Hero MotoCorp has launched the Hero Dirt Biking Challenge, an India-wide talent hunt for budding off-roading racers. It will hold qualifying rounds in 45 cities and up for grabs are some handy sponsorship contracts, as well as the chance to be trained by some of Hero MotoSports’ leading rally racers like Joaquim Rodrigues and CS Santosh.

• Winners to be gifted sponsorship contracts, XPulse 200 4V Rally Edition
• City qualifying rounds from August-October 2022

Hero Dirt Biking Challenge: dates and registration

Interested participants will need to be at least 18 years old and have a valid two-wheeler driving licence. Online registration for the Hero Dirt Biking Challenge will be followed by city qualifiers where selected participants will battle it out in a slow race format. These rounds will take place from August 13-October 2.

Shortlisted participants will then move on to the regional rounds that will be held across 18 cities – these will be one-day off-road races. Of these, 100 selected riders will proceed to a five-day regional bootcamp where they will be trained by Indian rally ace CS Santosh.

The bootcamp will conclude with a race and the top 20 participants will then move on to the finals that will be held at Hero MotoCorp’s Center of Innovation of Technology in Jaipur. Here, participants will be trained by Hero MotoSports’ leading international rally racers, including Ross Branch, Joaquim Rodrigues, Sebastian Buhler and Franco Caimi. All these racers have competed successfully in some of the world’s toughest rallies, including the Dakar Rally.

The talent hunt will also be telecasted on MTV and streamed over Voot in November 2022.

Hero Dirt Biking Challenge: prizes

One final race will determine the eventual winner, who will be gifted a sponsorship contract worth Rs 10 lakh and a Hero Xpulse 200 4V Rally Edition bike. The first and second runners-up will also get an XPulse 200 4V Rally Edition bike, along with sponsorship contracts worth Rs 5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, respectively.

Ranjivjit Singh, chief growth officer, Hero MotoCorp, said the talent hunt will “give a further boost to the off-road riding culture in the country.” “I am sure this first-of-its-kind initiative in the country will open doors for riding enthusiasts and provide India with its future champions. We wish all the participants the very best of luck,” he added.