Sarwar and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V: The duo that won the Rallycross Championship 2024
On 25 May, Sarwar Hussain Chowdhury won the 1st place at the 4th Rallycross Championship with his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V. The championship saw about 30 racers participate
When it comes to the world of rally racing, the Lancer Evolution (popularly termed as "Evo") needs no introduction. With countless wins at multiple racing events across the world, the Lancer Evolution is beloved among car enthusiasts.
Hence, local petrolheads were delighted with joy when Sarwar Hussain Chowdhury took the first place podium at the fourth Rallycross Championship last week with his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V.
While there are other generations of Evos in Bangladesh, this Evo V is the only one of its kind. Sarwar started working on the car in 2012, putting his heart and soul into elevating it.
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"My Evo V is a total Frankenstein with parts from almost every Evolution generation," Sarwar said.
For example, this car had its stock drivetrain, including its front and rear mechanical Limited Slip Differential (LSD) replaced with one from an Evo 6.5 – a special limited edition car with only 4,092 units sold globally.
Sarwar replaced its stock 4G63T engine with another from Evo VIII MR which came with a larger turbocharger, intercooler and an upgraded fuel injection system. To pair with that, the wiring and ECU (Electronically Controlled Unit) has been sourced from another Evo VII.
The stock brakes were replaced with an Evo VI's Brembo brakes. Only the suspension arms and exterior body parts are what remains of the original Evo V at the moment.
A stock Evo V is about 276 horsepower, but with the aftermarket camshaft, upgraded turbo as well as the epic mix and match of other Evo parts, this one can push up to 382 horsepower.
However, right before the race, Sarwar decided to tame down the power because too much power wouldn't have helped much in the soft track of the rallycross, according to him.
"To get ready for the event I reduced the power, reworked my suspension using close to stock spring rates and re-installed the stock camshaft," Sarwar explained, "I believe my car was making only 200whp during the rallycross!"
On 25 May, Bangladesh Motorsport hosted the fourth Rallycross Championship. Sarwar participated in Class A which consisted of performance cars with 2000cc engines or higher. Not only did Sarwar get the first place podium in his class, but he also managed to set the best lap time on the track at 57.091 seconds during his second race.
Sarwar is one of the few racers who've participated in all four Rallycross events and secured podiums in every race. In fact, his racing career started with the first Rallycross Championship held in 2014 with his K20 swapped Civic EF, which we featured last year.
Since 2016, however, the Rallycross Championship went on a hiatus for unknown reasons, despite CEMS Bangladesh hosting the Dhaka Motor Show nearly every year.
That didn't stop Sarwar's racing career though.
"With the help and guidance of my friend and racer Avik Anwar, I trained in India with Formula LGB [open wheel] and got my FIA [ (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile] certified International Racing Licence," he said.
"I was even ready to join Avik in the Volkswagen Polo Cup in India and an endurance race in Sepang. However, when Covid-19 struck, I had to take a break from my racing career."
When Bangladesh Motorsport finally announced another Rallycross event, Sarwar took this as his opportunity to return and began preparing, opting to race with the Evolution V this time.
Winning the first prize money of Tk15,000 from this championship, Sarwar said he'll be donating the prize money to Palestinian aid.
While many people have custom-built their cars, only a few manage to understand them well enough or dare to push them to their limits. Sarwar is one of the few.
Sarwar Hussain Chowdhury was fortunate given that people from Bangladesh don't usually get to portray their talents locally let alone drive their beloved built cars to their full potential given the lack of a proper race track or training facilities.
Now that Sarwar is the new local winner, he is eager to take the next step in his racing career.
"I love the present setup of the Evo V. I might just try the Volkswagen Polo Cup in India next year, hopefully with sponsors," he said.
