Musa’s journey

Musa’s tryst with motorsports began in 1993 — during his ‘Yamaha RX 100’ days at Badriya College in Mangaluru. Owning a motorcycle that was all the rage back then played no small part in seeing the lad, then 20, to, on a whim, participate in a local racing event.

“Rallies were very popular in Karnataka. Still is. Of course, I did not know much about it back then other than knowing how to ride a bike. But it seemed to do fine for me. There were over 30 professional riders in that competition. And yet, I managed to finish seventh,” Musa recalls.

Seven is no podium finish, but the win ignited a passion in Musa that refuses to be extinguished. “To have finished the race well meant so much, and it motivated me to keep at it, and so I did — for 33 years and counting,” Musa says.

Save for the first few rallies (where he drove), Musa was a navigator for the entirety of this period. “The transition came in 1995. I realised that there was a scarcity of co-drivers (navigators) in the field though there was ample scope to take it as a profession and fewer risks as compared to driving. So, I taught myself this art,” Musa explains.

The following year, his official rally journey commenced when he joined the MRF team, partnering with Satish Bhat. Navigating the motorsport landscape of the 1990s was challenging, especially without the amplifying power of social media. But what greatly helped Musa was, interestingly, his proficiency in Kannada.

“The rally scene then was dominated by Karnataka. I grew up in Kasaragod, in a town that borders Karnataka. I studied in Kannada medium there and this helped me immensely,” Musa says.

If that helped me break through, what kept him as a force to reckon with in the field was his dogged determination and preparedness. That, and his family’s ardent support. “I couldn’t have done it without them,” Musa says.

Today, Musa is the only Indian to participate in over 330 rallies, including 91 international rallies.

He has won 23 championships, 38 Indian national rally championships, and eight overall championships.