Arunachal Pradesh : The BODA team from Bangalore, led by Siddanth Santosh and Lokesh Shivaraja, stormed into the lead after four stages in the JK Tyre-Orange 4×4 Fury race, the ultimate natural offroading competition in the country here on Friday, on a day when all the drivers’ skills and techniques along with their machines were tested to the optimum.
The Bangalore Offroad Drivers Association (BODA) team entertained the crowds as they tackled tricky stages involving driving in the river, up and down steep hills and natural obstacles too. They seem to be best placed to be crowned the 2017 champions with just two more stages to be completed today.
It was indeed a day when the drivers’ skills, techniques and courage along with the sturdiness of their machines were tested to the optimum, with imposing mountains as the backdrop. If on Day 1, they had to cross three deep pits using just two wooden planks as wide as tyres, on Day 2, they were pushed to the limit in three different stages. The fifth stage of the day will be held later in the night.
It all began with the Parallel Finish obstacle race in which the teams had to race on the river bed, going as deep as four feet, in a designated route, while also stopping midstream to change one tyre. Santosh and Shivaraja, assisted by co-drivers Prithviraj and Sanjay, displayed perfect coordination to complete the course in 9:13.18 minutes.
