Dean Mascarenhas Shines with 2nd Place in French Gravel Rally

Millau (France), Oct 13 (PTI) - Indian racer Dean Mascarenhas made a remarkable impression in his European racing debut, securing a second-place finish in the Rally4 class at the prestigious 41st Rallye Terre des Cardabelles, also known as the French Gravel Rally.

Partnered with experienced Brazilian co-driver Gabriel Morales, the talented driver from Mangaluru skillfully handled a Peugeot 208 GT Line in the FRC4 group's Rally4 category. The pair recorded a time of 1 hour, 37 minutes, and 43.4 seconds, landing them 36th overall among the 122 starters. This impressive feat was achieved in one of France's most challenging gravel events, which witnessed 40 retirements and concluded with only 82 cars crossing the finish line on Sunday night.

Mascarenhas shared, "The stages were incredibly fast, technically demanding, and vastly different from my usual experiences in India. This was by far the toughest rally I have ever tackled.

"Gabriel and I found a solid rhythm, and reaching the podium in such a competitive field fills us with immense motivation for future challenges," he added.

As Mascarenhas became more comfortable with the left-hand-drive Peugeot, he intensified his efforts in the subsequent loop, ascending to 41st overall and third in the Rally4 category by Saturday.

During Sunday's Leg 2, which featured the Sévérac d'Aveyron and Altes stages run twice, the Indo-Brazilian duo delivered a combined time of 31 minutes and 24.3 seconds. This performance elevated them to 29th for Leg 2 and ensured a second-place finish in the final Rally4 standings.

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