IANS Photo
Panaji, July 22 (IANS): The state of Goa will play host to India’s biggest and toughest off-road motorsports event, the Rainforest Challenge (RFC) India, from Saturday till July 29 with 21 teams consisting of some of the best off-roaders from across the country taking part.
Each team, consisting of a driver and a co-driver, will undertake 26 challenges, referred to as Special Stages (SS), during the week-long competition in their specially prepared 4-wheel drive vehicles. The team with the maximum points at the end of all the SS of the competition will be announced as the RFC India 2023 Champions.
The winners of the previous editions of RFC India include Satish Kumar (co-driver Chethan Chengappa) from Karnataka in 2022, Kabir Waraich (co-driver Dushyant Khosla) from Chandigarh in 2021, Gurmeet Virdi (co-driver Chetan Chengappa) from Chandigarh in 2019, Jagat Nanjappa (co-driver Chetan Changappa) from Karnataka in 2018, Gurmeet Virdi (co-driver Kirpal Singh Tung) from Chandigarh in 2017 and 2016 as well as Tan Eng Joo (co-driver Tan Choon Hong) of Malaysia, representing Force Motors, in 2015 and 2014.
The 9th edition of the mega event is back with some much-awaited adrenalin-filled off-road action. The event is organised by the Delhi-based Cougar Motorsport.
The winners of the competition will be announced on July 29 and the top Indian driver of RFC India 2023 will win a free entry to the RFC Global Series 2023 Finale to be held in Malaysia at the end of the year.
RFC India was launched by Cougar Motorsport in 2014 as the India Chapter of the Rainforest Challenge of Malaysia, which is ranked No.3 in the Five Toughest Off-Road Races in the World by Skoda Motorsport (2018) and which has regional chapters in over 30 countries worldwide. Over the years, RFC India has emerged as the most prestigious off-road motorsport competition in India.
Luis J.A. Wee, Founder and Creator of the Rainforest Challenge, wished the competitors the very best for the challenges that are in store for them over the course of the event.
“When the Southwest monsoon blows, it is time for the award-winning Rainforest Challenge India to, once again, take its rightful place among the elite events of the RFC Global Series. It will be quite thrilling when the bravest of the land daredevils converge in Goa to put their off-road driving and recovery skills to the test at the India edition of one of the world’s top five toughest off-road races. Congratulations to all the participants for making it to the 9th edition of this mega event,” he said.
Maruti Suzuki has made a comeback in the motorsport space with RFC India 2023. The company has joined hands with Cougar Motorsport as the Co-Sponsor and 4X4 Partner of this mega motorsport event.
During the next few days, some of the most evolved off-roaders of the country will compete against each other and they will be tested on several parameters such as their driving and vehicle recovery skills, physical and mental resilience as well as their capability to work well as a team under extreme off-road conditions.
