Rajendra bags third leg
Team TVS Racing extended their grip on the national twowheeler rally championship with Rajendra R. E. scoring a comfortable 1 minute, 45 seconds win over championship leader R. Natraj in the third leg near Pune on Sunday.
Riding a TVS RTR 200, Rajendra bested Natraj by completing the three stages measuring 51 kilometres in 44 minutes 50 seconds against 46: 35 by the defending champion, who was astride the RTR 450FX bike.
Rajendra took the first stage in 15 minutes 20 seconds, but was faster on other two stages, winning SS2 in 14: 50 and SS3 in 14: 40, while Natraj, who found it difficult last year too, failed by break the 15 minute barrier.
The only tarmac rally of the six- legged championship sprang a few surprises as smaller and stock vehicles took advantage of the highend bikes going through the 17- km stage taken thrice in the same direction.
Team TVS Racing nonetheless dominated with all the top three positions in overall category taken by their riders — Rajendra followed by Natraj and Samuel Jacob.
Class 1 meant for Superbike Pro- Expert saw Natraj staying up given that he was the lone competitor in the category since his two other team mates — Abdul Waheed Tanweer and Aravind K. P. — gave it a miss for different reasons.
Tanweer is recuperating from an injury sustained during the second round of the national supercross championship in Goa, while Aravind is busy with his international riding commitments for TVS Racing ahead of the 2019 Dakar Rally.
In the ladies class, Aishwarya Pissay from TVS Racing won again, but by just one second over privateer Fazeela A. U. from Palakkad.
Mayuresh Nimbaklar won the Star of Pune title in the Locals class by five seconds from Nikhil Kamthe.
Rajendra bested Natraj by completing the three stages measuring 51kms in 44: 50 against 46: 35 by the defending champion