Zeal overtakes Heat at the Lanson Toyota Car Rally

The Morning of August 26, 2007. The Lanson Toyota showroom at Koyembedu wore a festive look .The Ubiquitous Lansoners were busy making the final touches for the Fun Event `The Lanson Toyota Car Rally`.

This was the fourth Rally being conducted by the Madras Sterling Ladies Circle No. 63 for a noble cause “ Educate to Enlighten”. The event managers were the Madras Motor Sports Club  and the rally was based on the usual Time Speed and Distance format. The distance of around 70 kms had to be completed in roughly 3 hrs and the Destination was the newly constructed Lanson Toyota Showroom in Pallikaranai

The registration desk saw full crowds from 8.30 a.m. onwards. Enthusiastic rallyists from 7-75 (What a range) turned up in large numbers to Log in. As the clock ticked the tyros were seen running helter skelter to complete the formalities whereas the regulars were busy giving final touches to their game plan. The teams were split into Four Categories viz. The Innova, The Corolla, All Ladies and The General Category.

At sharp 9.30 a.m. the first Car, a Toyota Corolla, was flagged off with lots of cheer from all present. Then on followed a trail of snazzy cars of all makes, shapes and sizes. Zeal engulfed the unusual heat and participants were seen helping one another while in the queue with advices on how to go ahead with the rally. Some were glued to the `Rally Navigator leaflet` to get a few more tips. Teams named FTV (Future Tooth Visionaries – was a team of dentists), Go Green etc. stole the limelight.

What was just about 50 cars registered till the previous day evening swelled to more than 80 that morning indicating the eagerness of the people of Chennai to be a part of these kind of events.

At about 11.00 a.m. the last car was flagged off and that was the time for the organisers to rest a bit. Enervated physically, their minds seemed still fresh with the joy of having started off this event successfully.

Destination: The Lanson Toyota Showroom in Pallikaranai — Cars started trickling in from around 12.40 p.m. and the last car was at around 3.00 p.m.. Curiosity was writ large on the faces of many while waiting for the results, reminiscent of the day in school when my12 th Std. results were announced. Barring a few complaints about missing controls due to heavy traffic, for most first timers, it was a happy moment of having finished a RALLY