The battle between Ajgar Ali (co-driver Mohammed Mustafa) and Jogendra Jaiswal (T. Nagarajan) seems to be getting closer in the seventh edition of the JK Tyre Himalayan Drive, the only TSD event of the country that crosses an international border, here on Friday.
In fact, Ajgar was in full command in the first three stages and it was his clean and safe driving skills that saw him right up there on the leader board the other day. But when the results were out in the morning, it came as a shocker to see Jogendra replacing Ajgar at the top.
It did surprise many but not the Haldia driver. who had been in this situation many a time before. He was confident that he was the leader.
“There must have been something that had gone wrong. I don’t want to think about that much because it’s a long day today,” he said and went about with his business.
He wanted to make the best use of this tough run through the snow-clad mountains in Bhutan and later through the competitive legs back in India. All the drivers were eagerly looking forward to the challenge but incidentally, the first leg of the day was cancelled due to unsafe conditions.
“The sleek and slushy situation because of heavy snowfall the last three days rendered it unsafe,” said Tamal Ghosal, the Clerk of the Course.
And, it came as a huge disappointment for all of them.
And as the drivers were heading back to take on the challenge inside India, came the confirmation that Ajgar indeed was the leader.
The organisers clarified that the results circulated earlier in the day were provisional and that Ajgar is followed by Jogendra and challenged by Gagan Sethi, the JK Tyre Hornbill Challenge winner last month, at the third position..
But a relaxed-looking Ajgar, after crossing the Bhutan border hit the dirt road for a few 100 metres and then the tarmac before testing his skills on the Diana river bed and on its embankment.