Motorsport returns to Uttarakhand after 23 years

Uttarakhand is taking the adventure route to entice tourists back to its green vales. After almost a quarter of a century, the state is bringing motorsport back on its tourism calendar to boost confidence among tourists, and woo them to its tourism hotspots again.

The state government is all set to host the Uttarakhand Adventure Car Rally Dec 22-24 with about 35 teams from all parts of the country participating the event that will cover 1,000 km in the mountain state and to be run on Time-Speed-Distance (TSD) format.

The purpose of the rally is to spread the message nationally and internationally that life is throbbing in the mountain state again, the roads are good, and holiday fun is calling, according to a press release from the organisers.

The Uttarakhand Adventure Car Rally will have 35 teams driving cars and SUVs. Each team will comprise a driver and a navigator. The rally is being held under the aegis of the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board and organised by Himalayan Motorsport. The event is supported by Maruti Suzuki and JK Tyre.

The Uttarakhand Adventure Car Rally will touch some of the most beautiful tourist hotspots of the state. It will begin from Dehradun Dec 22 and move via Dev Prayag, Karn Prayag, Rudra Prayag and Nand Prayag to the ski resort of Auli.

With newly-laid out, smooth roads, the picturesque drive leads to the celebrated snow-tops, a delight for skiers and sight-seeing. On the way is Shivpuri, which draws huge domestic and foreign tourism for white water rafting.

On day two, the rally will come down from Auli to Ramnagar which flanks the Jim Corbett National Wildlife Park, again a tourist hotspot. On day three, the rally will end at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie.

The Rally brings the mountain state on the motorsport calendar of the country after 23 years. The internationally-popular Himalayan Rally was the last motorsport event on these winding mountain roads.