A local rider, Venkatesh Shetty, a mechanic by profession from Worli, secured the pole position in the Sportscraft-promoted 28th Gulf Monsoon Scooter Rally in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
Shetty was a professional cyclist for a long time, and it was just two years ago that he started competing in motor rallies. He completed the time trial event with a penalty of 25 minutes 15 seconds. The technician also owns a workshop near Worli Sea face where he customises vehicles.
The 30-year-old overcame a strong field, which included a pool of former champions and harsh conditions, to emerge triumphant in the popular two-wheeler time trial, coursed around the backwoods of Navi Mumbai. “I was preparing for this rally for a year as I could not get a rank last year. I customised the bike myself because as a garage owner I knew how to make the best motor vehicle for these conditions. I think my knowledge helped me here,” says an overjoyed Shetty, who also received a prize amount of Rs 22,500.
In all, 54 riders competed in the 35-km dirt track rally, but only 49 could complete the challenge toughened by the weather and the mud-filled tracks. Shetty was riding for Lorraine’s racing on an Aprilia SR150.
After failing to get a rank in the previous edition of the rally, Shetty described how he prepared for this edition. “I was disheartened by my last year’s performance, but I kept practising. We have an excellent facility at Uran, which is also the biggest track in Mumbai, but we are unable to access it because of some reasons. I have been practising at Kute Supercross in Nashik, as well as another training track in Nagpur. Also, the owner of our Loretta D’lomen team guided us on how to navigate these challenging tracks,” he says.
Shetty talks about the racing challenges that he faced against the big names of scooter-rallying namely, Syed Asif Ali, Shamim Khan and Manjeet Singh Bassan. “Honestly speaking, I was intimidated by their experience at first, but as the race started, I saw I was doing well, and the odds were not against me anymore. The track was more complicated than other races because of the condition. You not only have to ride fast but also be careful about the route, as there are major slips and falls the riders may take.”
As the sit-out at this time of the year in Mumbai is most unpredictable, Shetty asserts, “In such weather conditions, the water puddles play a huge role in the race. If the water reaches the engine, it may also shut down, and that happened to many riders. These bikes can take torrential rains, but the puddles can cause trouble. I knew that this problem could occur and hence I designed my vehicle in a fashion that I would be on the safer side,” he adds.
“I will be looking forward to competing in many more challenges as this has boosted my confidence. The MRF Racing Championship will be my aim,” he signs off with a smile.
