Udaipur, February 19, 2010

 

The Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm rally culminated in a grand finale today with Abhishek Mishra-Hanumant Singh winning in the Xtreme category for cars and Jes David claiming the trophy for bikes. Raj Singh Rathore took home the prize in the Ndure category, while Sanjay Takale converted his steady lead into a victory in the Xplore run.

The last and deciding competitive stage, 67 kilometers long, consisted of driving in an open area of undulating plain. Amartej Buwal, who was also in the contention for winning the Xtreme trophy during the early hours on Friday, drove his car into a pond, while negotiating a sharp bend.

In the Xtreme category, Abhishek Mishra was joined by runners-up Harpreet Singh Bawa and Sandeep Sharma, while among the bikers, the top three finishers were Jes David, Natraj and Virendra Veghela.

Shashank Srivastava, chief general manager – marketing, Maruti Suzuki, congratulated the winners and the daring spirit of all the participants for enduring the merciless Aravallis, the scorching Thar, and the vast expanse of the Great Rann.

The Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm 2010 witnessed a series of major upsets caused by tough terrain. Day 3-4 of the rally and the Great Runn in particular proved to be rather calamitous as all three leaders – Sunny Sidhu, Suresh Rana and Major. A.S. Brar – were forced to pull out due to vehicle stress and mechanical problems.