HERO Motorsport
After an entire year of racing through terrains ranging from the Sam Dunes of Rajasthan to the Moroccan deserts, Hero MotoSports Team Rally are finally gearing up to race their limits once again at the Dakar Rally as they announce its team of three riders for the 2019 edition.
The team will feature all the three riders – the most experienced Indian Dakar participant, CS Santosh, Portuguese star Joaquim Rodrigues, and Spanish sensation and ‘Best Rookie of the Dakar 2018’, Oriol Mena. Throughout the last two editions, the team has consistently displayed improvement through their performance. The first year saw the team secure a 100% finish with both JRod (12th) and Santosh zooming past the finish line. The following year saw rookie rider Oriol Mena securing a top-10 finish and winning the rookie moto category.
Addressing the press at the conference in Delhi, Dr. Markus Braunsperger, Chief Technology Officer, Hero MotoCorp and Head of Hero MotoSports said, “We are enthusiastic and absolutely ready for Dakar 2019. Looking at this high-octane event, which is expected to be even tougher than last year, our focus remains on finishing the Rally. This year has been very good for the Team in terms of preparations and training as it has participated in events across the globe and delivered strong finishes. We aim to ride that momentum in the upcoming Dakar Rally in January.”
SHERCO TVS Racing
Sundaram Clayton was founded in 1972 in collaboration with Clayton Dewandre Holdings, United Kingdom. It manufactured brakes, exhausts, compressors and various other automotive parts. The company set up a plant at Hosur in 1976, to manufacture mopeds as part of their new division. In 1980, TVS 50, India’s first two-seater moped rolled out of the factory at Hosur in Tamil Nadu, Southern India. A technical collaboration with the Japanese auto giant Suzuki Ltd. resulted in the joint-venture between Sundaram Clayton Ltd and Suzuki Motor Corporation, in 2017. Commercial production of motorcycles began in 2018.[2]
In early 2015, TVS Racing became the first Indian factory team to take part in the Dakar Rally, the world’s longest and most dangerous rally. TVS Racing partnered with French motorcycle manufacturer Sherco , and named the team Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team. TVS Racing also won the Raid de Himalaya and the FOX Hill Super Cross held at Sri Lanka. In three decades of its racing history, TVS Racing has won over 90% of the races it participates in.
Dakar Rally 