Gerrari Offroaders' Gurmeet Virdi and navigator Kirpal Tung regained the lead of the 2017 Rain Forest Challenge India (RFC India) after the completion of the third day yesterday, but only by a very narrow margin.
Just six points separate them and second placed Siddhartha Santosh and navigator Prithviraj AC of BODA after the end of 15 special stages with another 11 to from today until Saturday before the results are announced on Sunday.
Stages 10 to 15, held at Suquerbag, Quepem in Margao were - like the stages the day before - not as intense as the ones on the opening day bar one and got over within the time the officials had allotted for them.
However, special stage 11 that involved a steep climb up what later became a slippery slope - due to intermittent drizzles - followed by having to do a winch-assisted three-point turn and come down again tested many competitors. It was the only stage that caused delays and left vehicles damaged as well as they tried to finish it. Not to mention, there was confusion among the competitors as to what constituted a DNF or a penalty on the very technical stage that had two cone markers that had to be crossed before attempting the three-point turn.
Virdi and Tung now have 1072 points after the end of special stage 15 with Santosh and Prithviraj on 1066.
In third place is former nine-time title winner of the Indian National Rally Championship for motorcycles Jagat Nanjappa along with navigator Chetan Changappa of V5 Offroaders with 1021 points.
Cedrick Jordan Da Sliva and navigator Dushyant Khosla are fourth with 930 points as they continue their upward climb through the standings and BODA's Vivek Thomas Kuriakosse and navigator Ashok Abraham Kuriakosse are fifth overall with 859 points.
Just 15 points behind them are the fast improving team of Malaysians Merwyn Lim and navigator Tan Choon Hong whose V-8 powered machine - participating for Team Fairmont - found the going better in the more open stages on Wednesday and Thursday.
The event will now move to Green Hills Agri Farms, Maina, Quepem in Margao from today for special stages 16 to 18 that will start from three in the afternoon. Stages 19 to 24 will be held in the same location tomorrow with stages kicking off at nine in the morning.
2017 RAIN FOREST CHALLENGE INDIA (Top ten after SS 15)
1) Gurmeet Virdi/Kirpal Tung – 1072
2) Siddharth Santosh/Prithviraj AC – 1066
3) Jagat Nanjappa/Chetan Changappa – 1021
4) Cedrick Jordan DaSilva/Duhsyant Khosla – 930
5) Vivek Thomas Kuriakosse/Ashok Abraham Kuriakosse – 859
6) Merwyn Lim/Tan Choon Hong – 844
7) Sanbir Singh Dhaliwal/Gurpratap Singh – 795
8) N Abhinav Reddy/Saiyed Taj – 787
9) Sam Kurian Karalickal/Arun Padupoyil – 728
10) Anand V Manjooran/Vishnu Raj – 722
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