Gill set for World Rally Championship foray with Rally of Turkey
Gurjit Singh/ royalpatiala.in/ Ludhiana
India’s first and only Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Singh Gill will embark on a new and exciting mission to make his mark in the FIA World Rally Championship 2, in the Rally of Turkey from September 12 to 15.
The three-time APRC and six-time INRC champion will be driving a 1.6 Turbo R5 that has been developed by M-Sport. Supported by JK Tyre Motorsport, the rally ace will fancy his chances as most of the stages in the Rally of Turkey will be run on gravel, something that he relishes.
Gaurav Singh Gill said, “We will carefully pick and choose the rallies that I will participate in this year, keeping in mind the car, the terrain and my strengths. I am excited about my first stint with a renowned team and a new support system in formidable JK Tyre Motorsport.”
The recently decorated Arjuna Awardee has already had a satisfying exploration in the WRC-2 2018, having taken part in four rallies, one each in Italy, Finland, Wales and Australia as an unregistered driver. He won 11 stages despite facing challenges, underlining his prowess and skill at the top level.
Meanwhile Gill was felicitated by JK Tyre Motorsport for his Arjuna Award recognition at the press interaction. The company’s Marketing Director Vikram Malhotra congratulated the champion, declaring the award as a watershed moment for Indian motorsport.
“JK Tyre is the pioneer in promoting motorsport in India. 90% of the kids racing abroad have come from JK’s programmes. Our association with Gaurav Gill has also started yielding results in developing our tyres, with the last two domestic rallies leading to the development of 3 variants of rally tyres. With top performances in international events, our victories with Gaurav will only add to our excitement and result in strengthening our programmed that will benefit Gen Next,” Vikram Malhotra, Marketing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd, said.
Gill will be competing as a registered driver for the first time and will be picking up championship points, making it a huge landmark for Indian motorsport.
Meanwhile the 2019 Rally of Turkey will see the drivers cover a total distance of over 988.50-km with 310.10-km earmarked for 17 special stages. Most of the stages will be gravel with few of the stages running on concrete tiles and tarmac. The WRC will be broadcast live over 40 countries, featuring registered drivers and also could be seen online by registering on WRC+.
