Motorheads all over the world are well-acquainted with the Rainforest Challenge (RFC) of Malaysia. Being one of the top 10 motor races in the world, it is a premier event that attracts the toughest of the tough. There are 51 editions of RFC held in over 21 countries. The Indian edition, which was launched in 2014, ranks as one of the top three of these global events.
RFC India is an extreme competition that tests not only the physical and mental strengths of the participants but also their driving and vehicle recovery skills.
For this year’s Indian edition, in which as many as 41 teams will participate, Hyderabad is gearing up to send a record squad of 7 teams. The participants include N. Abinav Reddy (co-driver Arun Padipoyil), Dr Chaitanya Challa (co-driver Shabarish Jagarapu), Kranthi Kumar Vengala (co-driver C Dhanraj Reddy), Rajasekhara Prabhu (co-driver Daljit Singh), Venkat Devineni (co-driver Karthik Varma), T. Santosh Goud (co-driver Saju Varghese) and V. Sukeshwar Reddy (co-driver Varun Chakravarthy). The winner of the competition wins a cash prize of 10,000 USD and gets an automatic entry into the RFC Mother Event being held in Malaysia.
Venkat Devineni in action
18-year-old Sukeshwar, the youngest-ever participant, shares, “Ever since my childhood, I have seen my family go on off-roading excursions to farms. My cousin Abhinav himself is an accomplished off-roader. These people inspired me to take this sport.” The game changes every season and comes with its unique challenges. “Last season my co-driver had dislocated his shoulder. Every year the machines are built and modified to be tougher. It all depends on the preparation and your backup team, support and strategies,” share Abinav and his co-driver Arun, adding, “The best memories are made after the competition, when all the teams party together in the forest.”
T. Santosh Goud (left) with co-driver Saju Varghese
Being held on tough terrain, there is always a chance that the jeep may get toppled. “In the last season, our jeep toppled once, which was the best challenge I’ve faced so far,” shares Venkat, adding, “The main inspiration to get into these events is the spot decisions we have to take at the time of driving, which encourages me to keep on participating.” All seven teams are optimistic and conclude by saying, “We will give it our best to win the cup this season.”
