Kolkata witnesses Indian National TDS car rally

The biggest names of India’s motor sport circuit locked horns in this battle for supremacy at the city’s best ever uncut motor sporting action which was also the Eastern India TSD Challenge - Round 2.

There were two teams from Tata participating in this mega sporting event. The team’s lead pair of Chidananda Murthy and co-driver BS Sujith Kumar, both from Bangalore, are leading the Pro Stock category with 124 points, while Team Tata Motors’ Saurav Chatterjee-Ashoke Kumar Basu are second in the championship points table with 107 points.

With a sea of cars lined up at the flag off venue, Kolkata witnessed the biggest motor sporting action where 27 cars & 12 motor bikes participated in eastern India’s biggest TSD (time, speed, distance) rally covering a distance of 280 kms (including 20 kms dirt track). The Total Oil Monsoon Drive 3 is organized by Just Sportz and is approved by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). The rally was flagged off by from South City Mall and was concluded at Mandarmani traversing the industrial town of Haldia.

“It is extremely encouraging to see such as great turn out.  It has always been our effort to boost motor sports in this part of the country and encourage more people to participate in the sport. It is a matter of great joy that as many as 27 cars and 12 motor bikes have entered this rally. With our collective effort and enthusiasm shown by motor sports lovers, the sun will shine bright in the horizon of eastern India’s motor sporting circuit in the future”, said Mr. Tamal Ghosal, Director, Just Sportz.

TSD rallying (Time Speed Distance) is a form of motor sports usually conducted on public roads as well as off-road and dirt sections. The objective of these rallies is to maintain precise times and precise speeds on various segments of a predefined route mentioned in a road book. Each team usually consists of a driver and navigator. Teams usually start a TSD rally at fixed intervals of a minute or two.

At the time of flag off, each team is given a road book (tulip), which guides the navigator with the route and average speed to be maintained. Along the route there are several Time Control zones, the positions of which would be unknown to the teams. The marshals will note the timing at which the team arrives at the TCs. The difference between a team's actual times and the ideal times determine their penalties. (Late and early arrival both attracts penalties). The team with the lowest number of penalty points wins.

Teams use several instruments like different types of navigational devices such as Terratrip, extra speedometers, GPS and rally computers for achieving in their ideal speed and time.