The third edition of the Red Bull Ace of Dirt will be held on March 26 and March 27 at the BigRock Dirtpark in Kolar. The Ace of Dirt will see riders compete in various disciplines of off-roading laid out in one course. The winner of the third edition of the Red Bull Ace of Dirt will get the chance to train with Red Bull athlete, and one of the first Indians to ride competitively at the Dakar Rally — CS Santosh.
At 66 entries, the third edition of the Red Bull Ace of Dirt sees a little over double the number of entries over last year's edition. This year also features a number of additions in terms of obstacles to make the course more challenging for the competitors. The course contains a mix of motocross, dirt track and enduro elements which will see 66 riders of varying levels of skill battle it out to win a chance to train with CS Santosh. There will be a qualifying round upon the completion of which 36 riders will be selected to compete in four different heats. The top 16 from the heats will be selected to battle it out for the top step of the podium. This edition has also received entries from five veteran international riders and the winners of the 2021 and 2019 Ace of Dirt — Mahesh VM and Yuva Kumar, meaning the competition will be tough.
Commenting on the third edition of the Red Bull Ace of Dirt, CS Santosh said, “It is special because it is a race in India which kind of mimics the requirements that are needed from an athlete to complete a rally like Dakar; it has all elements put together to be on those lines. We have tried to incorporate various elements of off-road riding and provide the amateur and professional riders with a stepping stone to think and aspire to want to compete in a rally like the Dakar. Red Bull is my partner, my family, they don’t just give me wings, with Red Bull Ace of Dirt, they give wings to the whole nation and all aspiring riders. This year is special as we are going international. Indian Riders will get a chance to interact, ride and compete with a few international riders on Indian Motorcycles in India which gives them a way forward to the dreams they have. It is pretty much the hardest motorcycle race we have in India, also in a format which could help a rider improve his skills, he/she might need because Dakar is one of those kinds of races.”
The objective of the Red Bull Ace of Dirt is to give riders the opportunity to ride at a world-class off-roading facility and unearth the next best off-road rider and give them the chance to hone their skills further under the trained eye of CS Santosh. We will be attending the Red Bull Ace of Dirt so stay tuned for updates on all the off-roading action.