Indian utility vehicle major Mahindra & Mahindra just got a shot in the arm when one of its Scorpio pick-ups did the unthinkable - take third place in the production category of the tough Rally dos Sertoes in Brazil, racing against the might of the Mitsubishis, Fords and Chevrolets.

What is most heartening about this result was that it wasn't a planned event or even a factory effort but the initiative of long time Brazilian motoring enthusiast Ricardo Augusto de Souza Campos, better known in the South American motor sport fraternity simply as Rasc.

Rasc wanted to do something different with his 16-year old son RASC Campos, better known himself as Rasquinho, and so he purchased a Mahindra pick-up from Govesa Mahindra, the firm's dealer in Brasilia. A veteran of over 25 years of motor sport in Brazil, he has seen action not just in circuit racing (where we was Brazilian champion in the Speed 1600 series) but since 1990 had turned his hand to rallies, taking part in the tough Brazilian events in all forms of machinery, latterly trucks. Rasc founded the Jeep Club of Brasilia (his home town) and so it was not lost on him that Mahindra vehicles have descended from this great brand. The Rally dos Sertoes was the one event where success had eluded him in conventional vehicles and so this year he decided to attempt the unthinkable with a vehicle which was largely simple yet unproven in competition.

Govesa Mahindra helped Rasc with service support and the makings of this effort saw Mahindra by Bramont step in with sponsorship. The Rally dos Sertoes is one of the toughest events in the world, second its said after the mighty Dakar (run this year in South America if you'd care to recollect) and this year it was run over 11 days, the first and the last were promotional super specials. The 5045 km long event featured a total of 2605km of competitive stages between Goiania and Natal. A total of 128 vehicles took the start and among them were 66 cars and seven trucks while the rest were motorcycles and quads.