2015 Gulf Monsoon Scooter Rally: 30 entries registered

Agrima Joshua Updated: July 30, 2015, 05:23 PM IST

Think your scooter is just an everyday-machine for ferrying you from point A to B, within a reasonable distance and on reasonable terrain? Well, the 26th edition of the Gulf Monsoon Scooter Rally is here to help you realise what more your machine is capable of. The rally scheduled for August 8-9, 2015 comprises of a 25km course through mud, slush, bog and all that the monsoon can throw at you and your scooter this year the starting point is K-Star in Navi Mumbai. The pictures from last year's rally pretty much sum it up.

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The entries for the event are on until July 31 this year, organisers Sportscraft (in collaboration with Gulf Oil) are accepting a maximum of 45 entries and 30 entries have already been registered. The competition? 2014 Gulf Monsoon Scooter Rally winner R Nataraj from TVS Racing is already signed up along with four-time champions Manjeet Singh Bassan, Muzaffar Ali and Kunal Rao, and scooter rally veteran Avtar Singh. Several entries from Bangalore, Pune and Aurungabad have been received but in the words of Sportscraft's Shrikant Karani, there is "an army of riders" registered from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. TVS Racing, Mahindra Two-wheelers and Ceat are the three professional FMSCI-sanctioned teams that'll take part in the rally.

2014 champion R Nataraj from TVS Racing

Competitors in the rally can sign up for any of the three classes - Class S1 (80-110cc) two-strokes, Class S2 (110-160cc) two-strokes, and Class FSG (up to 160cc) four-strokes. Winners will be getting prizes of up to Rs 75,000 and there is also a Late Firdosh Wazirdar Trophy for novices.

Monsoon Scooter Rally veterans like Manjit Singh Bassan too are expected to participate this year

While the previous scooter rally was divided into two sections Competitive and Transport - this year's format cuts down on about 50km of the course. The 26th edition of the Gulf Monsoon Scooter Rally will no longer be the 85km affair and will instead start and finish within one day, that is, August 9. The contenders will, however, have to take part in the ceremonial start from Our Lady's Home, in Dadar, Mumbai at 6pm on August 8.

For more details, head to www.sportscraftindia.com.

Gulf Oil brings you the 26th edition of the Monsoon Scooter Rally

Rough terrain. Scooters whizzing by. Enthusiastic riders. It's that time of the year once again. Gulf Oil presents its most unique annual event, the 26th edition of the Monsoon Scooter Rally. Having been a thrilling event each and every year, Gulf Oil partners with Sportscraft yet again, under the guidance of FMSCI. Riders can begin marking their calendars on August 9, 2015 to take place in the backwoods of Navi Mumbai. Known to be the only fully dedicated and organized monsoon scooter rally in India, this event invites professionals as well as biker enthusiasts to take part. This year, the rally is open to all types of scooters from two-stroke, four-stroke, and gearless. Winners will also win trophies and cash prizes of up to Rs. 75,000. Ravi Chawla - Managing Director, Gulf Oil Lubricants, commented, "With the sales of scooters growing close to four times faster than that of motorcycles in India, Gulf Oil's aim is to be present at the points of consumption where scooter owners can choose to buy our product and experience superior benefits i.e. instant pick-up (Insta Zoom). Our monsoon scooter rally is yet another such property to connect with our audience and build the brand relevance much strongly." Last year, the Gulf Monsoon Scooter rally was a huge success with 36 riders participating and this edition is expected to see even greater numbers! Faced with torrential rains, the riders encountered some of the toughest terrains out there, which have nothing but encouraged them to brace the challenge this year too. Champions who came out undefeated last year and also expected on the track this edition, include Muzaffar Ali of Bhopal, Manjeet Singh Bassan, the winner in 2002, '05, '07, '08, Shamim Khan, winner in 2003, '04, '10, '12, Kunal Rao winner of 2006, Avtar Singh, winner of 2001 and R Nataraj from the Bangalore TVS Racing Team. This year the competition will be tough as all the above will be vying for the title. Also last year's winner R. Nataraj, of TVS Racing Team will be flagged off first. With such a positive response from the previous years, Gulf Oil hopes to make this upcoming event just as exciting! Entries will be accepted till July 31st, and late entries can be extended to August 5th.