Sheena Sabarwal did not have the faintest idea of what was in store for her when she agreed to drive her friend's gypsy in the Dakshin Dare 2014. But that did not stop her nor her partner — Poonam Das — from entering the less travelled path by any woman –rally racing.

Poonam Das from Kolkata and Sheena Sabarwal, a native of Pune, are not merely passionate drivers but have dared to enter an arena that has not been explored by many women. While Poonam was no stranger to rally driving, Sheena had never given the sport a shot. The two women were introduced by a common friend.

"I told my friend that I wanted to be part of the Dakshin Dare 2014 but I had no navigator," said Poonam. "Then, a friend of ours, Amol, had contacted me and said that he wanted somebody to drive his car for the rally. I said okay," added Sheena.

"I was aware of such sports, but had never actively taken part in such an event. So I said – why not? I will drive to where ever Poonam wanted me to," she added.

Unlike bike rallies, car rallies involve the two people – a navigator, who directs the driver in terms of time taken or time left to cover a particular distance, speed etc. as well as a driver. This is applicable to both TDS and extreme categories of rallying, unlike the extreme bike rallies, where the rider is on his own.

Poonam, incidentally, is also an expert at bike rally races. "I became inclined to rally racing because of the man my husband is. He loves rallies and also loves to drive. I figured if I wanted to spend more time with him I should tag along," Poonam commented. She had begun her journey in the area of rally racing on two wheels primarily due to her passion for bikes.

Poonam said that bike rallies are harder primarily because it is a solo affair. "When you are inside a car, it feels more secure. But when you are riding a bike, in case a part of your vehicle falls off, you have no scope of trying to fix it back again," she added.

This team is also the only all-girls team at the sixth edition of the Dakshin Dare.

The duo would be competing in then endurance category at the rally. The endurance or TDS category requires the participant to cover a particular distance in the most effective combination of Time, Distance and Speed.

When asked whether they hope to venture into the world of extreme rallying racing, Poonam said that she would do so within a year while Sheena laughed and said, "Yes. I am an 'extreme personality.' I can’t hold the speed."