J&K Bank Mughal Rally to be held on June 30-July 1

The Mughal Rally, to be organised by the Shimla-based motorsport club Himalayan Motorsport, has two categories -- Xtreme and Enduro. The Xtreme is an about outright speed, while the Enduro follows the TSD (Time-Speed-Distance) format.

For Rally Xtreme, the three automobile majors are fielding champions of competitive motorsport in the country for an all-out 'speed and skill' contest. Tata's Xenons are up against Mahindra's tigers - the XUV 500 and the Thar, and Maruti's powerdrive, the Grand Vitara.

Team Mahindra will be led by Gaurav Gill, winner at Asia Pacific Rally Championship 2011. He will have team-mates in former APRC winner Karamjit Singh, a Malaysian of Indian origin, Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) winner Lohitt Urs of Mysore and Chandigarh daredevil Sunny Sidhu.

Gill, Singh and Urs are driving the XUV 500, while Sidhu takes on the Mahindra Thar for the event.

Team Tata will be represented by Sanjay Takale of Pune, Taufeeq Mughal of Srinagar and Arindam Ghosh of Kolkata for the Xtreme category. Takale has repeatedly recorded podium finishes at the Raid De Himalaya and the Desert Storm. All three are driving Xenons.

The star of Team Maruti is the tough mountain driver -- Suresh Rana of Manali. Rana is seven-time consecutive winner of the Raid De Himalaya and numero uno at the Desert Storm.

Rana will take on the Xenons, the XUVs and the Thars in a Grand Vitara.

Team Thunderbolt, which had Rana on board earlier, will be headed by Chandigarh's Harpreet Bawa.

The J&K government is enthusiastic about hosting the event because it will showcase the untapped potential for adventure tourism in the state as it will take a different, offbeat circuit, exploring untouched areas like the Sinthan Pass, Pir Ki Gali, Bafliaz and the picturesque medieval Mughalsarai at Aliabag.