REMIREMONT (FRANCE), Aug 26: Indian rallyist Pragathi Gowda made a memorable international debut by finishing third at the Rallye des Vallées 2024 in the Rally-5 car class with a timing of 23:51.8.
After three months of rigorous training in Europe, the 26-year-old Pragathi, along with French co-driver Gabriel Morales, not only blazed to the podium in her category but also finished an impressive 37th overall.
Driving a Renault Clio Rally 5 car, Pragathi improved upon her first-stage position of fifth in her class as the rally progressed. With a better grip on the track, she went on to improve her timing by 32 seconds across the second and third special stages to finish on the podium.
The Rallye des Vallées 2024 is a high-speed rally on narrow asphalt roads which requires impeccable precision.
“My first international rally in France was an incredible experience. We had a very productive test day and a perfect recce in the build-up to this beautiful rally,” Pragathi said.
“It was a challenging rally for me but with each kilometre I drove I gained confidence in the car and with my co-driver. I was able to match the speed of other top drivers, I was doing about 165kmph in some places and averaged about 102kmph speed through the race on these narrow roads.” (PTI)
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