Brilliant starry nights – the likes of which could never be imagined in any urban setting – isn't necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the frenetic and fast paced world of national rallying. It is, however, what stays entrenched in your mind if you were a part of the Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm 2007.

The night halt on Day 2 of the rally was a desert camp about 40 kilometers further West of Jaisalmer. It was here that the night sky came alive with all the constellations that you've read about in textbooks but could never spot. The sea of stars was so bright that they appeared to be only a few feet above our row of tents, so much so that you could seemingly reach out and grab one if you wished – not that you would risk disturbing such a perfect arrangement.

Those of you who are regular readers of this magazine would have seen our coverage of the epic Maruti Suzuki Raid-de-Himalaya 2006. The common link between cross-country rallies such as the Raid and the Desert – other than the obvious need to traverse the varied terrain as quickly as possible – is the fact that both events take their participants through some of the most challenging, yet scenic, terrain that our diverse country has to offer.

The Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm entered its fifth consecutive year last month when it was flagged off from Delhi on the 14th of February. The route took the competitors to Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Pushkar and Jaipur – all in the short span of four days. This rally, like the Raid, consists of three categories – Xtreme, Reliability and Bikes, or, as is the nomenclature in this case, Pro, Amateur and Bikes.

The Pro category consists of closed stages that range from the tarmac alongside the Indira Gandhi Canal to the dunes en route from Bikaner to Jaisalmer. The objective is to cover these closed stages as quickly as possible – or at least as quickly as your competition, which, fortunately or unfortunately, consist of some of the best rally drivers, Gypsy drivers especially, in the country.