Off-road drivers look to prove mettle at RFC India 2018

The Rainforest Challenge, which will be held in Goa, is considered to be the toughest off-road motorsport event in the country.

Published : Jul 20, 2018 18:45 IST , Chennai

Action from the 2017 edition of the Rainforest Challenge.
Action from the 2017 edition of the Rainforest Challenge.
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Action from the 2017 edition of the Rainforest Challenge.

It will be a test for both man and machine when the fifth edition of ISUZU Rainforest Challenge starts from July 21 to July 28 in Goa. RFC India is considered to be the toughest off-road motorsport event in the country after it started in 2014, and has seen 41 teams compete in the last two editions.

At the end of the tough week-long India chapter, the winner gets an automatic entry to the RFC Global Series Finals held in Malaysia at the end of the year, where the winner gets to compete against some of the best off-road drivers from around the world.

Meanwhile, the highlight of this season would be Shruti Ranjan Pai and co-driver Sara Fanning from Bengaluru – the second-ever women's team to participate in RFC India. The first ladies team which participated in the inaugural edition had to pull out after two days of the race due to a technical fault in their vehicle.

However, Shruti and Sara – having named their team 'Simply Sage' – stand a chance to create history, if the duo manages to complete all the tasks of RFC India 2018. This year's contest will also have record participation from certain states – Kerala will have 10 teams, seven teams from Hyderabad and five teams from Karnataka.

Format and competition

The format of RFC India is divided into 26 Special Stages (SS). At the completion of every SS, points are awarded to participants for successfully completing a task. The drivers are penalised for failing to complete a task, overshooting marks, veering off course and damaging their surroundings. The team at the end of the race with maximum points becomes the overall champion.

For motorsport and off-road enthusiasts, Goa becomes the destination to head to and for the participating teams, it is going to be a test of human spirit.

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