A Nostalgic look at the Indian Racing Scene

r_nairtvm · 3rd November 2017, 09:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by swissknife

Here are some pictures that I had taken at the Sholavaram race track in the 80's. I was there at the track side as an amateur photographer. I have been thinking of uploading them for a long time, but I guess it had to wait till now. The photographs are in no particular order.

Shall try to put name to few of the pics

Car 99 - Formula India - Kamlesh Patel
Car 72 - Maruti 800 - Kamlesh Patel
Car 66 - Group 2 Fiat - B. Vijaykumar
Car 2 - Lola 750 - Harish Samtani (Previously driven by Jim Crawford for McDowells.

Working on others, shall revert shortly.

Best Regards & Drive Safe

Ram

Zed · 3rd November 2017, 12:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

Car 2 - Lola 750 - Harish Samtani (Previously driven by Jim Crawford for McDowells

Some of the younger members of our forum would be suprised to know that Tiff Needell (ex top gear, Fifth gear) was a participant, on more than one occasion, at sholavaram. And there was some fantastic wheel-to-wheel racing between Jim, tiff and Kari

The Raju / Raja twins were outstanding on the TZ's & RD's , perhaps its one of them on the TZ 125. I recall a TZ 500 in their garage, not sure if it was ever raced at sholavaram or sriperumbudur

r_nairtvm · 18th October 2018, 22:08

Saw the picture of this race car in the FB of Mr. Vicky Chandhok

A Nostalgic look at the Indian Racing Scene-vicky-1.jpg

The write up on it is as follows;

Quote:
Got this rare picture of the 1st Formula India car which I built in 1975 for the Sholavaram races with the other one raced by Suresh Naik. Thanks Shreekant Apte for the picture !

Was conceptualised by the federation as a 2 seater capable of being road worthy!!

Fitted with the Herald 948cc Engine and two Solex carbs capable of 155+ which we thought was very quick in those days!!

I recognise our starter 'Bommi Uncle'- Bommi Gazder- a stalwart of the MMSC!!

Unquote:

Had the pleasure of watching it in action at Sholavaram

Best Regards & Thanks

Ram

Sutripta · 19th October 2018, 21:55

Might be a good idea to move all the old pictures to one thread. eg. Gondal's ones
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/super...tml#post720875 (Mahraja of Gondal's Surtees TS11)

and elsewhere.

Niaz/ Rishi/ Ravi might have a lot of old pictures.

Regards
Sutripta

foby.sebastian · 2nd November 2018, 00:45

I am told that this photograph was taken at Madras. I guess its MMSC.

swissknife · 2nd November 2018, 08:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

I am told that this photograph was taken at Madras. I guess its MMSC.

Yes, this seems to have been shot at the MMST race track. I remember there was an exclusive event during one of the Feb annual races for Porches and one for super cars in 90s. There were entries from all over Asia.

foby.sebastian · 3rd November 2018, 09:30

Rally De Endurance - Bangalore

Photo credits :- CKJ

r_nairtvm · 10th November 2018, 13:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

I am told that this photograph was taken at Madras. I guess its MMSC.

This picture is from MMRT indeed. It was a 1992 event - Porche Super Cup Championships (Asia Pac I think). The cars were all from Hong Kong and Macau. The people seen in the pic are spectators posing with the cars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

Photo credits :- CKJ

CKJ as in C K Jinan ? Wow! he should be having a lot more pictures - specially of the Rally scene.

Best Regards & Drive Safe

Ram

foby.sebastian · 10th November 2018, 14:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

CKJ as in C K Jinan ? Wow! he should be having a lot more pictures - specially of the Rally scene.

Best Regards & Drive Safe

Ram

Yes C K Jinan , lot more pictures to come!

arun1100 · 25th January 2020, 16:23

Yelahanka, Bangalore - Air Strip, Feb 1958. Posted by Nikhil Tivari in Bygone Bangalore FB page.

A Nostalgic look at the Indian Racing Scene-fb_img_1579949121467.jpg

KartikeyaL · 15th December 2020, 11:25

Himalayan Rally

A Nostalgic look at the Indian Racing Scene-indiaphotographairindia9thhimalayancarrally.jpg

John Cooper · 7th May 2021, 06:26

I just came across this and read the article about Nostalgia for Indian racing by Shubhabrata Marmar. He has eloquently written about a time which to many of us will always be the heyday of Indian motorsports and the reason so many of us are diehard petrolheads.
I moved to the USA in 1986 and was an avid Sholavaram freak from 1968 till the time I left. If I close my eyes I can still feel the cool breeze of the early morning in February when we used to get to Sholavaram and listen to the cars and bikes getting ready for the day's races , not to forget the smell of exotic fuels wafting across the field as engines revved up in anticipation.. Hard to believe that 30,000 to 40,000 people would show up and the viewing galleries stretched halfway down the main straight.
The names from the past are still fresh in my memory. To my surprise, I was at the MMRT track a couple of years ago and met D.VidyaPrakash and B.Vijaykumar from Coimbatore , both in their seventies still racing as enthusiastically as back in the day and competing with kids young enough to be their grandsons.The spirit truly lives on. In the 70s, these two guys were considered unbeatable in their Fiats and would often be neck and neck in race after race. I remember seeing VidyaPrakash's black Fiat carrying the No.1 roundel which coincidentally matched the elliptical "I" sticker for Italy on the back of the car. It was also the first time I saw a Fiat with 13" Cromodora wheels in silver and to top it all, he was so much faster than anyone else around.
It is such a pity that the pictures from those days are so few and that there was hardly any video taken as it was a time before free and cheap technology.
I am always proud of the fact that Madras , as it was known then was the Crown Jewel of the Indian racing scene as Sholavaam was the place to be , even though races were also held every season at Sulur in Coimbatore, Juhu in Bombay and Barrackpore in Calcutta. Later on, Bangalore was also part of the circuit.
Memories.....memories...sigh.

18th October 2018, 22:08	#33
r_nairtvm Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Dubai/TRV/BLR Posts: 2,091 Thanked: 2,547 Times View My Garage	India's 1st Formula Car ! Saw the picture of this race car in the FB of Mr. Vicky Chandhok The write up on it is as follows; Quote: Got this rare picture of the 1st Formula India car which I built in 1975 for the Sholavaram races with the other one raced by Suresh Naik. Thanks Shreekant Apte for the picture ! Was conceptualised by the federation as a 2 seater capable of being road worthy!! Fitted with the Herald 948cc Engine and two Solex carbs capable of 155+ which we thought was very quick in those days!! I recognise our starter 'Bommi Uncle'- Bommi Gazder- a stalwart of the MMSC!! Unquote: Had the pleasure of watching it in action at Sholavaram Best Regards & Thanks Ram Last edited by r_nairtvm : 18th October 2018 at 22:10.
	(3) Thanks

19th October 2018, 21:55	#34
Sutripta Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Calcutta Posts: 4,668 Thanked: 6,217 Times	Re: A Nostalgic look at the Indian Racing Scene Might be a good idea to move all the old pictures to one thread. eg. Gondal's ones https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/super...tml#post720875 (Mahraja of Gondal's Surtees TS11) and elsewhere. Niaz/ Rishi/ Ravi might have a lot of old pictures. Regards Sutripta Last edited by Sutripta : 19th October 2018 at 21:57.
	() Thanks

2nd November 2018, 00:45	#35
foby.sebastian Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Thrissur/Kochi Posts: 2,697 Thanked: 2,838 Times View My Garage	Re: A Nostalgic look at the Indian Racing Scene I am told that this photograph was taken at Madras. I guess its MMSC. Attached Thumbnails
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3rd November 2018, 09:30	#37
foby.sebastian Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Thrissur/Kochi Posts: 2,697 Thanked: 2,838 Times View My Garage	Re: A Nostalgic look at the Indian Racing Scene Rally De Endurance - Bangalore Photo credits :- CKJ Attached Thumbnails
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25th January 2020, 16:23	#40
arun1100 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,087 Thanked: 5,577 Times View My Garage	Re: A Nostalgic look at the Indian Racing Scene Yelahanka, Bangalore - Air Strip, Feb 1958. Posted by Nikhil Tivari in Bygone Bangalore FB page.
	(4) Thanks

15th December 2020, 11:25	#41
KartikeyaL Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Jaipur Posts: 3,523 Thanked: 15,764 Times View My Garage	Re: A Nostalgic look at the Indian Racing Scene Himalayan Rally
	(2) Thanks

7th May 2021, 06:26	#42
John Cooper Newbie Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 10 Thanked: 82 Times	Re: A Nostalgic look at the Indian Racing Scene I just came across this and read the article about Nostalgia for Indian racing by Shubhabrata Marmar. He has eloquently written about a time which to many of us will always be the heyday of Indian motorsports and the reason so many of us are diehard petrolheads. I moved to the USA in 1986 and was an avid Sholavaram freak from 1968 till the time I left. If I close my eyes I can still feel the cool breeze of the early morning in February when we used to get to Sholavaram and listen to the cars and bikes getting ready for the day's races , not to forget the smell of exotic fuels wafting across the field as engines revved up in anticipation.. Hard to believe that 30,000 to 40,000 people would show up and the viewing galleries stretched halfway down the main straight. The names from the past are still fresh in my memory. To my surprise, I was at the MMRT track a couple of years ago and met D.VidyaPrakash and B.Vijaykumar from Coimbatore , both in their seventies still racing as enthusiastically as back in the day and competing with kids young enough to be their grandsons.The spirit truly lives on. In the 70s, these two guys were considered unbeatable in their Fiats and would often be neck and neck in race after race. I remember seeing VidyaPrakash's black Fiat carrying the No.1 roundel which coincidentally matched the elliptical "I" sticker for Italy on the back of the car. It was also the first time I saw a Fiat with 13" Cromodora wheels in silver and to top it all, he was so much faster than anyone else around. It is such a pity that the pictures from those days are so few and that there was hardly any video taken as it was a time before free and cheap technology. I am always proud of the fact that Madras , as it was known then was the Crown Jewel of the Indian racing scene as Sholavaam was the place to be , even though races were also held every season at Sulur in Coimbatore, Juhu in Bombay and Barrackpore in Calcutta. Later on, Bangalore was also part of the circuit. Memories.....memories...sigh.
	(1) Thanks