Defending champion Suresh Rana will aim for a hat-trick when he hits the treacherous terrain of the Thar desert during the 12th Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm which flags off from here tomorrow.
Rana, the rallyist with the highest number of motorsport golds in the last two decades, will take on two APRC champions -- Malaysia's Karamjit Singh and Delhi's Gaurav Gill.
All three are competing in Storm Xtreme with Rana and Karamjit Singh driving for Team Maruti. The rally will end at Jaipur on March 1.
Rana has won the Desert Storm thrice - in 2009, 2012 and 2013. He is also nine-time winner of Maruti Suzuki Raid De Himalaya. Rana has beaten Gill twice earlier at the Desert Storm, in 2012 and 2013.
Both Rana and Karamjit are driving Grand Vitara for the rally. Rana said the biggest challenge is the treacherous desert terrain. "To finish first, you must finish," he quipped.
Rana admitted that driving top-speed in the sand can be tricky. "One has to maintain momentum so that one doesn't get stuck, and take on the dunes at the right speed and angle."
He admitted that the two night stages at the Desert Storm -- on the first and the last day of the event -- could be the biggest challenge.
"The navigator's role is very strong here - there is no room for error. You need momentum, and you also need to make sure you don't get lost. During the night stages, if you can see 50 meters ahead, drive only that much, and refrain from wild risks," said Rana, who along with his navigator Ashwin Naik of Bangalore had won 2013 Maruti Suzuki Raid De Himalaya.
"Getting lost in the wild desert outback can incur heavy penalties, and drive the best of competitors out of the event," he said.
Karamjit of Malaysia has been APRC champion in 2001, 2002 and 2004. His navigator for the Desert Storm is Parminder Thakur.
The other major competitors in the Xtreme category (4X4) at the Desert Storm are Amanpreet Ahluwalia, Lohit Urs, Sunny Sidhu, Sandeep Sharma, Harpreet Bawa, Major Amarinder Singh Brar, Amartej Pal Buwal and Gaurav Chiripal.
