Pragathi Gowda Shines in France: First Indian to Podium at Rallye des Vallees 2024
Paris, August 27: India’s latest motorsport star, Pragathi Gowda, made an incredible debut at the Rallye des Vallees 2024 by finishing third in the Rally-5 car class with a timing of 23:51.8. This achievement makes her the first Indian rallyist to finish on the podium in her debut race.
Pragathi, along with her French co-driver Gabriel Morales, not only secured a podium finish in her category but also placed 37th overall. Competing against male drivers, including France’s National Champion Yoan Corberand, who finished first in her class, Pragathi’s performance was remarkable.
Reflecting on her experience, Pragathi said, “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. 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.”
She added, “Thanks to the support provided by everyone on my team, I improved my time stage after stage. I am really happy with my first rally experience in France and I will continue to work hard to improve my performance in the upcoming rallies. Also being acknowledged by some of the top rallyists here has been overwhelming and I am encouraged to do better in the upcoming race this weekend.”
Driving a Renault Clio Rally 5 car, Pragathi showed immense pace in the first special stage to come fifth in her class and 80th overall. She improved her timing by 32 seconds across the second and third special stages to finish on the podium.
The Rallye des Vallees 2024 is a high-speed rally on narrow asphalt roads requiring impeccable precision. Pragathi achieved a top speed of almost 165kmph in some areas and clocked an average speed of 102.5 Kmph, earning applause from many local champions.
After this exhilarating drive, Pragathi is set to compete in a gravel race this weekend at the Rallye Terre de Lozere.
Doubts Revealed
Pragathi Gowda -: Pragathi Gowda is a young and talented motorsport driver from India who is making a name for herself in car racing.
Rallye des Vallees -: Rallye des Vallees is a car racing event held in France where drivers compete by driving through different terrains and roads as fast as they can.
Podium -: In racing, ‘podium’ means finishing in the top three positions. Pragathi finished third, so she stood on the podium.
Rally-5 car class -: Rally-5 is a category in car racing that includes specific types of cars with certain features and power levels. Pragathi competed in this category.
Yoan Corberand -: Yoan Corberand is a famous car racer from France who has won the national championship in racing.
Renault Clio Rally 5 car -: The Renault Clio Rally 5 is a special racing car made by the car company Renault. It is designed for rally racing.
165kmph -: 165kmph means 165 kilometers per hour, which is a measure of speed. Pragathi’s car reached this speed during the race.
Rallye Terre de Lozere -: Rallye Terre de Lozere is another car racing event in France where Pragathi will compete next.