Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M Ltd) recently concluded the third season of its ‘Spice Challenge’ event, the ‘Spice Challenge 2013’ in Cochin.
The event was conducted in association with JK Tyres and is a scenic and competitive TSD (time, speed, distance) rally that saw participation from more than 40 vehicles from the Mahindra stable, who covered the challenging 500km route in two days.
The Spice Challenge 2013 started from Poovar. On day one, the rally made its way from the estuary of Poovar to the backwaters of Alleppy with the rain posing a challenge. By the end of the day, stiff competition emerged between Karthick Maruthi and Sankar Anand (co-driver), closely followed by Subir Roy and Mustafa (co-driver). The day two leg of nearly 300km ran from Alleppy to Cochin via the Vagamon green tea estates. The rally concluded with Karthick Maruthi and Sankar Anand winning the Overall as well as the SUV Open category. Subir Roy and Mustafa took second place overall and Ganesh Moorthy and T Nagarajan took third overall.
Speaking on the occasion, Vivek Nayer, Chief Marketing Officer, Automotive Division, M&M Ltd said that the rally served as a platform for budding rally enthusiasts and allowed participants the experience of exotic places rarely offered by other Indian rallies. Vikram Malhotra, VP Marketing & Sales, JK Tyre & Industries Limited, said that the company was pleased with its association with the Spice Challenge as well with other such events in the past.
Categories for the rally included the regular Car Open, Car OE, SUV Open and SUV OE as well as other interesting categories like the Corporate category, Couples category, Amateur category, and others. The route took participants through highways, B-roads and rough roads and allowed them to enjoy the monsoons and the backdrop of spice gardens. They also were able to experience Kerala (‘God’s own country’) while staying at island resorts and on authentic houseboats.
The total prize money on offer is Rs 5 lakh, making the Spice Challenge 2013 one of the richest TSD rallies in India specially organised for Mahindra owners. The event was also duly approved by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).
