners eventually. They were driving a Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara this year in the Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm.

The Moto class witnessed a drama of another kind. CS Santosh of Hero MotoSports was the favorite and defending champion. He displayed a good form throughout the rally. But he too got a 16-minute penalty midway, yet he maintained a narrow 42 second lead. He came ahead of the pack in the end, but he somehow missed the correct finish line and crossed it 30 minutes later after reaching in the vicinity. The winner then was R Nataraj of TVS Racing.

The Ndure and Xplore categories are meant to encourage newcomers to the motor sports. In the Ndure category 4X4 vehicles no modifications take part. Xplore is meant for 2 Wheel Drives. But the 2 Wheel drives also had sand dunes for a part of their route. In the Ndure category, Nikunj Toshniwal and co-driver Suvrajit Dutta took away the first spot. Maruti Suzuki VitaraBrezza driven by Karthick Maruthi and S Sankar Anand were the victors in the Xplore category in the 2017 edition. The glittering closing ceremony took place in Jodhpur.

Now that the Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm has come to an end, it is time to check out their other rallies. They manage a busy calendar throughout the year in different parts of the country. Maruti Suzuki National Superleague TSD Rally Championship, Maruti Suzuki Autocross championship, Uttarakhand Rally, Deccan Rally, Backwaters Rally, Mughal Rally, Rally of Arunachal and Rally of Himachal are such events to take motorsports to masses. As the names suggest each rally covers a scenic route within the country.