Members of the Chandigarh-based 4X4 Club have decided to combine their passion for four-wheelers along with their taste for high-speed driving in a whole new way. The Club has decided to train some of its members as skilled managers for motorsport events in the country.

President of the club Gurprit Singh Gill and another member, Zoravar Singh, participated in the recently-concluded Maruti Suzuki Raid De Himalaya as raid officials this year. For the duo, it has been the experience of a lifetime. Interestingly Gill, at 64, is the oldest member of the club, and Zoravar, at 24, is among its youngest members. Two vehicles of the 4X4 Club participated in the Raid. The other team was of Sanjay Madan and Roal Mangus, associate members of the club.

Gill recalls that for two consecutive nights, they would sleep for only one to two hours. "Despite these hardships, as one may call them, it was a completely thrilling adventure. The tough weather conditions and the biting cold did not deter the Raid enthusiasts either," he recalls. The teams had prepared themselves well for the Raid, and in addition to the rations for emergency requirements, were carrying 100 litres of diesel too. But the thrill was such that members now want to be part of all the major motorsport events in the country, like the Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm, and the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC).

"We got good training from members of Himalayan Motorsport, which organises the Raid De Himalaya, in our various functions as Raid Officials. Some key areas where we learnt much from them were winching, tow-strapping, time-keeping and crowd-control. In the long stretches of a cross-country motorsport event where one may not even see a village for miles, dexterity in these functions is essential to rescue the vehicles which break down during the competitive stages," Gill points out.

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