Joshua tops in Coimbatore Rally

Coimbatore, Nov 9 (IANS) Pramod Joshua of Bangalore, astride TVS Apache RTR (one hour, 29 minutes , 19 seconds), won the overall category of the IMG Rally of Coimbatore.

Pradeep H.K. (TVS Apache RTR) and Ravindra M.S. (TVS Apache RTR), both from TVS Racing, finished overall second and third, respectively clocking 1:30:52 and 1:32.44.

The IMG Rally of Coimbatore, round three of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship for two wheelers, was organised here Saturday by the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club and consisted of 88 kms of special stages.

There was a half-hour delay in the second stage which was adjusted by reducing the re-group timing from one hour to 30 minutes. In all, 22 India's best rally riders started the event and 19 finished.

In the Group D (unmodified) class up to 130cc, local lad Venu Ramesh Kumar on a Yamaha YBX who won the title with a penalty of 01:35:38.

Varun SS from Bangalore, also riding a Yamaha YBX, finished second with 01:35:54, followed by Shantappa Pundarik from Bangalore astride TVS Victor Edge.

In the Group D 130-165cc class, Bangaloreans swept to a 1-2-3 finish. Sunil Kumar P (TVS Fiero) finished first with a penalty of 01:34:03, ahead of Srinivas C (Hero Honda CBZ Xtreme) G. Raja (TVS Fiero).