The incessant rains in the state have set
the perfect stage for the fourth edition of Force Gurkha RFC, one of the most
talked about off-roading events in the country that begins today. To be held
across nine days in the muckiest and slushiest parts of Goa, the competition
will see participants overcome rigorous obstacles in their quest for the trophy.
This year, 40 robust teams from across the country, each comprising a driver
and a co-driver, are going to compete against each other, with the top Indian
driver of the competition getting monetary benefits worth $8000, including a
free automatic entry to the Rainforest Challenge (RFC) Mother Event to be held
in Malaysia later in the year.
To make things even more exciting, three
teams from Goa will be competing in Force Gurkha RFC India 2017. The first team
from the state, Cedrick Jordan DaSilva (co-driver Dushyant Khosla) is an RFC
India veteran and a local off-roading celebrity. Tejas Prakash Shindolkar
(co-driver Pushker Audi) is the second team, whereas the third team, Dattaraj
Dessai (co-driver Rohan Kalekar), will represent the off-road club ‘Incredible
Offroaders Goa’ in the competition.
RFC India, the India Chapter of the
Malaysian RFC, was launched by Delhi-based Cougar Motorsport four years ago in
2014. The Malaysian RFC is listed among the top ten toughest motor races in the
world and has over 20 editions worldwide. Over the last three years, RFC India has
managed to secure a position in the top three in the RFC Global Series. Apart
from three editions in Goa, RFC has also had two regional chapters in Bangalore
and Chandigarh.
When contacted, Ashish Gupta, Founder and
Director, Cougar Motorsport says, “It is exhilarating to see the tremendous
response that this event with teams coming from various parts of the country
including Delhi, Goa, Maharashtra, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Kerala, Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu. Of these, 15 new teams will compete for the newly instituted
‘Rookie of the Event’ Award for the best debutant of the competition. The
stakes have increased and so has the level of competition. It will be
interesting to see what new tricks and skills the participants have up their
sleeve this time.”
RFC India will be held in 26 competitive
Special Stages (SS) aimed at testing the contestants’ driving and vehicle
recovery skills, team spirit and their physical and mental endurance under
extreme off-road conditions. Based on a point system, the competitors earn
set-points on successful completion of stages. However, penalties are incurred
in case of failure to complete a task, non-adherence to the rules or damage to
the flora and fauna at the event location. The team with maximum points in
their account at the end of the competition wins the title.
Contrary to last year, where the event used
to start from the city center and proceed towards off-road locations in various
parts of Goa, this year the event will start right from the off-road heartland
and conclude in the city. Therefore, the first set of Special Stages of the
off-road motorsport mega event will be held at Xenem in Gancim on July 24;
followed by further SS in Suquerbag in Cavorem on July 25 and 26, and at Green
Hills Agri Farm in Maina, Cavorem on July 27 and 28. The event will conclude in
Dona Paula with the final Special Stages being held at the Rajiv Gandhi IT
Habitat on July 29 and 30.