Racing becomes cheaper in India

New Delhi:

Maruti, General Motors and Hyundai are bitter rivals but they've all joined hands in the larger interest of promoting motorsports in India. All three automobile manufacturers will team up with JK tyres to provide their engines for the National Racing Championships, which features single-seater cars. The claim to fame of this event is that it gave to the world the fastest Indian in the world, Narain Karthikeyan. While the cars may not look different, they are fitted with three different engines from three different companies. LGB Formula Swift, Formula Rolon Chevrolet and LGB Formula Hyundai will hit the road in the 10th edition of the JK tyres National Racing Championships which begin later this month. JK Tyres are also doing their bit by devising special formula tyres for these cars. A similar prototype would cost about Rs 60 lakh anywhere in the world, but because these are fully manufactured in India, the cost is as low as Rs six lakh, which is one-tenth the amount. "The kind of cars we provide them here are much cheaper than anywhere else in the world, they are made at much lower costs to match international standards but still very affordable," said Raghupati Singhania, Vice President and MD, JK Tyres. The Championship will also include a brand new team called NK - a team of drivers hand-picked by Narain Karthikeyan, who is hoping to pursue his dream in Formula 1 racing. In fact, after the exit of Mark Webber for Red Bull, Karthikeyan could find himself promoted from No. 2 test driver to No. 1 test driver for the Williams team. "For this year they have the test drivers. In 2007 there is always a possibility, I hope to get a good seat, whether in Williams or any other team, at the moment I'm happy with Williams. At Williams, I've learnt a lot about motor car racing," he said.