The annual rally of Maharashtra was held over the last weekend in the scenic hills near Bhandardara, Nashik. Gaurav Gill, with co-driver Musa Sherif, steered his rally-built Mahindra XUV to victory over the 400Km rally spread over six special stages. Arjun Rao Aroor, driving a Volkswagen Polo, claimed second position while Round 1 winner Amittrajit Ghosh turned out to be the third fastest overall.
For the IRC class, Abhilash PG and Srikanth Gowda claimed first and were faster than Suraj Kute and Shamim Khan by over four minutes. The 2000cc class battle went down to the wire with rally veteran Dr Bikku Babu with co-driver Milen George finishing just one second ahead of Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pai.
Gaurav Gill dominated the Rally of Maharashtra clocking the fastest times in four out of the six special stages. Round 1 winner Amittrajit Ghosh, also driving a Mahindra XUV, suffered punctures in multiple stages but still managed to come back strong to get on the podium. Arjun Rao Aroor, driving a Volkswagen Polo, maintained steady pace throughout to finish 1:04 minutes behind Gaurav Gill through the entire course of the rally.
The Rally of Maharahstra, organised by WISA, was held in a one day format for the first time with a shakedown followed by two loops over the three special stages. This rally is known for its fast pace and lower margins for error and with the rain coming to party, seeing the rally cars going at full pace was a sight worth seeing for the enthusiastic spectators.
