C.S. Santosh to ride for Hero MotoSports rally debut

Announcing its foray into the world of motorcycle rally racing, automobile giant Hero MotoCorp on Wednesday named the seasoned C.S. Santosh as one of the riders for its team -- Hero MotoSports Team Rally.

The company joined hands with German off-road racing specialist -- Speedbrain GmbH -- as the newly formed team will make its debut at the Merzouga Rally in Morocco, a Dakar series race, from May 21 to 27.

The team comprising Santosh and Portugal's Joaquim Rodrigues will be riding on the upgraded version of the successful Speedbrain 450 rally bike and will participate in international rallies across the globe, leading up to the Dakar rally 2017.

Having participated in several international rally events, Santosh is poised to make a mark in the global racing arena while his team-mate is a rookie in rally sport. The team will be headed by Speedbrain's managing director Wolfgang Fischer.

Welcoming the two racers, Hero MotoCorp chairman Pawan Munjal highlighted his company's efforts to support sportspersons.

"In the recent past, we have rapidly expanded our global footprint and also made significant investments in enhancing our R&D capabilities. Motorsport is a natural progression for us, as it will allow us to bring value-added products with top-of-the-line technology for our millions of customers," Munjal said in a release.

"This initiative is also reflective of our consistent support to sports and sportspersons. I welcome Santosh and Joaquim on board and wish them all the very best," he added.

--IANS

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