‘The CEAT Mumbai Xpress Autorickshaw Rally 2007’ Ends with Momentous Spectacular Finish

On the evening of Friday the 17th August, a group of adventurous and free-spirited Auto rickshaw racers from all over the world rolled into the bustling metropolis of Mumbai to complete the most unique and exciting sporting event of the year, the CEAT Mumbai Xpress Autorickshaw Rally 2007. Starting the thirteen days auto-rickshaw journey before on August 5th, from Chennai city in the south-eastern corner of India, the 72 racers, comprising 32 teams, have completed over 1920km and crossed 4 states of India.

This once-in-a-lifetime, thirteen-stage Auto rickshaw rally crossed through a vast and diverse array of landscapes, from coastlines and mountain ranges, to bustling metropolises and brought together participants of all ages and all walks of life vying for the title- The CEAT Mumbai Xpress Autorickshaw Rally World Champion 2007. This year is also the 50th anniversary of the Auto rikshaw and suitably, the CEAT Mumbai Xpress Autorickshaw Rally 2007 was on the road as a not-for-profit event to raise funds to improve the lifestyles and educational opportunities of India’s children.

This year’s Autorickshaw rally was a tremendous success with all of the participants completing the rally and having a hilarious journey along the way with their incredible medium Tuk Tuk, with parties and chances to explore the different regions of India at every stop. The title of CE
T Mumbai Xpress Autorickshaw Rally World Champion 2007 was won by the team Pukka Tuk Tuk, comprising of Ian and Rachel Bayles, who happened to be the winners of last year’s Indian Auto-rickshaw Challenge 2006. Alongside finishing first, the teams had to complete challenges that the organisers set them to score additional points so that the emphasis was not solely on speeding across the route with their bumpy Tuk tuks, but to be safe on the roads and to enjoy the journey.

This Tuk Tuk rally was not only about the competition however, with the spirit of the race being routed in the enjoyment of the journey and the charitable goals of the rally. This goal of improving the educational opportunities of India’s children was fulfilled by the participants themselves as they managed to deliver around 10 tonnes of books and supplies to local schools along the route that desperately needed them. All of the teams of the Auto rickshaw challenge had packages with that they were able to deliver personally to the school’s representative, while they mixed with the local children, giving small gifts and playing games together.

Everyone involved with the CEAT Mumbai Xpress Autorickshaw Rally 2007 had an unforgettable and unique experience as they battled through India’s monsoon season to reach their goal. The organising team behind the Autorickshaw rally is now working hard to repeat the success in their next event, the CEAT Classic Autorickshaw Rally 2007 which will begin on the 31st December. Preparations are well underway for the event in which the Tuk-tuk will run from Chennai to Kanniyakumari at the southern peak of India and cover over 900km in nine stages. Both the Mumbai Xpress and the Classic Auto-rickshaw Rallies are planned to continue on an annual basis and registration is now open for the Mumbai Xpress Autorickshaw Rally 2008.

Please contact for information
Aravind B. Kumar, Lead Organizer
+91-44-42143343, +91-44-42142552
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