CHENNAI: With participants from all over India and abroad gearing up for the first edition of the Force Gurkha Rainforest Challenge (RFC) to be held in Goa from August 8 to August 14, Tamil Nadu based Guhan Shetty is eagerly looking forward to participating in the event.
Counted among the top 10 toughest motor races in the world, RFC is a force to reckon with. An adaptation of the mother event launched in Malaysia in 1997, Force Gurkha RFC India 2014 will test 4x4 vehicle owners and off-road enthusiasts to the limits of their physical and mental capabilities who will be challenged in uncharted terrain traversing 250 km from South to North Goa. The participants will aim to make their best time in 30 Special Stages (SS) lined throughout the course.
Guhan Shetty, 43, who has a jewellery business in Kanyakumari, is a part of Tamil Nadu based Spartan Off-roaders Club. With an impressive participation record in many off-road motor races such as the Dakshin Dare Rally, Wayanad Annual Monsoon Off-road OTR 2013 and various other off-road motor sport rallies; he had also participated in RFC Sri Lanka 2013.
Speaking about his preparation for the upcoming competition he said, “I will be bringing my Thar DI to the event. I have not done any modifications on her; she has Michelin tyres which are quite sturdy. The machine is ready, but I have been physically training myself too.”
The six-day event will be divided into four stages – Prologue, Predator, Terminator and Twilight Zone. The Predator and Terminator stages will be held in extremely tough conditions where competitors will have to fend for themselves while travelling through rugged terrain. The event will culminate with the Twilight Zone which will be an overnight drive through uncharted territory. The winning entry at Force Gurkha RFC India 2014 will get a direct entry into the mother event that will be held in Malaysia later this year.