Belthangady off-road event an entertainment for remote people, participants

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 18, 2016: A skill and fun drive in the off-roading event - 4X4 Nature Trail - offered plenty of entertainment for villagers, but was equally fun and tough ride for the 60 participants at Layla village of Belthangady taluk, about 60kms from Mangaluru on July 17, Sunday.

Most of the vehicles could not withstand and got stuck at the stream cross in the 3.5km track designed to check the vehicles off-roading ability. The event started at 11am and 60 vehicles took part in the open class, diesel and petrol class. Spectators numbering about 2,000, mostly villagers, added much needed cheer and enthusiasm to the event conducted in the remote part of the district.

The vehicles competed in three classes - petrol, diesel and open class. In open class souped-up or modified diesel, petrol and jeeps are allowed. One notable feature was poor performance of Thar Cred as opposed to their older version of MM540 XDP diesel jeeps.


Though two women drivers, Sahana Shetty and Chandini Poornesh from Bengaluru, took part in the pre-event on Saturday, they did not take to their vehicles on Sunday.  Ranjan Gowda, president of Nature Riders and one of the organiser of the event, said: The rains did not create problems and all vehicles completed the course, though many had to be winched at the stream cross.


Ranjan and his team has been off-roading since a decade and they are regulars at events being organised in neighbouring districts like Kodagu, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru. This had prompted Ranjan to think of organising such event in Belthangady as the terrain offered much more or equal thrills in monsoons like others. This is the third such off-road event in Belthangady in as many years.   This time gypsies being lighter in weight and petrol driven had advantage over speed and terrain unlike diesel vehicles.