The huge spectator turnout for the JK Tyre Indian National Racing Championship and the Kari Memorial Drag and Autocross meets, which concluded at the Kari Motor Speedway circuit on Sunday, left the organisers and the motorsport enthusiasts from across the country emotional and encouraged.
It is perhaps the first time the city is witnessing such a large turnout for any form of motorsport at the Kari circuit in recent years. “It is the biggest we have ever seen for a drag event,” said J. Balamurugan, Director, Spitfire Motorsports Pvt. Ltd, the organisers of the show.
He said the scope is enormous. “The just concluded event is a proof of concept. Many people have understood the value of the sport. We had not done any promotion for the spectators despite that the crowd was strong and definitely surprised us all. It is time we shift our focus on spectators as well.”
“We were overwhelmed with the crowd response. I have never seen this kind of a crowd in Hyderabad as well. It was a mixed kind. Parents were also involved in encouraging their children to take up the sport,” said A.V. Inder of Speedway Motorsports, Hyderabad.
Sanjay Sharma, Head of Motorsports, JK Tyre, said it is a less expensive form of motorsport. It should be encouraged. “The last two years for some reason the championship could not take off. We compared the sport with the rest of the world. We realised that it makes most sense to get drag racing going.”
“It can get many more participants and spectators because it is easy on their pockets, easy on time and also because once skill is put to test on a controlled environment. Now that we have the crowd we need to take the sport to the next level. If budgets permit, we can have a round each in the Western and Eastern Region as well,” he added.
The competitors were equally thrilled. “It is really encouraging when you have the crowd rooting for you. It helps you in improving your performance as well,” said Bangalore’s Joel Joseph, who finished the fastest among the cars in both rounds of the national championship.
Karnataka’s Rizwan Khan and Hyderabad’s Sundeep Singh Sokhi gave thumbs up for Joel’s views. The latter brought the Lamborghini, the Aston Martin and a few other premium bikes from his stable.
“It's time we market the sport aggressively. Probably in the years to come, we can have something for every spectator like in the West. Drag races there are like a carnival. There is something in store for the entire family," said Rajaram and Sajeev Rajan, Spitfire Directors.
“This is the sport that draws right from a mechanic to a managing director. Naturally, that brings the crowd,” he added.
Sai Prabhu of Salem, a first timer to drag racing had this to say: “I saw the race banners when I visited Coimbatore last week. I decided to give it a try. So that's how I was at the track.” Sai, who brought in his Honda City and the Honda Accord pointed out that he was clueless at the start. “But once I got going, I enjoyed it all the way. It was real fun. I was also the second quickest when it came to reaction time. I am going to bring my cousins and friends the next time around.”
He said it is a great opportunity for the people to test their skills. There is a race for everyone out there and with it some excitement. The sport must be addressed nicely to the public. The frequency must also be increased.”
The organisers assure of a better arrangement for both the competitors and the spectators next year. “There is a lot of work to do. It’s going to be a challenge but we will definitely rise up to the standards,” said Balamurugan.
