New Delhi: The 15th Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm rally was flagged off from GIP Mall, Noida here on Sunday.
The motley group of more 200 rallying enthusiasts will traverse from here to Jodhpur that will see them cover a distance of 2,000km in six days.
Multiple winner Suresh Rana was the first one to be flagged off, so was Dakar rally finisher C.S. Santosh who is defending his title in Moto category.
The drivers will have to endure the challenges of driving in the Thar Desert and 150km of night driving in Jaisalmer.
Vinay Pant, vice-president (marketing and sales), Maruti, said the rally this year was advanced as the original schedule of March-April would have clashed with the cultivation season in Rajasthan.
The competition would be held in four categories — Xtreme, Ndure, Moto and Xplore. — M.R. Praveen Chandran
