Thaindian News

Kolkata, Nov 6 (IANS) Twenty-four national-level rally drivers will vie for the top spot in the first national motor sports event to be held in the hills of Eastern India, with a purse of Rs. 14,30,000.

The two-day 400 km Vodafone Eastern Mountain Safari (VEMS) 2011 begins Nov 11 with Siliguri in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district being the start and the finish point.

“The race is the first national motor-sports event in the hills of eastern India with an all-India presence. Also for the first time, a manufacturer team in the form of Team Tata and an army team will participate in a motor event in eastern India,” said Amittrajit Ghosh, a former national rally champion and the brain behind the event.

Travelling in and around Siliguri and its neighbouring mountain ranges, the rally will once again follow the exciting trend of GPS time controls along with the Standard Time Controls and Self-Time Controls.

The champion will get reacher by Rs 5 lakh, the runner-up would win Rs 3 lakh and the third placed Rs 2 lakh.

Ghosh said the recently concluded maiden Formula 1 event in India has and will continue to generate interest among people for motor sports.

“After the grand success of the Formula 1 event in New Delhi people are contemplating constructing more such race tracks across the country. People have now started to considering motor sports as a sporting activity which hitherto was not there,” said Ghosh.

He also said West Bengal had ideal roads for hosting international events like the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).

“The APRC is the best platform for Indian drivers to get international exposure. Our drivers have been doing well but lack of international events in the country has hindered their progress.

“The state has the best roads to host APRC but lack of governmental encouragement to the sport has prevented international events to come home.”