India's Pragathi Gowda finishes third at Rallye des Vallees

Remiremont (France), Aug 26 (IANS) India's latest sensation in motorsports, Pragathi Gowda made an unprecedented debut at the Rallye des Vallees 2024 by finishing third in the Rally - 5 car class with a timing of 23:51.8.

With this achievement, she became the first Indian rallyist to finish on the podium in her debut race. Her third-place feat was all the more significant, as she raced with male competitors, which also included France's National Champion Yoan Corberand, who finished first in her class.

After three months of rigorous training in Europe, the 26-year-old Pragathi, along with Brazilian co-driver Gabriel Morales, not only blazed to the podium in her category but also finished an impressive 37th overall.

"My first international rally in France was an incredible experience. We had a very productive test day and a perfect recce in the build-up to this beautiful rally. It was a challenging rally for me but with each kilometre I drove I gained confidence in the car and with my co-driver. I was able to match the speed of other top drivers, I was doing about 165kmph in some places and averaged about 102kmph speed through the race on these narrow roads, Pragathi said.

"Thanks to the support provided by everyone on my team, I improved my time stage-after-stage. I am really happy with my first rally experience in France and I will continue to work hard to improve my performance in the upcoming rallies. Also being acknowledged by some of the top rallyists here has been overwhelming and I am encouraged to do better in the upcoming race this weekend," she added.

Driving a Renault Clio Rally 5 car fitted with Indian-made MRF tyres, Pragathi showed immense pace in the first special stage to come 5th in her class and 80th overall. With a better grip on the track, she went on to improve her timing by a whopping 32 seconds across the second and third special stages to finish on the podium.

The Rallye des Vallees 2024 is a high-speed rally on narrow asphalt roads which begs impeccable precision and one misstep could mean the end of the rally. Pragathi braved this challenge, achieving a top speed of almost 165kmph in some areas of the circuit and clocked an average speed of 102.5 Kmph at the end of the rally, an impressive drive that was applauded by many of the local champions.

After an exhilarating drive that saw her match the speed of some of the top experienced drivers, Pragathi will put the pedal to the metal again in a gravel race this weekend at the Rallye Terre de Lozere.

--IANS