[Tushar]

Tata Motors has announced season 3 of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship. The race will be held on March 20, 2016 at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. Like in the earlier seasons, the championship will continue to host experienced international drivers representing six teams, featuring 12 Tata Prima race-spec trucks. What's new this season, is that the championship will also feature a race with Indian truck drivers for the very first time.

The Indian truck drivers will be selected from a pool of truck drivers who are employed with Tata Motors' key customers all over the country. In all, Tata Motors will select 12 Indian truck drivers for the race.





On race day, there will be two categories:-

Super Class – Comprising of Indian race truck drivers

Pro Class – Comprising of internationally acclaimed drivers, with proven expertise in the sport of truck racing, like the British Truck Racing and European Truck Racing championships.

Get a taste of Tata's Prima race-truck with Stratos's experiential report.

[Aditya]

Jagat Singh and Nagarjuna A have won the inaugural race of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship, organized for Indian truck drivers. The championship is in its third edition and, for the first time, featured the Super Class - a category for Indian drivers. These drivers were selected through training and selection programs from Tata Motors' fleet customers' operations across the country.



The drivers were trained by race instructors in India over a period of three months. The race attracted a crowd of over 50,000 people. The first place winners of the two Super Class category races were awarded Rs. 10 lakh each.

The Pro Class (which featured international racing drivers) saw David Jenkins, Rick Collett and Graham Powell finish first, second and third respectively.

David Jenkins of Team Tata Technologies, who had finished fourth in the first 8-lap race of the two Pro Class races, managed to take top honours in the final 20-lap race. Rick Collett and Graham Powell, both from Team Tata Cummins, took second and third place respectively.

Matt Summerfield of Team Castrol Vecton, winner of the first 8-lap race, clocked the fastest lap of 1:50:691 seconds in the second race, around the 3.1 kilometer long race track.

Results:

Race 1 - Indian Drivers Batch 1

1. Jagat Singh
2. Malkeet Singh
3. Rajkumar Mahato
4. MD Parvez
5. Rabinder Yadav
6. Syed Akram Pasha

Race 2 - International Drivers

1. Matt Summerfield
2. Graham Powell
3. Rick Collett
4. David Jenkins
5. Tony Smith
6. Ben Horne
7. Olly Janes
8. Paul McCumisky
9. Adam Bint
10. Brian Burt
11. Simon Cole
12. Ray Coleman

Race 3 - Indian Drivers Batch 2

1. Nagarjuna A
2. Bhag Chand
3. Anand
4. Jitendra Singh
5. Bacchu Singh
6. MD Iliyas

Race 4 - International Drivers

1. David Jenkins
2. Rick Collett
3. Graham Powell
4. Ben Horne
5. Brian Burt
6. Tony Smith
7. Adam Bint
8. Matt Summerfield
9. Olly Janes
10. Simon Cole
11. Ray Coleman
12. Paul McCumisky

[r_nairtvm]

Indian Drivers In Action

The action pictures posted here so far is basically from the international races.

Here are a few from the Indian Drivers.



Look at the confidence from the Indian Driver in taking the Turn 3 on a 3 point contact (or on 3 wheels or 4 0f the 6 wheels if you like)








The times returned by Indian Drivers were not too far from that of the British Drivers (who mostly does the racing as a full time career), specially considering this is the first time that any of the India Drivers have ever been to a race track even as a spectator.

It was a really well organized and attended event and for the final races there were closer to 25,000 spectators in various stands.

The real surprise of the event was in store for the winners of Indian Races. The winners of both Batch 1 & 2 walked away with the prize money of INR 1 Million (winner) INR 0.6 Million (2nd) & 0.4 Million (3rd). The drivers did not have a clue that they were in for such bonanza.

Subject to correction, I would say that this is by far the biggest purse in any form of Motorsport in India and the Tatas deserve a big kudos for that.

Best Regards & Drive Safe

Ram

[JayKis]

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

The times returned by Indian Drivers were not too far from that of the British Drivers (who mostly does the racing as a full time career), specially considering this is the first time that any of the India Drivers have ever been to a race track even as a spectator.

It was a really well organized and attended event and for the final races there were closer to 25,000 spectators in various stands.

The real surprise of the event was in store for the winners of Indian Races. The winners of both Batch 1 & 2 walked away with the prize money of INR 1 Million (winner) INR 0.6 Million (2nd) & 0.4 Million (3rd). The drivers did not have a clue that they were in for such bonanza.

Subject to correction, I would say that this is by far the biggest purse in any form of Motorsport in India and the Tatas deserve a big kudos for that.

Best Regards & Drive Safe

Ram

Would you have the times for the Indian drivers as well?

10 lakhs prize money for a the winner in a race is pretty good, in the right direction!
Equivalent to around $15000!!

[shortbread]

Well done to Tata for investing in such a sporting event. I thought the fever will die down after the first year, looks like the company has bigger plans.

Indian truck drivers have drawn the short stick due to all the attention they get for the wrong reasons. The skill needed to drive these large and mostly underpowered vehicles in Indian conditions day in - day out is incredible.

Its great Tata gives the talented ones an opportunity and a stage to prove their worth. I hope this series goes from strength to strength.

Who knows, an Indian truck manufacturer competing in a global race series piloted by homegrown drivers....WOW?!

[Ashley2]

Heartiest Congratulations for Team Tata for making this event so successful. Its only Tata can organise events of this scale and style. From direct response from my team who have attended it was a perfect execution and each every single soul visited the event enjoyed thoroughly. Also Tata hosted the media with a great privilege and with great pride.
Now the next question is will this event be scaled up to bring competition from other manufacturers? How about Captain and Prima 1-2-1 in a race? For a CV lovers there cant be better place than this. I will even skip F1 for this.
But not sure that it will be a reality and I wish for it.

[r_nairtvm]

Some non sporting action from the event.

One of the trucks damaged in the free practice (international drivers) being assisted back to the pits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4ie...ature=youtu.be

Also a link to a really good video of the races in YouTube, for those so interested

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqe5...ature=youtu.be

Average speeds by the British drivers around the short track (3.1 KM) was around 124 + The Indian group was at about 121 +

Best Regards & Drive Safe

Ram

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by JayKis

Would you have the times for the Indian drivers as well?

As you requested mate.



Best Regards & Drive safe

Ram