It is with great disappointment that the Formula One races are no longer being held in India and many Indian motorsport enthusiasts are a bit frustrated with the fact that we have one of the greatest F1 tracks in the world, but no race. However, in late march the famed Buddh International Circuit played host to the first ever Truck Racing championship in India, and that is some cause for excitement. Even though we might not have a date on the FIA calendar for the Formula One, we still have a fantastic track that is allowing Indian motorsport to evolve in ways we would never have imagined. Truck racing might be very popular in the US and the UK, but in India this is the first time that such an even has been organized, and the credit all goes to Tata.
The T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship was quite a spectacle and a good number of people turned out to watch some of the UKs best truck drivers – including two time British truck racing champion Steve Horne – race around the Buddh Circuit in Tata’s Prima trucks. There were a total of 12 trucks – two trucks in one team – and each truck is specially tuned for the track and pumps out around 370bhp. The race was organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club of India, with safety and performance standards being followed as per British Truck Racing Association guidelines. Both races were very exciting and very entertaining.
Race One was a sprint with only 5 laps and it was a very close race. Stuart Oliver from Castrol Vector had a close battle with Dave Jenkins of Tata Technologies Motor Sports. Oliver and Jenkins kept swapping positions but it was Oliver who prevailed in the end to grab the full 15 points. David Ball also from Castrol Vecton came in third behind Jenkins to complete the podium. At the end of the race Oliver gave the crowd something they had never seen before as he pulled up to the pits and performed a series of ‘drifting doughnuts’ – quite a tough task given the fact that these trucks weigh a couple tons.
Race Two was far more exciting as it consisted of 15 laps. Even though the drivers were here just as exhibition drivers, they still maintained fierce competition and displayed some very intense and impressive driving. Once again the battle was extremely tight and it was Oliver and Jenkins battling it out in the front. There was plenty of overtaking action as both lead drivers kept swapping positions. At one point Jenkins had slipped all the way back to sixth but he managed to pull up again by driving perfectly around the short loop of the Buddh Circuit. Oliver stayed composed throughout the race but had to fight off Jenkins once again as they approached the final lap, but Oliver pulled away and finished comfortably in first place making him the overall winner of the debut championship. Jenkins finished second, while Matthew Summerfield of Team Cummins came in third, followed by Steve Powell of Dealer Warriors. Team Castrol Vecton was the winning Team.
The T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship ended on a high and promises to be an annual event.
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