PANJIM: The fourth edition of India’s toughest international off-road motorsport event, Force Gurkha RFC India, will be held in Goa from July 22 to July 30.
Three Goan teams will be participating in the event which includes Cedrick Jordan DaSilva (co-driver Dushyant Khosla), Tejas Prakash Shindolkar (co-driver Pushker Audi) and DattarajDessai (co-driver Rohan Kalekar).
Of these three, Tejasrepresents the off-roadclub ‘IncredibleOffroaders Goa’, whereas Cedric and Dattaraj areparticipating as individual entries.
RFC India, organised by Delhi-based Cougar Motorsport Pvt. Ltd, is the India Chapter of the iconic Rainforest Challenge of Malaysia, which is amongst the top ten toughest motor races in the world.
37-year- old Goan businessman Cedrick Jordan said, “Participating in RFC India is one of the best things one can do as on off-roader. My performance at the event has steadily improvedover the years; I was at the fifth position in RFC India 2015 and rose to the fourth position in the 2016 edition. I have entered the event this year with a clear intent of winning the overall trophyand I am fully prepared to fight for the ultimate prize.”
The difficulty level, teams and preparation, all seem to be on a steady rise every season.Tejas Prakash Shindolkar claimed, “RFC India is different and tougher than any other off-roading event in India. Each and every challenge is unique, different techniques and skills are tested in every Special Stage. Competing in this event requires a calm approach as well as optimum use of equipment and technique in a time bound system, which takes a toll on most of the participants.”
RFC India debutant participant, Dattaraj Dessai has been an ardent follower of the event ever since its launch in India in 2014. He says, “During the last three editions, I used to travel to all the locations and watch the competitors performing in the Special Stages. Then post event, I would go to the same locations to practice. To be confident of our chances here, it has taken me around two years to modify my vehicle as per RFC India specifications. My co-driver and I have been focusing a lot on our fitness and we have invested our share of energy, attention and money to prepare for the upcoming challenge. Participating in this event is the fulfillment of a long cherished dream and as the event date is approaching, I am feeling like a cocktail of excitement and nervousness!”
