Among the many rally cars snaking through the unforgiving deserts of Naivasha, Kenya, for the 72nd Safari Rally, there’s one vehicle that has motorsports enthusiasts in India particularly excited. A white Ford Fiesta Rally 3 car.
For, at its helm are Hyderabad-based Naveen Pulligilla and Musa Sharif, who hails from Kasaragod in Kerala. Together, they make up the first-ever all-Indian team to participate in the rally, considered the toughest round in the World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar.
Naveen, who mans the steering wheel, is an accomplished off-road driver whose recent rally event was the Asia Pacific Rally Championship in New Zealand last year. Helping him navigate is Musa, India’s most decorated co-driver (navigator) with over 33 years of experience.
Both are seasoned competitors in India’s national rally scene, with Musa having won the title event 10 times. However, the Safari Rally is no small beast.
Safari Rally
The three-day event, which began on Wednesday, will see the teams navigate 1,381.92 kilometres — which also includes 21 challenging stages spanning a quarter of the total distance — in the innately challenging desert terrain.
Established in 1953, the rally has seen the fastest average speed clocked in the world championship.
However, the demanding terrain, the unpredictable weather and the technically complex stages mean that it’s not always the fastest driver who wins, but the fastest cautious driver.
This time, the likelihood of rain is expected to turn the fesh fesh (very fine powdered sand) tracks muddy, further compounding the difficulty. Not to mention, potential ‘interruptions’ posed by wildlife as the cars navigate tracks that meander through the national park in the Great Rift Valley.
“The Safari Rally is, no doubt, one of the toughest challenges in motorsport. But we are prepared for the grind. Our goal is to finish strong and gain valuable experience,” Musa tells TNIE.
Naveen adds, “We are ready to showcase what Indian rallying is capable of.”
Preparation and training
In Kenya, Naveen and Musa are driving for the African Eco Motorsport team. They’d be competing in three categories at the event: WRC3, African Rally Championship and Kenyan Rally Championship.
The duo has had decent training ahead of the event. One in Indonesia: a pre-rally testing with technical assistance from MRU Motorsport, and another in Kenya: a second testing.
“In addition, we also did two recce runs on the tracks. This helped us gain information on how to set up our vehicle to match the field conditions,” says Musa, for whom this is his 92nd international event and the first WRC round.
When asked if there was any specific training done to be in sync with his riding partner, Musa says, “Indeed. When notes are made of the tracks, each rider has their way of doing it, with some conventions in place. Naveen is my 55th driver. So, preparations had to be made to adopt his style. But we know each other well. The rally scene in India is a very close-knit community after all.”
This particular track in Kenya is composed of various segments — from farm roads, highways, offbeat tracks through national parks, and more.
“So, it’s safe to say that, given the likelihood of rain, there’s some offroading too in it. Naveen will have an edge here,” Musa says.
Musa’s decades-long experience as a navigator cannot also be discounted. “It’s very likely that I’m the most experienced navigator at the event,” Musa points out.
With Naveen’s precise and aggressive driving style and Musa’s seasoned navigation and strategy, motorsport enthusiasts at home are hopeful that India will make its presence felt at the WRC event.
“Hope it paves the way for greater recognition of Indian rallying talent, and hopefully inspires more Indians to race abroad,’’ says the duo.
Musa’s journey
Musa’s tryst with motorsports began in 1993 — during his ‘Yamaha RX 100’ days at Badriya College in Mangaluru. Owning a motorcycle that was all the rage back then played no small part in seeing the lad, then 20, to, on a whim, participate in a local racing event.
“Rallies were very popular in Karnataka. Still is. Of course, I did not know much about it back then other than knowing how to ride a bike. But it seemed to do fine for me. There were over 30 professional riders in that competition. And yet, I managed to finish seventh,” Musa recalls.
Seven is no podium finish, but the win ignited a passion in Musa that refuses to be extinguished. “To have finished the race well meant so much, and it motivated me to keep at it, and so I did — for 33 years and counting,” Musa says.
Save for the first few rallies (where he drove), Musa was a navigator for the entirety of this period. “The transition came in 1995. I realised that there was a scarcity of co-drivers (navigators) in the field though there was ample scope to take it as a profession and fewer risks as compared to driving. So, I taught myself this art,” Musa explains.
The following year, his official rally journey commenced when he joined the MRF team, partnering with Satish Bhat. Navigating the motorsport landscape of the 1990s was challenging, especially without the amplifying power of social media. But what greatly helped Musa was, interestingly, his proficiency in Kannada.
“The rally scene then was dominated by Karnataka. I grew up in Kasaragod, in a town that borders Karnataka. I studied in Kannada medium there and this helped me immensely,” Musa says.
If that helped me break through, what kept him as a force to reckon with in the field was his dogged determination and preparedness. That, and his family’s ardent support. “I couldn’t have done it without them,” Musa says.
Today, Musa is the only Indian to participate in over 330 rallies, including 91 international rallies.
He has won 23 championships, 38 Indian national rally championships, and eight overall championships.
What does a navigator do?
Guiding a nearly 1,500-kilometre-long rally required meticulous preparation and an impeccable sense of direction. Enter, the navigator.
“The navigator keeps route books — wherein they will make notes of every bend and turn on the road, every landmark and junction, and whatnot. Sometimes, the mapping is done down to every 100 metres on the stretch,” Musa explains. It is often the navigator who bears the brunt of miscalculations, yet Musa possesses an unblemished record even after three decades in the field, thus making him one of the most sought-after navigators, both nationally and internationally.
“There weren’t any faults, say any late or early call from me, which has resulted in a loss. I consider this to be my biggest achievement,” Musa says.
Beyond rallies
Beyond his participation in rallies, Musa is also a big proponent of the sport. Two organisations that he is part of — the Indian Motor Sports Club (IMSC) and Keraleeyam Motorsport Association (KMA) — have been actively organising motorsports events across the country.
“In the 90s, there weren’t many clubs in India. But today, there are over 200, and about 500 events are being organised every year,” Musa points out.
The evolution of motorsports in the state is also endearing. “Out of 75 cars participating in the Indian National Rally Championship, about 10 or 12 are from Kerala,” he adds.
This is not surprising given the affinity that people here have for cars. But Musa says that Kerala had a popular rally culture back in the day. “Who doesn’t recall Popular Rally? However, it’s not active anymore.”
But unlike Karnataka or Odisha, Kerala does not have enough large spaces now to hold extensive rallies. “In other states, rallies are done in big tea estates or large plantations. Often, these are supported by their respective governments and tourism departments. While space is a perennial concern, motorsports events are picking up in Kerala after the government’s recent stance turning favourable,” Musa says.
Indeed, last year, the MRF National Supercross Championship was held, with government support, in Kochi. “It was the first time a national-level motorsports championship was held in the state,” Musa points out. “What bodes well is that people here are genuinely interested,” he says, adding, “Only thing is, racing must be kept to the tracks, not on the roads.”
What’s next?
Musa does 15-20 events every year. His next is in April — an APARC event to be held in Chennai. “With motorsports gaining in popularity in the country, I’m bound to see new faces there. And I look forward to racing with them,” Musa concludes.