Pune: The Round 1 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2018 will kick start on April 27 in Chennai, with the country's best rallyists squaring off and renewing their battles for top honours. One of the top drivers participating in this race will be Mr. Vicky Chandhok, a veteran of the sport and an inspiration to young motorsport enthusiasts in the country.
Vicky Chandhok will be making a comeback into competitive racing after a long hiatus from motorsport racing. He will be competing in the topmost INRC category and will be piloting the Volkswagen Polo R2 rally car developed by Volkswagen Motorsport India under the leadership of Mr. Sirish Vissa. Chandramouli from Bengaluru will be navigating for Mr. Chandhok in this first round of the INRC 2018.
Speaking about his comeback to competitive rallying Mr. Vicky Chandhok said, “I am truly excited to be back rallying competitively after a break of over 17 years. The competition has surely evolved since the last time I rallied and I want to test myself against the best in the country.” He further added, “After test driving the Volkswagen Polo R2 earlier this year in Chennai, I was convinced that it is the perfect drive for me to make my comeback. Volkswagen Motorsport has had a rich legacy of rallying worldwide and in India and are known to craft some wonderful and competitive rally cars.”
Mr. Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “Alongside the development of our Ameo Cup cars for the upcoming season, the team has also been working simultaneously on the development of the Volkswagen Polo R2 rally car. The R2 rally car has gone through extensive testing and we are excited to see how well the car will perform this season. It is an honour for us that Vicky will be in the driving seat of our rally spec Volkswagen Polo R2 and we are excited to see how the car, driver and navigator all come together!”
Vicky Chandhok’s Motorsport History
Vicky Chandhok began his driving career way back 1972 and continued racing and rallying throughout the next 28 years, until his final competitive outing at the South India Rally in 2000, which he won. In that period he competed and won races all over India in Formula Fords, Formula Indians, Formula 3 and Formula 2 cars during the heyday of Indian motorsport. As a driver, Vicky won some of India’s biggest Rallies – the Himalayan Rally, the Rallye D’ Endurance, the South India Rally in Chennai, the Popular Rally in Kerala and the Charminar Challenge in Hyderabad.