With strategies being planned by the big two, even as the first leg of the Gulf Dirt Track Challenge was in its final stages in Mumbai last month, the second round of the Sportscraft-organised event, in association with Mangalore Motorsports Association, at the Exhibition ground, in Mangalore, on May 17 and 18, promises to be a notch more exciting and thrilling.

To be held under the aegis of the FMSCI, the event is open to two-wheelers in several categories. The cynosure of all eyes will be the Yamaha Pacer team, which is fresh from its successful exploits in Mumbai, where it came out tops over arch rival TVS Racing. Also sharing the spoils there was Team CEAT.

In Mangalore, while local riders will seek to eat a piece of the pie, the focus will be on Yamaha's Shiv Kumar and Yogesh Barguje, who between themselves made the difference between victory and defeat for their team. Led by Rustom Patel and C. Vijay Kumar, the TVS Racing team will aim to fight back to regain lost glory.

There is big prize-money at stake, with the winners taking home Rs. 85,000 and trophies. Since the second leg is part of a five-leg series, with Bhopal, Udaipur and Gurgaon hosting the other legs, the winners would like to garner as many points as possible to take into the next rounds for the overall winner's title.

Leading in the first round of Gulf Dirt Track Challenge, in Mumbai on the April 19 - 20, in the motorcycles above 80cc upto 150cc group B class -- 2 stroke are G.Prasad of Bangalore with 34 points followed by Yogesh Bharguji of Pune with 30 points.

Srnivas C, Shivkumar , C D Jinan, all from Bangalore, have 29, 28 and 27 points respectively to their credit.

Last year's Gulf winner Rustom Patel of Mumbai has only 24 points and will have to work very hard to maintain his supremacy.

In the Foreign Motorcycles Upto 250cc Group A, Syed Eathasham of Bangalore is leading with 40 points followed by Yogesh Barguji of Pune with 32 points.

A maximum of 30 entries per classification -- modified and unmodified vehicles -- in various classes will be accepted on first come basis.

There will be a separate class of foreign motorcycles too.

Scrutiny will take place on May 17 from 9.00 a.m. onwards.

The last date for standard entries is May 12, 13.00 hrs, and for late entries, it is May 14.

Entry forms are available and accepted at:

1. Sportscraft Chitrakut, 3rd Floor, Siri Road, Chowpatty Bandstand, Mumbai 400 006. Tel. (022) 23677631, Fax (022) 23685071; sportscraft@hotmail.com; www.cybersteering.com/sportscraft

1. SUNDRAM MOTORS LTD., (SM) Kojapady Towers, Kottara Chowki NH 17 Road Ashoknagar Post Mangalore - 575 006. Contact person:Mr.Shastry-Manager Phone No. 0824  - 2455326

2. MADRAS  AUTO SERVICE  (MAS) Cauvery Building, Flanir  Road Mangalore -575 006  Contact person:Mr. Achar-Manager Phone No. 0824- 2432159

3. INDIA MOTOR PARTS &  ACCESSORIES LTD., (IMPAL) No. 19-6-370/32, Amrith Nagar        Pandeshwara,Mangalore -1 Contact person:Mr. Rai -Manager .TEL. 0824- 2445685 & 2426609