Motorsport enthusiasts have an interesting, fun and at once challenging event to look forward to over January 28-29 in the Royal Rajasthan Rally 2012. The rally is being organised by Thar Motorsport and will be held in Jaipur, the fabled Pink City.

The month of January is considered the best time to visit Rajasthan and, with this event being held at the end of the month, some people might want to go to Jodhpur and Jaisalmer after the rally.

With the days not too hot and the nights not too cold in the desert, February is considered the best time to visit the Thar.

The rally will begin at eight in the morning on January 28 and conclude at 10 at night the following day. It is a TSD or time speed distance rally — also called a regularity rally — and the competitors are released at intervals. Points are awarded for maintaining the specified speed and times over specified stretches of the route.

The rally is recognised by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the governing body of motorsport in the country.

There is a wide variety of categories, giving all levels of motorsport buffs an opportunity to join in and test their skills.

There are six classes for cars — Rajasthan Class, Out of Rajasthan Class, SUV Rajasthan Class, SUV Out of Rajasthan Class, Couple Class and All-Women Team. The first four are for males, with both driver and navigator required to be male, while the other two are self-explanatory. There is also a two-wheeler category, with pillion riders allowed.

The entries will be accepted up to January 25. The entry fee for cars is Rs 6,000 (for driver and co-driver) with an additional Rs 2,500 per person for extra passengers. In the case of two-wheelers, the entry fee is Rs 3,000 for a single rider with Rs 2,500 more for a pillion rider.

Thar Motorsport can be contacted at tharmotorsport@gmail.com and 09828222999 / 09829222999.

TSD rallying is harder than it seems, which is why those serious about the discipline (and who live in the national capital region) might want to join a TSD training session being held on January 22 at Express Sarovar Portico, Surajkund, Faridabad, from 9 am till 5 pm. The participation fee is Rs 5,000.

While the camp will cover the basics of TSD rallying, a crucial segment will be devoted to use of the TSD Meter from 3 pm onwards. There is provision for those who want to attend only this session to do so by paying just Rs 3,000.

The TSD metre is a calculator especially developed for TSD rallying and both new and veteran navigators find it useful. It has been developed by rallyist Satish Gopalkrishnan, drawing on his experience as a rally driver and the teaching at TSD training programmes.

It has gained immense popularity and is being widely used, especially after it was instrumental in several recent wins such as the Class third in the Mahindra Spice Escape in Kerala in September 2011, the overall fourth, fifth, 11th and 19th positions in the Raid de Himalaya in October 2011, and the overall first four positions in the fifth JK Tyre Hornbill International Motor Rally in Nagaland in November 2011.

Those interested can register at http://tinyurl.com/7zmw5fh.