A team at the starting line of the car rally at hotel Chanakya in Patna on Sunday. Picture by Jai Prakash

High spirits fuelled a car rally for senior citizens in Patna on Sunday.

Organised by Bihar Motor Sports Club, the rally allowed the participants to meet old friends and reminisce about nostalgia-tinged experiences. Though the men and women behind the steering wheel were senior citizens, most of them claimed that they did not feel old at all and were in high spirits.

“I do not feel old. You are old only if you feel that way. You just need to maintain high spirits,” said 69-year-old Yuvraj Dev Prasad, a participant at the rally.

Appreciating the efforts of the organisers, the former director of AN Sinha Institute also said: “Such events allow you to meet your old friends and remember the good old times. Most of the senior citizens have been driving for quite some time. So, they have a lot of experience. We appreciate the efforts of Bihar Motor Sports Club for organising such an event.”

Around 17 drivers took part in the rally that was flagged off from hotel Chanakya at 7am. The participants drove over 43km covering areas like Boring Canal Road, Bailey Road, Rajabazaar, near Veterinary College, Jagdeo Path, Ashiana and Rajiv Nagar.

Seventy-one-year-old Harish Chandra, a retired cardiologist of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital who took part in the rally, told The Telegraph: “As long as my health permits, I will keep taking part in such car rallies.”

The rally was organised according to time, speed and distance (TSD) format, according to the rules of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India — the only governing body of motor sports recognised by the Government of India. According to the TSD format, the controlled driving skill of the participants in tested. It entails a calculation of speed and time depending on the speed chart which is handed over to the participant at the starting point.

While Kavita Srivastava, 68, won the competition, NKP Sinha, 68, and S.K. Sinha, 63, claimed the second and third spots respectively.

Bihar Motor Sports Club secretary Ranjit Kumar Das said: “We want to organise such rallies to provide an opportunity to senior citizens, enjoy life. It is also an attempt to give them a chance to relive old memories.”