Siliguri, March 3: The JK Tyre Himalayan Drive 7, India’s only international TSD (Time, Speed, Distance) rally, ended on an intense, patriotic note late on Saturday, with the participants paying homage to the martyrs of the Pulwama terror strike and the winners dedicating their victories to the country’s armed forces.

The three-time champions, Ajgar Ali and Mohammed Musthafa, made it even more memorable by their touching gesture of donating their entire prize money of Rupees one lakh to a fund that will help the families of the fallen CRPF soldiers. 

The rally’s prize distribution ceremony at Club Montana Vista in Siliguri on Saturday evening commenced with the national anthem, followed by a two-minute silence in memory of the victims of the perfidy at Pulwama. 

Among the dignitaries present were the Deputy Inspector General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Amit Kumar, Air Commodore (retired) S.K.Agarwal, Siliguri Range Deputy Inspector General of CRPF Sunil Kumar Sabita, Colonel Jagdeep Singh and Income Tax Commissioner Pankaj Kumar. 

The dignitaries, including representatives of the sponsors, the competitors and the organisers, lit candles in front of a collage of portraits of the Pulwama martyrs. Air Commodore (retired) Agarwal, speaking on behalf of India’s armed forces, recalled his training as a fighter pilot and the commitment of soldiers to sacrifice their lives for the country.

He also recalled interacting with Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman who was a high school student when Agarwal was posted at an IAF base along with Abhinandan’s father Air Marshal (retired) S Varthaman. 

At the prize distribution ceremony that followed, most of the winners in the various categories dedicated their successes to the country’s armed forces. Rally champion Ajgar Ali from the port town of Haldia in West Bengal announced, to thunderous applause, that he would donate his prize money of One Lakh Rupees to the CRPF welfare fund for martyrs’ families. 

The gesture was widely appreciated. Ajgar’s younger brother Shaikh Ibrahim, who came fourth in the open category, also dedicated his victory to India’s armed forces and thanked the country’s soldiers for guarding the country in the face of extreme adversities. The winners in the other categories also paid homage to the armed orces and to fallen soldiers.

About JK Tyre Motorsport:

JK Tyre has always been closely associated with the world of sports. Almost three decades back the company laid down a long term and sustained approach to promote Motorsport. Participating in this form of the sport has helped the company in continuously updating its products to meet the challenges of gruelling Indian conditions. The sport at that time in India was perceived for elite but JK Tyre took upon itself to package and redesign the sport to suit the masses. The company not only made the sport affordable but also equivalent to International operating standards. JK Tyre’s foray into Motorsport was a well thought out strategic decision to not only use and develop this virgin branding platform but also to realize the dreams of making India a force in the field of motor sport.

In 2011, the company acquired the Formula BMW Series and rechristened it as the JK Racing Asia Series (JKRAS). With this acquisition, JK Tyre created history in Indian Motorsport by becoming the first Indian company to acquire an FIA accredited series. By taking over the series, JK Tyre promises to utilize it as a platform to encourage and support the world’s best racing drivers and promote India as one of Asia’s motorsport capitals.

Thus, JK Tyre has conquered two steps in the motorsport program where the new racing aspirants first establish themselves in

India, then graduate to Asian level i.e. to Formula BMW, which is now JKRAS and then they move to higher levels of racing. JK Tyre now stands closer to achieving its mission of bringing world-class motorsport to the Indian masses. The Racing and Karting programme by JK Tyre has been the breeding ground for the country’s  motorsport talents like Narain Karthikeyan, Armaan Ebrahim, Karun Chandhok, Aditya Patel and other emerging talent.

Another pioneering initiative was the launch of the Truck Racing Championship in India in partnership with Tata Motors. The company developed & designed “JetRacing”-the new generation truck racing tyres especially for this application. With this, JK Tyre became the first tyre company to produce truck racing tyres in India. The combination of the Prima trucks fitted with Jet Racing received an overwhelming response from participants and has definitely brought in a revolution in the Indian racing scenario.

For Further Information:

Monsum Hazarika

+91 9999648056

monsumh@gmail.com