- Ashish finished 7th in the Hungarian round
- He stood 12th in the overall rankings
- Is preparing for Pan Africa and Africa Eco rallies
Ashish Raorane has become the first Indian rider to complete the premier-class rally raid - FIM Baja World Championship. Competing astride a KTM, Ashish finished the Hungarian round at tthe 7th place while his overall ranking in the championship settled at 12th position. His previous rankings in the preceding rounds were 22nd in Dubai, 8th in Portugal and 21st in Spain.
The Indian rider faced multiple hurdles in the form of an unfamiliar motorcycle and setting of race schedule at the eleventh hour. The rallyist rode a near-stock KTM 450 which underwent minor tweaks just before the start of the race. Despite of all these challenges, Ashish managed to get in tune with the bike and completed the Hungarian Baja in a total time of 7hour 46min 19sec, sans penalties.
Bagging all the experience and learned nitty-gritty from FIM Baja, Ashish is now prepping to get down in the navigation-based Pan Africa Rally which will be held in September 2019. The Indian rider is looking forward to competing in the Africa Eco next year. This rally takes place along the same route in Africa which was once a part of Dakar.
Besides the motorcycle category, the FIM Baja World Championship also includes other classes such as quads, women and junior riders.
