Mangaluru: The popular Mahindra Monsoon Rally 2019 edition will be held in the first week of July. The three-day challenge will be flagged off on July 5 from Forum Fiza Mall at 6 PM, according to the coordinator of the rally, Ashwin Naik. This will be the 9th event under the Mahindra Monsoon Rally organised by the Indian Motor Sport Club (IMSC) Mangalore chapter.
According to Naik, the rally will be held on Time, Speed and Distance (TSD) format. The participants will plough through the rainwashed roads of the Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu districts before reaching Mysuru via Chamarajanagar and the Satyamangala Ghats, finishing at Ootacamund (Ooty).
A total of 35 participants from across the country are will test their skills in this rally. Like the last edition, the rally will have seven different categories- ladies, couples, corporate, doctors, novice, amateur and professional class. The winner will take away a trophy and cash prize worth Rs 5 lakhs.
The 2019 edition of the Monsoon Rally is longer by a little more than 100 kilometres when compared to its previous editions. This time, the participants will pass through two critical passes- Sampaje in Kodagu and the treacherous Satyamangala Ghats in Tamil Nadu. The total distance from Mangaluru to Ootacamund is 600 kilometres, Ashwin explained.
The rally has attained national importance as it is the only rally that is held during the monsoons season in a region known to receive 4000 MMs of rain every year.
