2017 Dakshin Dare: Suresh Rana and Ashwin Naik emerge victorious

The ninth edition of the Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare concluded in Pune on Saturday with Suresh Rana and Ashwin Naik being declared the overall winners of the event. The Team Maruti Suzuki duo finished first in the Ultimate Cars category. Victory in the Ultimate Bikes category went to TVS Racing's R Nataraj.

The event began un Bengaluru and ended in Pune, after an action-packed six days. During this time, 180 participants competed with each other for victory.

Finishing second in the Ultimate Cars category, behind Rana and Naik in their Grand Vitara, were Samrat Yadav and SN Nizami. Third place went to Sandeep Sharma and Karan Arya.

Speaking of their win Rana said, "This is our second consecutive win at Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare. With a new route this year, it was important to always keep your mind synced with the vehicle. The competition was tough with newer participants entering Dakshin Dare."

Finishing second behind R Nataraj in the Ultimate bikes category, was his TVS Racing Abdul Wahid Tanveer. Sanjay Kumar took third place.

In the Endurance category, Subir Roy and Nirav Mehta finished first in their Maruti Suzuki Swift, while Karthick Maruthi and S Sankar Anand took second in their Maruti Suzuki S- Cross. Third place went to Raghu Nandan and Prakash M.

Commenting on the success, Tarun Garg, executive vice president – marketing, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. said, "Over the last 9 years, Dakshin Dare has grown tremendously and been able to gain a strong foothold in the motorsports community in South India. The increasing number of participation from across the country along with the longest rally route are testimonial to the claims. The large participation is indicative of our reach and influencing a larger audience through varied locations added to the rally each year."

Final results:
Ultimate Cars:
1. Suresh Rana & Ashwin Naik - 10:11:26
2. Samrat Yadav & S N Nizami - 10:14:52
3. Sandeep Sharma & Karan Arya - 10:24:17

Ultimate Bikes:
1. T Nataraj - 06:12:38
2. Abdul Wahid - 06:15:37
3. Sanjay Kumar - 06:26:53

Endurance Cars (TSD):
1. Subir Roy & Nirav Mehta – 00:12:20
2. Karthick Maruthi & Sankar S Anand – 00:12:45
3. Raghu Nandan & Prakash M – 00:12:49