Pune’s Sanjay Takale Wins Malaysian Rally Championship in P9 Class
Pune, 21st October 2024: In the competitive world of Indian rally drivers, where many have struggled to make their mark, one man from Pune has emerged as a beacon of hope. Sanjay Takale ended his 2011 season on a high, securing yet another podium finish and capping it off by winning the season-ending Malaysian Rally Championship.
Takale, who competed across various terrains and formats of rally championships, claimed the Malaysian Champion title in the P9 class (for non-homologated cars up to 1400cc) while driving for the Pennzoil GSR Racing Team in a Proton Satria car.
Winning a national title in another country is a significant achievement in itself. What makes Takale’s feat even more remarkable is that throughout the season, he drove with an Indian navigator, Musa Sheriff. Even when forced to change his co-driver for the final round, Takale rose to the challenge, securing yet another podium finish under challenging conditions.
“My main competition was against Malaysian driver Dinie Nazme Abd Rahaman in my class. In the first stage, he beat me by over 3 minutes with a time of 15 minutes, while I took 18:43. But I came back strong in the second stage, clocking 23:47, while he took 26:47. After that, I managed to beat him in all the remaining seven stages, ultimately winning the class by a margin of over 10 minutes,” Takale explained.
Malaysia returned to rallying after a five-year hiatus.
“I was invited by my former team boss, Mohammad Rafik Udaya, to drive for his team. He also invited Karamjit Singh, a former WRC champion, to race for the team, which fielded two drivers. Both of us won our respective classes, with Karamjit Singh clinching the overall championship in his 2-litre, 4-wheel-drive Subaru,” Takale added.
