Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M Ltd.), India’s leading SUV manufacturer, today announced that it will be the title sponsor of the ‘Mahindra Adventure Rally of Maharashtra’, the 1st round of the Indian Rally Championship (IRC) 2014. After being fastest in four out of the five rounds of INRC last year and winning top positions in the INSUVRC (Indian National SUV Rally Championship) class, the team is all set to blaze the trails this year as well, competing for the Indian Rally Championship title.
Having organised several TSD (Time, Speed & Distance) rallies, Mahindra is strengthening its presence in the motorsport arena, by supporting an extreme rally championship and being the title sponsor for Rally of Maharashtra for the second year in a row. In fact it is also the only manufacturer-led entry in the INRC. Being in the motorsports arena for 14 years now, Rally of Maharashtra is the only tarmac rally in the country.
Following the win at Desert Storm 2014, the diesel powered XUV500s are favourites to finish fastest again, this time on home terrain at Nasik. The three Super XUV500s will be driven by a remarkable mix of drivers and navigators, current APRC champion Gaurav Gill (co- driver Musa Sherif), current INRC champion Amittrajit Ghosh (co- driver Ashwin Naik) and current Desert Storm champion Sunny Sidhu (co- driver PVS Murthy).
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Vivek Nayer, Chief Marketing Officer, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “At Mahindra we are committed towards encouraging and supporting motorsport rallies in India. Being the title sponsor for the ‘Rally of Maharashtra’ is a step towards that direction and we are sponsoring it for the second year in a row. This rally is also of special importance to us since one of our largest and oldest manufacturing facilities is based out of Nasik, which is also the rally headquarters.”
Mr. Nayer, further added, “After the triumph in the recently concluded Desert Storm Rally and finishing fastest in four out of the five Indian National Rally Championship rounds last season, our vehicles have clearly proven their mettle against the competition on all kinds of terrain. Now we are all set to take on the Indian Rally Championship for 2014 and will strive to push the limits again!”
About Mahindra Adventure Rally of Maharashtra
Organised by WISA under the aegis of FMSCI, the ‘Mahindra Adventure Rally of Maharashtra’ is the 1st round of the Indian Rally Championship (IRC). The stages run between Sinnar & Bhandardara area of Nagar District. Sinnar is an industrial area, 30 km from Nashik on the Nashik-Pune road.
There are 3 physical stages in the event, the first one, the super special stage will be held on 13thJune 2014, at Dada Sahib Phalke stadium. The next 3 stages will run twice on 14th June, once in the morning and the second one after a service break and the last one in the afternoon. The distance of each stage will be; SS 1 (Alpha) is 14 km, SS 2 (Beta) is 16 km and SS 3 (Gamma) is 7 km.
About the Mahindra Adventure Initiative
A unique concept to showcase the off-roading capabilities of Mahindra vehicles, Mahindra Adventure functions as an umbrella brand with a series of adventure and motor sports events organised under its banner.
The Mahindra Adventure calendar comprises a series of events throughout the year such as the popular off-roading event, the Great Escape, several Challenges (sporting events in keeping with the company’s promise of providing adrenaline pumping challenges), Multi-Day Escapes like Monastery Escape (Leg 1; Delhi- Manali- Jispa- Sarchu- Leh –Srinagar & Leg 2; Srinagar- Leh- Sarchu- Jispa- Manali- Delhi, for 10 days each), Royal Escape (Rajasthan drive for 6 days), Tri- Nation Escape (Bhutan, India & Nepal- 14 days), Authentic Goa (4 days) & Wild Escape (4 days drive to various Wild Life sanctuaries). In addition to the previously held events, this year new Multi-Day Escapes, such as Authentic North East (10 days), Spiti Escape (7 days) have been added.
Mahindra Adventure also enters official teams in some of India’s most popular motorsports events including Dakshin Dare, Raid de Himalaya, Desert Storm and INRC.
To spread the DNA of off-roading, the Mahindra Adventure team has also recently launched the Mahindra Adventure Off-Road Training Academy in Igatpuri.
For more information please visit www.mahindraadventure.com
About Mahindra
The Mahindra Group focuses on enabling people to rise through solutions that power mobility, drive rural prosperity, enhance urban lifestyles and increase business efficiency.
A USD 16.5 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra employs more than 180,000 people in over 100 countries. Mahindra operates in the key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, information technology and vacation ownership. In addition, Mahindra enjoys a strong presence in the agribusiness, aerospace, components, consulting services, defence,
energy, financial services, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, retail, steel, commercial vehicles and two wheeler industries.
In 2012, Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000 list, a listing of the biggest and most powerful listed companies in the world. In 2013, the Mahindra Group received the Financial Times ‘Boldness in Business’ Award in the ‘Emerging Markets’ category.
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