It’s indeed true that love has no restrictions and can be found anywhere; even in the rally car cockpit.
Zambia’s Farook Ticklay and Jasmeen Singh have a lot to talk about their rallying career beyond just trophies, speeds, pace notes, routes and rally events.
Started as just rally teammates. But ended up becoming husband and wife, united by their love for speed.
Now the Ticklays. Farook and Jasmeen said ‘I Do’ in April this year.
Farouk and Jasmeen first teamed up during the 2013 Zambia International Rally. However, both initially had differing opinion of their partnership.
Little did they know that destiny was calling.
“I remember the first time they told me to drive with her. We all disagreed on the decision. She didnt really want to drive with me neither did I.
“I never wanted to sit with a female co-driver in my car. So we were all some how forced to drive together. We didnt know what could come out of the partnership,” explained Farouk.
And that was the beginning of their love story whose FF (final finish) was the aisle.
“I would literally say we met in the car. Because we were just teammates in the beginning. How we started dating? I can’t tell but it all started with the partnership in the car,” said Jasmeen.
Since their first event in 2013, the Ticklays never looked back. Their recent event was the 2017 Zambia International Rally last month.
“It has become a great thing rallying together. It was even much better after becoming a couple. We have trust for each other during the race.
“While in the car, we are strictly teammates and not a couple. That helps us to separate our family issues from racing.”
“We sometimes find ourselves arguing after doing some mistakes in the car. But all that ends in the car at the end of the race. Otherwise we could mix our family issues with rallying,” explained Jasmeen.
While some people disagree with couples sitting together in the same cockpit, to the Ticklays, it’s the best thing to happen to the racing couple.
“Driving with your partner has some level of safety. Remember this is the person you can trust your life with. He can never do anything risky to affect both of you,” asserted Jasmeen.
“I have learnt to trust my wife to navigate me more than anybody else now. I feel more comfortable and safe with her.
“She knows my limits and I know hers. Where I try to go off she knows how to bring me back on track,” explained Farouk.
It certainly is not all rosy for the rallying couple. Farouk says he misses the welcome home greetings especially after a competition.
“That moment when your all get back home from the race very tired. You need to have some massage from her. But looking at her, she equally needs that massage more than me and you cant do anything.
“That’s the moment I start wishing we were not rallying together,” Farouk jokingly explained.
For the rallying couple, there have been both the highs and lows. Many of those are keeping them going stronger.
“The good memories are uncountable. They are so many including the time we become couples.
“But our bad moment is during the Monze Rally. We had rolled our car. It was a terrifying,” he said.
“My best moments was our first win in Ndola Nsobe Rally 2015 and the Mad Max Rally 2015 we had so much fun in those events we could crack jokes and have a laugh in the car,” she added.
The Ticklays are certain that there will only be one driver-codriver partnership in their rally careers.
“We shall continue driving together till we retire. We can only find one of us out of the cockpit temporary due to certain conditions. But then get back.
“Racing for both of us is in blood. We have rally history behind us rooting from the families. So we cant do anything about it,” said Jasmeen.
Farouk and Jasmeen join the rest of the rallying couples in Africa which include country mates Leroy and Urshlla Gomes, Kyle and Balveen Latife, Uganda’s Arthur and Noella Blick, Monica Lyimo and Isaac Taylor from Tanzania.