Bangalore: The thrill of racing, the surge of adrenaline and a brush with adventure is something that every motor enthusiast seeks for in mundane life. While newer technological innovations has made such experience accessible with augmented reality, nothing can beat the joy of kicking up the storm and dust in real life terrains. Maruti Suzuki has introduced the first ever Indian National Autocross Championship 2016, nation’s biggest small motorsports format where motorsport beginners are invited to test their skills and emerge as the winner of the coveted title.
An autocross enthusiast doesn’t need to have a high end or a greatly modified rally car. All they need is to have a car of any manufacturer, skill and will to take on the track. The contestants will drive over specifically designed tracks Autocross tests the drivers’ skills and vehicle handling rather than just the speed. The combination of tight and twisty turn in surface creates and adrenaline pumping experience for the motorsports enthusiast.
The second round of the championship will be organized in Bengaluru on 12th and 13th November 2016 in Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Tumkur Road. From there the event will extend to Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Jaipur and Chandigarh with the grand finale culminating in Delhi-NCR. The Championship in 2016 shall see the champions from southern India compete with Champion(S) from North India for the coveted National title. For city rounds registrations will be carried out at the time of event too at very minimal registration fee.
Talking about the inception of the championship, Vinay Pant, Assistant Vice President (Marketing), said, “Maruti Suzuki has always championed the motorsports culture by introducing tough and gruelling rallies like Maruti Suzuki Raid De Himalaya, Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare, Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm etc. in the most challenging terrains. However, we observed a need to reach out to the masses who are yet to realise their aspirations of participating in accessible, fun yet challenging motorsports contests. We had first introduced Autocross in 2002 and then expanded to multiple cities likeMumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru which was greatly appreciated by rally enthusiasts. The gradual next step was to expand the level of participation, thereby bringing the concept of national championship to the forefront. With the refreshed format, we intend to offer a greater scope of thrill and adventure to potential motorsport aficionados across other cities. We have already received enthusiastic response to the call for Championship and look forwardto get more local participation, making this a defining milestone in our motorsports legacy.”
The championship in 2016 will see the champions from southern India compete with champions from north India for the coveted national title. In addition to the two zones, there will be an additional round at Mumbai. Points of this round will count towards either the North or the South depending on the competitor's zone selection. The top 4 point holders of each zone from each class will be eligible to participate in a finale which will be held in Noida.
