Indian Motorsport Targets August Or September Return

• Behind closed door national level events can be held at the Madras Motor Race Track
• FMSCI in contact with Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs for updates in national policy
• Four-wheel road racing and rallying events in self-contained settings likely to be first to return

Speaking to Zigwheels, JK Tyre’s head of motorsport Sanjay Sharma and vice president of the Madras Motor Sports Club Vicky Chandhok stated that a plan to get national level racing and rallying underway by August or September of this year is in place. 

The ongoing fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic meant that national motorsport had to hit the brake pedal hard as the Indian government imposed what has been acknowledged as the most severe lockdown rules of any country in the world.

About ten days before the lockdown came into effect on March 25, organisers had still assumed that events scheduled for July would go ahead. However, the length and severity of the lockdown has forced a rethink.

Now as it has become clear that the novel coronavirus and the threat of the resulting COVID-19 disease could linger for years, the focus has shifted to targeting a date by when it is hoped that relaxations at the national and state levels would allow motorsport to resume. 

“The Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) is already holding testing days for both vehicle and tyre OEMs,” said Chandhok. “And we have the infrastructure in place to hold behind-closed-doors events with adequate social distancing guidelines in place.

“Given the fact that motorsport is not a physical contact sport and the participants already wear protective equipment, we can make a good case for its return to the authorities.’

Sharma spoke of the importance for Indian motorsport to get back on track (literally and metaphorically) as there now exists a much wider environment of people dependent on motorsport activities. 

“Be it a mechanic who would use motorsport to earn extra money or a team owner, the situation is much different now as compared to ten years ago,” said Sharma. “Even though it isn’t at the level of cricket and other sports, there are a lot more people now for whom motorsport is a means to earn money.”

“Myself and the FMSCI are in constant contact with the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs to get the necessary clearances while being fully aware that their priorities lie elsewhere.”

Adapting to the ‘new normal’ would be a part of national motorsport’s strategy to get going in 2020 with the possibility of open invite karting events in a closed setting in cities a part of the strategy.

High resolution webcasts would be an area of investment in this new normal. A logical one given that national level motorsport in India - much like domestic cricket, for example - does not attract many live spectators but hardcore followers of the sport at the national level are still eager to follow the action.