BENGALURU: The Garden City recently held something special on its soil for women drivers in the city. Yokohama India, a leading automotive parts company, recently organised their first-ever Women On Wheels (WOW) Rally, on Sunday. It was held in a TSD (time, speed, distance)/treasure hunt format and any female driver with a regular street car was allowed to participate in the rally. The route of the race was picturesque with a stopover at a leading vineyard as well.
Actor Samyuktha Hegde, one of the guests invited to the event, was greatly anticipating the rally. “I was super excited to see my best friend drive me around while we competed in this all-women rally. We are highly competitive people and we had a great time participating,” says Hegde.
23-year-old Nikeetaa Takkale, who came down from Dubai to participate, was looking forward to meeting other women with similar passions. “Personally, I have participated in three Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) rallies and even drove the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) round. It was fun meeting all the women out there who are passionate about rallying and motorsports,” says Takkale, who with Sagar M finished second at the TSD PRO round in the event.
A seasoned TSD racer, who has been rallying this format for six years, Ashwini Bogadi asks participants who competed for the first time to remain optimistic. “TSD rallies need a little practice, and in time, all first-timers will also achieve success. There’s no reason to be disheartened for not winning any podiums. Their time will come soon,” says the 43-year-old.