India’s Pragathi Gowda shines in international rally debut, finishes third at 2024 Rallye des Vallees

Paris (France), August 27 (ANI): India’s latest motorsport sensation Pragathi Gowda made an unprecedented debut at the 2024 Rallye des Vallees by finishing third in the Rally-5 car class with a time 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 performance was all the more significant as she was racing against male competitors, including French national champion Yoan Corberand, who finished first in her class.

After three months of intensive training in Europe, the 26-year-old Pragathi, partnered by French navigator Gabriel Morales, not only took the podium in her category, but also finished an impressive 37th in the overall standings.

Reflecting on her impressive performance, Pragathi said: “My first international rally in France was an incredible experience. We had a very productive test day and perfect reconnaissance in the run-up to this beautiful rally. It was a challenging rally for me but with every kilometre I drove, I gained more confidence in the car and my co-driver. I was able to match the speed of other top drivers, going around 165 km/h in some places and averaging around 102 km/h during the race on these narrow roads.” “Thanks to the support of everyone in my team, I improved my time stage after stage. I am very happy with my first rally experience in France and I will continue to work hard to improve my performance in the upcoming rallies. Also, the recognition from some of the best rally drivers here was overwhelming and I am encouraged to do better in the upcoming race this weekend,” she added.

Driving a Renault Clio Rally 5 car, Pragathi showed tremendous pace in the first special stage, finishing fifth in her class and 80th overall. With better grip on the track, she improved her timing by a whopping 32 seconds in the second and third special stages, finishing on the podium.

The 2024 Rallye des Vallees is a high-speed rally on narrow asphalt roads that demands impeccable precision and one misstep can mean the end of the rally. Pragathi braved this challenge, reaching a top speed of almost 165 km/h on some parts of the circuit and clocking an average speed of 102.5 km/h at the end of the rally, an impressive drive that was applauded by many local champions.

After an exhilarating drive in which she matched the speed of some of the most experienced drivers, Pragathi will be back on the gas pedal in a gravel race at the Rallye Terre de Lozere this weekend. (ANI)