Suzuki Motorcycle India (SMIPL) announced the third season of the Gixxer Cup for 2017. For the continued evolution of the Gixxer Cup, the company has tied up with JK Tyre Motorsport as the organizers for the 2017 edition of the event.
Like last year, the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup is back with the Gixxer Cup to give a chance to the young and budding racers of India to get a foothold into the international racing arena. This is the only platform of its kind in India, which provides the selected rider with a chance to participate in the Red Bull Rookies Cup Qualifiers in Spain.
2016 witnessed the first edition of the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup in the country. After six races spread across two rounds, Sachin Chaudhary from Ahmedabad was crowned the winner from among seven talented, young Indian riders. He went on to represent India in Spain at the qualifiers of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in Spain.
Both the Suzuki Gixxer Cup and the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup will be run as a part of the prestigious 20th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship 2017. While the Road to Rookies Cup will cater to riders between the ages of 12 and 16 years, the Suzuki Gixxer Cup will be for riders of 17 years and older.
Speaking on the occasion, Satoshi Uchida, Managing Director, SMIPL, said that they are extremely pleased to announce their tie up with JK Tyre to conduct the Suzuki Gixxer Cup 2017. This partnership between 2 pioneers can only lead to great things for Indian Motorsport. They are also equally happy to announce their continued partnership with Red Bull for the Road to Rookies Cup for the second year running. They look forward to another exciting year of racing and are confident that they will raise the bar even higher this time.
Sanjay Sharma, Corporate Communications and Motorsport Head, JK Tyre, said, “We have guided the career paths of many international racers from India, and with our passion & expertise combined withthe racing heritage of Suzuki, we intend to do the same for the budding motorcycle racers of our country.”
A new addition this year would be a Rider Selection Programme which would enable the Suzuki Gixxer Cup to get the best riders from all corners of the country to come and participate. The programme will be held across 4 cities to scout for the best riding talent as per the schedule below:
| SELECTION | DATE | VENUE | CITY | TIMING |
| 1 | 4th June | MecoKartopia | Bengaluru | 8AM – 6PM |
| 2 | 10th June | Airstrip | Aizawl Mizoram | 8AM – 6PM |
| 3 | 18th June | Rayo Racing, Kharadi | Pune | 8AM – 6PM |
| 4 | 25th June | Worlds of Wonder, GIP | Noida | 8AM – 6PM |
| 27th June | Announce Selected Riders | |||
The championship will consist of 3 rounds at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore from July through September and the fourth and final round at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida in November, as per the schedule below:
| ROUND | DATE | VENUE | CITY |
| 1 | 7th – 9th July | Kari Motor Speedway | Coimbatore |
| 2 | 4th – 6th August | Kari Motor Speedway | Coimbatore |
| 3 | 1st – 3rd September | Kari Motor Speedway | Coimbatore |
| 4 | 17th – 19th November | Buddh International Circuit | Greater Noida |
The second edition of Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup would culminate in the third round at Kari, as the selected rider would need to head to Spain to participate in the Red Bull Rookies Cup Qualifiers.