Gaurav to drive team MRF's third car-Mitsubhishi Lancer EVO

Chennai, Feb 27 (UNI) Team MRF will enter a third car in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally championship and participate in six of the seven rounds this year between April and November in Spain, Austraia, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and China, in that order.

Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Limited K M Mammen said the third car for Team MRF will be driven by Gaurav Singh Gill.

''He is a true rally driver, he has the talent and determination.

He is very focussed and a very aggressive rally driver'', he said.

He said Gaurav's co-driver might be an Aussie. ''This will be decided soon'', he added.

However, Mr Mammen said there were no significant expectations in the first year, because Gaurav will be driving in diverse conditions.

''The Asia Pacific Rally championshop is very demanding. Once he understands the challenge, he will improve by the end of the season, gain enough experience and exposure for the challenge next year,'' he said.

''We expect him to win titles from next year or 2009'', he added.

Jussi Valimaki and co driver Jarkko Kalliolepo of Finlad along with Katsuhiko Taguchi of Japan and his co driver Mark Stacey of Australia will spearhead the MRF challenge for the rally championship title in 2007. Jussi and Jarkko had won the title in 2005 while Armin Kremer of Germany won the title in 2003 for MRF.

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