Thaindian News

Chikmgalur, Nov 20 (IANS) Arjun Balu, one of the finest drivers to grace the Indian rallying scene in recent times, has decided to quit after a 17-year career during which he represented Team MRF with great distinction, but never quite received the recognition he deserved.

Speaking to IANS here Saturday night after he retired from the Coffee Day Rally due to a Cam sensor failure, the 36-year-old Coimbatore-based Balu said though he is retiring he would continue his association with motorsports.

“It is an emotional moment for me, but I realise that it is time to quit rallying though my association with motorsport will continue. I arrived at the decision after much thought and it struck me that I had been rallying for 17 years without break and that too for just one team, MRF. I thought it was best to quit when I am at the top of my sport,” he said.

“I conveyed my decision to (Team MRF boss) Tony Rodricks and though he asked me to reconsider and complete the season, I stuck to my decision. I am grateful to MRF for all the support over the years,” added Balu.

Balu, who started out as a single-seater racer before joining the MRF rally team, made brief international appearances. He had his finest moment when he won the China round of the Asia Zone series in 2001 and the following year, he took part in a couple of rounds of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship.

For all his driving skills and ability that were reflected in his clean lines through corners and commitment, lady luck, which is very much a key element in rallying success, rarely smiled on him. However, his intermittent wins and podium finishes were constant reminders of his talent.

In the early part of his rallying career, Balu lived in the shadow of seven times champion V.R. Naren Kumar and subsequently, Gaurav Gill who has since dominated Indian rallying.

Balu’s accommodative nature while served the team’s cause, did not lend him the high profile he deserved, though he was no slouch compared to either Naren Kumar or Gill.

In an interview soon after winning the Karnataka-1000 Rally in 2009 Balu had said: “I was on par with Naren for whom I have a lot of respect. He has achieved a lot and I consider him as one of the best rally drivers India has produced.

“But then, circumstances were such that he was considered as the team’s lead driver and quite naturally, the focus was on him. I have no regrets though, for such is the nature of the sport.”