Royal Rajasthan Rally, run by Thar Motorsports, is one of the largest participation rallies in India. Established in 2012, the three-day event sees drivers covering a distance of approximately 750 kilometers and traversing through varied terrain like hills, sand dunes and dry river beds. It takes in some of the most scenic spots and tourist attractions in India’s desert country.
Royal Rajasthan Rally (RRR) is also known for being a great competition for a rally driver just starting out in their career.
Here founder Raj Singh Rathore and rally winners Varun Jolly and Deepak Sachdeva list out some advice for anyone looking to take the first steps in rallying in India.
Get in touch with a motorsports club
“It doesn’t matter what you want to do in the sport: driver, co-driver – a local motorsport club will have someone to help,” says Raj Singh Rathore, who was a professional rally driver. “Get in there and network with the members. There will always be people in the clubs looking for help or for someone to get involved.”
Pick the right rally to start
Royal Rajasthan Rally is a good starting point since it follows the TSD (Time-Speed-Distance) format.
“Being a TSD it’s not dangerous because you are not going as fast as possible, but you have to maintain a certain speed. The idea is to learn how to drive in an off-road environment, learn how to drive in sand dunes, learn how to follow navigation and get through that,” says Varun, who started his rally career with RRR in 2019.
Deepak, who won the very first rally he competed in (RRR 2018), says the assistance and encouragement of Thar Motorsport, the organisers, puts rookies at ease.
“They assist you in a way that you don’t feel left alone,” Deepak says. “If a newcomer enters a highly, competitive category, they will feel out of place. Initially when you enter into a competition, you want to be on the podium. Ideally, you would choose a lighter category where the competition is less. After that you want more challenges.”
At RRR, all competitors are given road books and GPS navigation of the track. Thar Motorsports also connects drivers with navigators in case they don’t have one of their own.
Apart from this, circuit races could also be a good starting point. Circuit races are held on tarmac and don’t require any modifications to the car. Since the track is well defined and laid out, there is no chance of getting lost. One driver is allowed on the track at a time.
Try the amateur category your first time
Most rallies have an amateur category for newbies and well-defined classes according to the make of the car. You can participate in the amateur category if it’s your first rally or have never been on the podium before.
Royal Rajasthan Rally also has a women’s category to encourage rookie female drivers.
Start with a stock car
You can participate in your stock car at autocross, sprints and TSD rallies like Royal Rajasthan Rally. The idea is rather than focusing on modifying your car, you understand terrain, driving safely and following navigation.
“You can participate in Royal Rajasthan Rally with a stock car, or a rally-prepared car, or with a 4x4 SUV. You don’t need any special modification for your car and it is pocket friendly,” says Raj.
“In this event a total of four people are allowed in a car, so you can participate in a SUV with your friends or family members so that they can also get a taste of rallying.”
Don’t go for top speed in your first rally
While making your way to a podium will provide a boost when starting your journey in rallying, the first aim should be completing the rally.
“I used a pro navigator for my first rally, and the first thing he told me is don’t break your car,” says Varun. “The goal is to finish. Which means don’t get a flat tyre, don’t overheat the engine, don’t wreck your car. Follow the average speed but be conservative. A lot of people think in a rally you have to go very fast or be very aggressive. Once you get to Day 2, Day 3, you will steadily rise up the ranking charts.”
Make sure you have all the right safety gear and equipment
“Safety gear for the TSD is a lot similar to the safety gear that most road cars have today, which is three-point seat belt, your bumper should be on, you should have a spare wheel,” says Varun.
“Additionally, you should have a toe-rope and a shackle, which is what you use in case you get stuck; a recovery car can get you out with that. For a sand rally, sand ladders are recommended.
“For a fastest first rally, the FMSCI (Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India) sets more regulations. For those rallies, your car must have a roll cage and you need a four to six point seat belt, which is not a regular car seat belt. You need FIA (Federation Internationale de I’Automobile) approved helmets, which are lighter fiberglass helmets and also stronger. If you are participating in INRC (Indian National Rally Championship), you need a fire suit, fire proof socks, shoes, but that’s an advanced level of rallying.”
Points to remember if modifying your car for rallies
When you start modifying your rally car, prioritise strength and protection over speed and power.
“A rally car needs to be strong. The suspension needs to be able to take massive punishment, yet not bounce the car off the stage,” says Raj.
“Your brakes will be swapped out for a heavy duty setup, and they won't be cross-drilled or slotting like the kind you might find on a road car. Pebbles, mud, and all sorts of other debris can get caught in there and ruin your day. You'll also need to protect all of your upgraded components. The brake lines on the car Knox is using as an example car are steel-braided and then protected by multiple layers of different material.
“As far as engine upgrades go, it's mostly down to computer-based changes. The mapping is different and rev limiters are raised. You can upgrade some of the internals for added engine strength, swap in larger engine mounts, and get a smarter air intake on there,” adds Raj.
Deepak, who got into rallying at the age of 46, spends a minimum of 24 hours before every rally to prep his car.
“What kind of rally you are going for, what kind of stages, what sort of tyres, everything has to be sorted out,” Deepak says. “We have to be prepared for a contingency, for example if we get a flat tyre during the rally, you and the navigator need to be fast enough to change the tyre in five-six minutes. We practice that as well. We carry some food with us as well.”