Most of us know or have known a person who is good at almost everything — someone who is ‘tuned’ to win, has the inner fire to push the very limits. C.S. Santosh is one such guy. Motorsport enthusiast know him as the country’s premier Motocross rider. The Bangalorean knows no fear, and love flirting with danger. At the Raid de Himalaya, Santosh would be testing his endurance levels in the Motorbike Xtreme category. “Rally is sort of opposite to Motocross. In Motocross, I am always pumped up. There is a rush of blood. In a rally, it is the opposite. You have to be calm, smart and do nothing stupid,” says Santosh, who is at the event for the second time. “I am trying rallying as I need something different. Motocross would have been fun if I had more competition,” he said. “Last year (at Raid) was tough. I am used to the rush. Here I have to constantly remind myself to calm down. I talk to myself a lot for that.” But its not just his mental strength he would be testing. At a rally in the Gulf in the not-too-distant past, Santosh’s bike had caught fire, leaving burns on his neck and left jaw. Fire can put even the best out of business, but not Santosh. “I am alright now. These are mere cosmetic changes,” he says, pointing to the scars on his neck. “Fire hasn’t had any impact on me. This is third event after the accident. First one was in Sri Lanka, the next was the national championship in Ahmedabad.” However, Santosh’s preparation for the Raid hasn’t been auspicious. His brand new bike, the 2013 edition of Suzuki RMX 450, is withheld by Customs at Delhi, forcing him to use a 2008 version. But Santosh isn’t fazed. “I’ll get more attention and publicity if I ride a Suzuki as this is a Maruti Suzuki event,” he said, tongue firmly in cheek.
