i1 Super Series - India on the track

If ever there was a better time for Indian Motorsports it has to be now. With the recently concluded Indian F1 Grand Prix which sent shockwaves not only in India but throughout the world for its brilliant set up, India has finally made its Motorsports roots stronger than ever. And now we have the rise of another exciting series in the form of the i1 Super Series. This is the inception of an all new multifarious series featuring an acclaimed foreign and a certified Indian driver belonging to major Indian cities will compete in a grueling battle on Indian and International circuits. The series is aimed at providing world class racing and at the same time to develop the amateur local drivers into racing superstars.

The racers are all certified motorists and are an eclectic mix of international and local talent. Their challenge is to prove their caliber in the circuits where they will race with the standardized cars provided by Radical Sports Cars. The winner gets to take home a whopping USD $2 million.

The Car

Making the series what it is, is the Radical SR3 Supercar. Proving be to be the ultimate racing tool for the series, the SR3 has been selected considering various reason of which drivability and safety were paramount. The car exhibits convenience and at the same time possesses handling to match which will serve as a boon for the novice drivers and at the same time enjoyed by experts. Single make cars have been chosen bearing in mind fair and balanced play, where victory goes to the skill and competence of the driver.

Getting to the technical bit, the SR3 features powder-coated carbon steel frame chassis with integral safely cell and aluminum honeycomb front crash structure- complying with the FIA Production Sports Car Safety Structure Test. Powering the car is a Powertec 1500 cc RPE engine pushing out 260 PS and can hit a top speed of 250 km/h. It also features a stainless steel manifold and silencer for maximum output and those dizzying revs. Stopping power is courtesy 260mm 30-vane ventilated discs at the front and rear.

The Franchises

One of the first to pick up the Mumbai franchise was none other than Shah Rukh Khan along with KKR partners, the Mehta Group. The Bollywood icon is convinced that the series will be one of the biggest sporting events in the country. He also mentioned that it is an interesting concept as it gets racing drivers from across the globe to partner with young Indian talent. The Delhi franchisee in the meant time was picked up by Management Guru and Economist Arindam Chaudhuri who was also highly impressed by the concept and was keen to be a part of it from the beginning.

Arjun Baljee, Managing Director, Peppermint Hotels and Rudra Dalmia, Director, RD Capital in the meantime took over the Bangalore Franchise. Bangalore was the third team announced giving Bangaloreans something to cheer about when the i1 Supercar Series commences in January 2012.

The fourth city to announce its franchise for the all new motorsport league was Hyderabad with South star Nagarjuna and his associates being confirmed as the owner of the city team.

Organized by Machdar Motorsports, the i1 or the Indian Racing League is sure to carve out a niche for itself amongst the motorsports fans here in India and abroad. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!