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Rallying In India: The Ranjith Ballal Interview
Rally Racing is some thing many Indian drivers want to participate but do not know where to start from. Even we at Drivespark had little knowledge about how some one can become a rally driver in India. We wanted to know more about this segment and a visit to the Indian National Autocross Championship in Bangalore helped us zero in on an expert.
We found our expert in veteran rally racer Ranjith Ballal. Mr Ballal dominated the bangalore leg of the INAC by finishing in the top three of five of the seven segments and winning two races out of them.
We spoke to Mr Ballal about our interest to know more about rally racing in India and he gracefully accepted our request. Here are some excerpts from our conversation with Ranjith Ballal.
How did you enter rally racing?
Rallying was always something that I was interested in but I never knew how to enter. However as luck would have it, I came to know about some small racing events in and around Bangalore and participated in them. I tasted success in the first race itself and then i was hooked to racing.
What are the most important factors needed to become a rally driver?
As with any sport, the skill of driving fast across different kinds of surfaces is the most important factor for a successful racing driver. However factors such as passion, money, equipment also play a part in determining one's performance.
How should one prepare oneself for a career in rally racing in India?
There are several regulations that govern rallying in India. And most importantly you need a car that is suitable for surviving the rigors of rallying.
Can you explain to us about the costs involved in building a car that can qualify for rallying in India?
Many people start with a Maruti Suzuki Esteem, A Baleno or the first generation Honda City. These cars have been homogenized for rally racing and hence are the most visible ones in rallying. One can buy a used car priced and under Rs.2 lakhs. The car needs to be stripped to the frame and needs to be rebuilt. All unnecessary parts need to removed and then we need to build a roll cage. Adding sports seats, a four point seat belt and other accessories are the final part of the conversion process.
All put together one needs to spend upwards of Rs.3 lakhs for the conversion process. The total cost will easily be about Rs.5 lakhs.
That's quite an expense to start with. How financially viable is rallying in India now?
Rallying in India has been driven more by the passion of the drivers rather than the financial rewards. The prize money of a rally even for the winner will not be sufficient for the costs involved in getting the car ready for that race. Only a hand full of rally drivers in India get financial backing from sponsors like MRF. The rest spend from their own pockets.
This is a two part series. We will continue with our interview with Ranjith Ballal where we will write more about how a rally car emerges from a regular street legal car.
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