CS Santosh to Ride for Hero MotoSports Team Rally in Merzouga Rally

Hero MotoCorp Ltd (HMCL) today marked its entry in the world of motorcycle rally racing. It has signed a stratigic alliance with Speedbrain GmbH, a German off-road racing motorcycle company. The joint partnership has formed the ‘Hero MotoSports Team Rally’ that will make its debut at the Merzouga Rally in Morocco which will be held later this month. The Merzouga Rally is a part of the world famous Dakar series race.

The team have appointed CS Santosh, an off-road motorcycle rallyist from India and Joaquim Rodrigues who hails from Portugal. Santosh has participated in several international rally events while his teammate 'J-Rod’ is a rookie in rally motorsport. Rodrigues, however, has been a former Motocross and Supercross factory pilot. He is determined to give his best shot at it with his talent and professional skills.

Commenting on the new venture, Pawan Munjal, Chairman, MD and CEO, Hero MotoCorp Ltd., said, “In the recent past, we have rapidly expanded our global footprint and also made significant investments in enhancing our R&D capabilities. Motorsport is a natural progression for us, as it will allow us to bring value-added products with top-of-the-line technology for our millions of customers. This initiative is also reflective of our consistent support to sports and sportspersons. I welcome Santosh and Joaquim on board and wish them all the very best.”

The ‘Hero MotoSports Team Rally’ will be riding the upgraded version of the successful Speedbrain 450 rally bike. The team will be headed by Wolfgang Fischer, Managing Director of Speedbrain and will be under the direct supervision of Dr. Markus Braunsperger, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Hero MotoCorp. The data acquired from the rally team will be held in the R & D of new motorcycle concepts for Hero MotoCorp.

The Merzouga Rally will be held from May 21 - 27, 2016. The Hero MotoSports Team Rally will also participate in international rallies across the globe, leading up to the Dakar rally 2017.