Siliguri, 22nd feb 2018:India’s only Tri-Nation TSD (Time, Speed & Distance) rally, Biswa Bangla presents JK Tyre HIMALAYAN DRIVE 6, will be flagged-off amidst great fanfare here in Siliguri on Friday. The 1,650 kilometres long rally over five thrilling days will traverse through the Dooars and Darjeeling Hills in North Bengal, and various picturesque routes in Bhutan and Nepal.
Being held in association with West Bengal Tourism, this unique rally aims at promoting motorsports, showcasing the enormous tourism potential of North Bengal and the contiguous areas of Bhutan and Nepal, and boosting PEOPLE TO PEOPLE CONNECTIVITY and DRIVE TOURISM between the three friendly neighbouring countries.
The BISWA BANGLA JK TYRE HIMALAYAN DRIVE 6 is distinct from other TSD rallies since it covers a wide variety of terrain, ranging from tarmac, river beds, dirt tracks, forest roads and mountainous roads. It will skirt steep slopes that will not only present a tough challenge to the participants but will also offer a lot of thrill to them as well as to spectators.
More than 100 participants, including top rallyists from the country, will take off from Silliguri on Friday morning and will journey through North Bengal’s lush forests that are home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, the one-horned rhino and the Asiatic elephant. It will go through picturesque tea gardens too before entering Nepal trough the Kakarbita border hitting the East West highway to the famous jungle paradise Chitwan in Nepal.
On Day 3, the participants will journey to the famous jungle roads on the fringes of the Chitwan Reserve Forest areas through the gravel and dirt tracks before coming back to Chitwan for a well deserved rest.
The rallyists drive back from Chitwan through the Dooars on Day 4 and after driving through the heart of Terai region in Nepal to enter India through the Kakarbita border en route to Murti in the Dooars for the night halt.
The participants spend the next day driving through the Dooars region going through serene terrain with it’s tea gardens, jungle tracks and river beds before entering the 3rd country Bhutan at Phuntsholing.
For the 5th & Final Leg, they will leave Phuntsholing through amazing and adventurous hill tracks and climb up the hills to reach Darjeeling, the ‘Queen of Hill Stations’ where the Rally finishes . The gala prize distribution ceremony will take place in Darjeeling on February 28.
The Rally draws inspiration from Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal Ms Mamata Banerjee’s vision of Connecting Bengal to its neighbours and encouraging People to People Connectivity in the region.
The fifth edition of the hugely successful Himalayan Drive Car Rally, which has become a landmark event in India’s motorsports calendar, saw more than 100 participants last year.
The press was welcomed by Sri Siddhartha S. Bose, Director Just Sportz and Chairman of the Rally. The conference was addressed by Sri Tamal Ghosal, Director of Just Sportz and Clerk of the Course (COC) of the Himalayan Drive 6 Car Rally, and Sri Binny Sharma, the Chief Rally Coordinator.
Sending his best wishes to the Rally, Sri Indranil Sen, Hon’ble Minister of State for Tourism, Govt. of West Bengal, said: “The development of North Bengal, especially for tourism, is a priority for the Government. The Rally promises to showcase and unveil the lesser known and yet to be explored areas of North Bengal which can will surely become one of the most treasured tourist destinations in India in the near future. I thank Just Sportz wholeheartedly for promoting such destinations.”
“JK Tyres & Industries Limited, India’s leading tyre manufacturer, has been associated with Himalayan Drive as the Title Sponsor since its inception in 2013. Mr. Sanjay Sharma, Head, Corporate Communication and Motorsport of JK Tyre & Industries, said: “We are really excited about the JK TYRE HIMALAYAN DRIVE 6. It is India’s only international rally that goes into two other countries. This is not only a great opportunity for our top rallyists but will also give a huge boost to the sport in all three countries.”
Biswa Bangla is the presenting sponsor while JK Tyres is the Title Sponsor and West Bengal Tourism with its “Experience Bengal” theme while Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and North Bengal Development Department are the Principal Sponsors along .Techno India Group , City Centre Silliguri , Club Montana Vista , Neotia Getwell Hospital, Bisleri who have joined in as associate sponsors . Radio Misty is the Radio Partner of the Event.
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 NarainKarthikeyan, 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, please contact:
Khushboo Gupta
khushboo.gupta@jkmail.com
Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
Journalist.samikshan@gmail.com
Mob: +91 8377079442
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