Tata Motors unveils truck racing championship

Tata Motors' track record in motorsport in India has been muted so far with their involvement largely shaded by competitors like Mahindra, Volkswagen and Maruti.

The company launched an attempt to change that by taking the novel approach of introducing the sport of truck racing in India with the unveiling of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi today.

Tata Motors managing director Karl Slym was present along with the outgoing president of the Federation of Motorsport Clubs of India (FMSCI) Vicky Chandhok and India's first Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan to provide details about the two round (two races per round) championship that will kick off on the 22nd and 23rd of March at the Buddh International Circuit at Greater Noida.

Representatives from JK Tyre and Castrol were also present as the companies are technical partners of the championship.

Tata Motors will field 12 of their Prima 4038.S trucks divided among six teams featuring drivers who will be selecting by veteran truck racer and the championship's technical adviser Steve Horne.

Both rounds will be held at the BIC, but in its first edition the championship will not feature any Indian drivers.

Speaking to autoX, Tata Motors managing director described the two-day race weekends as "IPL style events", that will feature off-track activities to go with the racing.

The Prima 4038.S used for the championship will be producing 370 bhp capable of a claimed top speed of 110 kmh.

However, Horne told autoX that plans were to eventually increase the power to 850 bhp while keeping the weight of the truck to around 5.5 tons.

It remains to be seen, however, if those plans will come to fruition along with the championship itself gaining popularity.