Over 50 competitors from across India will vie for top honours at the JK Tyre Himalayan Drive 7, the country's only multi-nation TSD (time, speed and distance) drive that gets underway here on Wednesday.
The 800-km JK Tyre Himalayan Drive 7 will see the competitors drive their mean machines for four days through majestic locations in north Bengal, scenic hills in Darjeeling and various picturesque routes in Bhutan.
The TSD drive will cover a wide variety of terrain, ranging from tarmac, river beds, dirt tracks, forest paths to mountainous roads.
While the entire route will pose a great challenge to the competitors, it will test them to the hilt in Paro in Bhutan where the drivers might have to drive in extreme tricky conditions due to the impending snowfall prediction.
"We are really excited. It is India's only international TSD drive that provides a great opportunity to our top rallyists to stretch themselves to the limit, besides giving a huge boost to motorsports in the region," said Sanjay Sharma, Head JK Motorsport.
The drivers will start from Siliguri post the ceremonial flag-off and travel all the way to Murti, driving past North Bengal's lush forests, river banks and embankments and idyllic towns.
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The second leg will see the drivers start their journey from Murti to Paro, going through tea gardens and forests entering Bhutan through Phuentsholing.
From Phuentsholing, the competitors will hit the mountain roads filled with hairpin bends and steep gradients before entering the breath-taking Paro Valley.
On the third day, they drive back from Paro Valley through Dooars and cross the iconic Coronation Bridge over Teesta river to reach Kalimpong.
The final leg of this rally, on Saturday, will have the competitors drive down from Kalimpong, cross the Teesta bridge, Mungpoo, Jorebunglow and Kurseong before descending into the plains through Rohini.
After reaching the plains, they will go through Dudhia and Panighata, the riverbeds of Menjha and Mechi, and touch Naxalbari before taking the Asian Highway 2 and then National Highway 27 to finish at the City Center at Siliguri, where the prize distribution will take place in the evening.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
