The SIDVIN Festival of Speed 2012 starts today at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida and will be held till December 2. Seen here are the images of the Day 1.
SIDVIN Festival of Speed will see close to 125 top drivers from the Asia-Pacific, Europe and India coming together to participate in the final rounds of the region’s most coveted racing championships. These include the finale of JK Racing Asia Series (JKRAS) 2012, the JK Tyre-Volkswagen Polo-R Cup, the 15th JK Tyre-FMSCI National Racing Championship 2012 and Round 2 of the MRF Challenge.
Commenting on the event, Mr. Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre & Industries Limited said, “It is a dream come true for us to be hosting our Asia series and our national racing championships together at a world class circuit. Three Indian drivers will be given the chance and will be tested against the best in our Asia Series. This racing event celebrates the incredible spirit of motorsport and promises to be a weekend to look forward to.”
“After hosting two hugely successful Formula One races in India, we are very excited to host our domestic championships at the Buddh International Circuit, and give India’s young and talented drivers an opportunity to race on one of the best Formula One tracks in the world and avail the world class facilities. With the support of organisations such as JK Tyre and MRF, we are certain that the country will become a hub for motorsports in the years to come,” said Mr. Askari H. Zaidi, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Jaypee Group.
The weekend will witness the conclusion of the JK Racing Asia Series which began in Malaysia, travelled to world-famous circuits such as the Paul Ricard, Spa Francorchamps, and Silverstone, making its historical European debut before heading to India for the final two legs, the first of which was held alongside the Formula One Indian Grand Prix last month.
Throughout the JKRAS 2012 season, JK Tyre created an opportunity for Indian drivers to be a part of the much-acclaimed series and represent India internationally. Two of India’s most promising motorsport talents, Aditya Patel and Akhil Khushlani will represent India in the grand finale as part of the company’s constant endeavour to promote Indian talent and give them the best available opportunity to excel. In the final round, it’s going to be a tough fight between 19 year old Malaysian driver Nabil Jeffri and 16 yr-old rookie driver Aston Hare from South Africa.
The SIDVIN Festival of Speed will also witness the last round of India’s premier and only racing championship – the JK Tyre National Racing Championship that consists of the JK Tyre-Volkswagen Polo R Cup, LGB Formula 4, Indian Touring Cars, and Indian Junior Touring Cars championships. The JK Tyre National Racing Championship is the breeding ground for drivers aiming at formula car racing. India’s top drivers have battled it out over five exciting rounds that took place on racetracks in Coimbatore and Chennai and will now gear up for the final face-off at the world class Buddh International Circuit. The battle across categories has gone down to the wire and the weekend will witness competitors fighting hard to become the first podium finishers at the Buddh International Circuit.
The MRF Challenge 2012 returns to the Buddh International Circuit for the SIDVIN Festival of Speed, after its mega-successful debut in late October 2012 as a support race to the Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix. The line-up of 18 Renault-sport powered Dallara racing single-seaters, purpose built for this series by Jayem Automotives Ltd of Coimbatore, will scorch the track with an unprecedented 4 races over the course of the weekend. With engines screaming at 7000 RPM and generating volumes of over 100 decibels each, the grid boast of a combined power output of almost 4,000 bhp! The competition is extremely stiff with drivers from all over the globe.
Apart from some serious racing, a lot of other interesting events have been planned to take place at the festival of speed. Audiences will get to see some amazing Stunt shows performed by Indian race drivers on Volkswagen Cars. Also to keep the audience entertained is the Super Car Parade.
Akhil Khushlani and Aditya Patel create magic – grab one podium finish each in JK Racing Asia Series at Buddh
Champion Indian drivers Akhil Khushlani and Aditya Patel, who have put in highly impressive performances in previous rounds of the JK Racing Asia Series, continued to show their class by grabbing one podium finish each in JK Racing Asia Series Rounds 13 and 14 respectively. While Akhil finished second in the first race, Aditya came third in the second event.
Images- BIC