Lahore: Jeeps from all around Pakistan race in the Ravi

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Three winners awarded in each of four categories
* Rally participants say more rallies should be organised on regular basis * One participant says races important to encourage young drivers

By Ali Usman

LAHORE: The dry riverbed of the River Ravi was transformed into a racing track on Sunday, as enthusiasts from across the country raced jeeps on a 10-kilometre-long track in the city’s first Jeep rally.

In preparation for the race, the organisers of the rally — the Tourism and Development Corporation of Pakistan (TDCP) — had completed a track on the dry bed of the river from the Sagian Bridge to the Motorway Bridge. The organisers also erected tents and placed seats on the sidelines for the spectators to allow them relative comfort to watch the jeeps.s.

With participation of around 60 motorists, the rally was arranged in such a manner that individual vehicles were timed when they drove on the track. The final scores were then tallied and the vehicle with the lowest time was proclaimed the winner of its respective category.

The competition had four categories for petrol jeeps: Category A included jeeps with an engine power of 3,401CC and above; Category B included jeeps with an engine power between 2,401CC and 3,400CC; Category C included jeeps with an engine power between 1,401CC to 2,401CC; and Category D included jeeps with an engine power below 1,400CC. Similarly, the competition had four categories for diesel-powered jeeps: Category A included jeeps with an engine power exceeding 3,501CC; Category B included jeeps with an engine power between 2,901CC to 3,500CC; Category C included jeeps with an engine power between 1,601CC and 2,900CC; and Category D included jeeps with an engine power below 1,600CC. The prize in each category was Rs 50,000 for first place; Rs 35,000 for second place; and Rs 25,000 for third place.

Winners: The winner of Category D, Roni Patel from Karachi, covered the 10-kilometre distance in 10 minutes, 50 seconds. Second prize was awarded to Noor Nabi from Bahawalnagar for covering the distance in 11 minutes, nine seconds, while Muhammad Azam won the third prize after covering the distance in 11 minutes, 54 seconds.

The winner of Category C, Mussa Nadeem from Lahore, won the first prize by covering the distance in 10 minutes, 36 seconds. Asad Khoro from Karachi came in second after covering the same distance only one second slower — 10 minutes, 37 seconds. Sardar Channa from Lahore won third prize with a time of 10 minutes, 51 seconds..

In Category B, Nadir Magsi, the Sindh Food minister, won first prize. He covered the distance in nine minutes, 46 seconds. Sardar Channa from Lahore won second position after covering the distance in 10 minutes, 25 seconds. Noman Khan from Lahore won third prize and covered the distance in 10 minutes, 40 seconds.

Nadir Magsi won first prize in Category A and covered the distance in nine minutes, 48 seconds. Asad Khoro came in second in the same category and Saad Khan came in third.

More rallies: The participants of the rally said that while this was the first rally of its kind in Lahore, it should definitely not be the last. They said that the track was ideal for racing and had all the ingredients necessary for a race. Mussa Nadeem, the winner of Category C, told Daily Times that such events should be organised in Lahore on a regular basis to provide residents with more entertainment opportunities. Nadeem, who is an MBA student at the Lahore School of Economics (LSE), said that jeeps were his passion and he had really enjoyed the race. Asad Khuro, who won second position, said that it had been fun to participate in a race in Lahore. He said that he had come to Lahore two days prior to the race and practiced a day before the rally. “We have been asking them (drivers from Lahore) to arrange a Rally Cross here and now they did it. I really enjoyed it,” he added.

Important: One of the rally participants, Haider Aman Khan, said that such races were important to encourage young drivers. “This race had a very young driver, Mussa Nadeem, who managed to beat renowned racer Asad Khoro,” he said. He said that the country has great talent in motor sports but the lack of a proper driving training school limits its scope. He said that the expensive nature of the sport also prevented many great drivers from Cholistan and other areas from displaying their talent. Spectators of the race started to arrive at the race from early in the morning but it could not start in time. Shahid Mehmood, a spectator, said that he came to see the race at 9am. He said that he had enjoyed the festive look of the event, adding that Lahore should have more such events in future.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg13_8