by Prashant Kapadia/NHN
Greater Noida, November : India’s most eagerly awaited motorsports show, the JK Tyre Festival of Speed, will get underway at the Buddh International Circuit this weekend, with India’s most celebrated racers and many international stars lining up for top honours and glory.
The JKFOS will unveil its marquee event, the X1 Racing League powered by JK Tyre, boasting of six franchise-based teams involving high profile owners and international and Indian drivers and promises to reignite the country’s motorsports hemisphere.
Along with India’s first Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan, the League will also see the likes of former Force India driver Tonio Liuzzi, Malaysian hero Alex Yoong and legendary F1 driver Niki Lauda’s son, Mathias, in an exciting new format that should thrill the over 35,000 fans at the BIC on Sunday.
Each team boasts of an International Male, International Female, Indian International and two Indian domestic drivers who will not only have to show great skill and speed but also perfect teamwork and co-ordination to clinch the first of the two rounds.
The many battles in the two important categories of the 22ndJKNRC, the LGB Formula 4 and the JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup, will also provide their own thrills. Chennai’s MSport teammates and rivals, Vishnu Prasad and Raghul Rangasamy, are set for one last showdown this season in the grand finale.
Vishnu is in the lead with 68 points but Raghul is just 5 points behind and both will aim to go all out in their quest for supremacy. The two might well square up in the X1 League too, with the former pairing up with Nayan Chatterjee (Team Bengaluru) and the latter with Ashwin Datta (Team Delhi) as Domestic drivers.
Among the local talent, ace rally driver Gaurav Gill (Delhi) and young prodigies, Arjun Maini (Bengaluru) and Kush Maini (Mumbai), are expected to put up an enthralling contest in the league.
In the JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup, Tanay Gaikwad of Pune is sitting pretty with 54 points. One of the standout performers of the season, he will start as a strong favourite for the title. Syed Muzammil Ali of Bengaluru is, however, just 6 points behind and will surely fancy his chances over the weekend.
The JKFOS has an international flavour for bike lovers too, with Round 3 of the Asia Cup of Road Racing spicing up the extravaganza. Top bikers from Asian countries like Japan, India, Nepal and Philippines will look to consolidate their position on the points table in the FIM sanctioned event.
Like every year, super bikers will also be vying for titles in the JK Superbike Cup in 1000cc and 600 cc classes, with close to 50 top riders from the country registered for the two events put together.
Apart from all the hardcore racing, JKFOS will see a complete bouquet of entertainment package including, stunt shows featuring international names like Mike Jensen from Denmark, live DJ music and a special act by renowned Punjabi pop singer Daler Mehendi.
“This weekend is special in terms of its grandeur & packaging. The X1 League is easily the most exciting part of the weekend,” Sanjay Sharma, Head of Motorsport, JK Tyre, said.
“Spectators and television and online viewers can watch racing like never before right here in our backyard. In addition to stiff championship battles in all our prime categories, everybody, young and old, male and female, can hope to have an enjoyable day.
“Joining us, will be a number of MPs who will be part of the JK Tyre Constitution Club of India Car Rally for Parliamentarians that will be flagged off early in the day and will culminate at the BIC,” he added.
About JK Tyre Motorsport:JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades back. The company laid down a long term plan to popularise and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport.
We then endeavored to spot, nurture and sharpen the drivers to turn them into world champions. With this goal in mind, we conceptualized the JKTyre National Racing Champion in 1997. Our efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of NarainKarthikeyan and Karun Chandhok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world.
Since then, a number of stars emerged, including ArmaanEbrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others.
Before all this, JK Tyre had a successful stint in rallying too, conquering the scene in the early 90s. At the same time, gradually, we moved on to various disciplines, including cross-country rallying and off-roading, leaving a mark in each of them with their unique and innovative ways.
JK Motorsports is also very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, we also gave them opportunities in various national championships. Last year was particularly rewarding for us as an All-Women Racing team was introduced for the first time in the LGB 4 category. In addition, we also undertook various other initiatives to encourage them to try motorsports, even if for fun to begin with.
We tied up with the Young Women’s Wing of FICCI to conduct the YFLO Power Drive, a TSD Event for their lady members. The event saw more than 100 ladies participating in the event and driving all the way to Manesar from Delhi. We also associated with the Times Group and executed the JK Tyre Times Women’s Drive, North with as many as 300 ladies taking part in this FMSCI approved TSD Drive from Delhi to ChandigarhWe also had the Rally to the Valley, again only for women, which was another major hit. Over 300 women participated in it, driving from Mumbai to Lonavla. The entire route saw spectators line up as the ladies, in their decorated cars and fancy attires, raced in their quest for mega prizes.
To supplement JK Tyre’s entry into the two-wheeler market, the JKNRC hosted the Suzuki Gixxer Cup and the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup categories and saw enthusiastic participation from across the country.
Today, the company is synonymous with motorsports, and even more so with racing, creating a lot of goodwill for the brand. Right from budding racers to accomplished drivers in the country, everybody owes their rise and success to JK Tyre.
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