Stuart Oliver of Team Castrol Vecton won the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship for the second time in a row at Buddh International Circuit. Starting second on the grid in Super Qualifying, he went on to clinch the title for the second time in the 16-lap final race, helping Team Castrol Vecton grab Team Title. The action-packed, rain-hit Season II, which was held on March 15, was witnessed by over 45,000 spectators.
Steve Thomas of Team Allied Partners, who qualified fastest the previous day, was the first runner-up, with Steven Powell of Team Tata Technologies clinching the second runner-up spot.
Oly Janes, Mat Summerfield, Simon Reid, David Jenkins, Steven Powell, Richard Collett, Mathew Summerfield, David Jenkins, Paul Alan McCumisky, Graham Powell, Ben Horne and Chris Levett were the other top British truck racing drivers who participated in Season II of the race.
Stuart Oliver said: “It’s been an amazing championship, with so much improvement to the truck that it just goes to show the capability of the vehicle and how the sport can be scaled up, with more power and speed, a delight for every motorsports fanatic. I would like to thank Tata Motors for having all of us over and for having done an incredible job with the Tata Prima.”
Commenting on the successful week-end, Mr. Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director – Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors, said: “The Tata Prima race trucks proved their racing prowess and build quality in this high intensity race. Some of the key learnings are that Trucks racing each other at 100 kmph is a fantastic visual spectacle, and many people have said it looks more exciting than car and bike racing. The competitive spirit among the key sponsors was also fabulous. We are extremely delighted with the performance of T1 teams and drivers who have been supportive throughout the event. In the future, we might use more powerful engines.”
It is to be mentioned that each of these 12 modified Tata Prima race trucks of 370 hp were built for the purpose and driven by experienced international truck racing drivers from the acclaimed British & European Truck Racing championships. The Tata Prima race trucks for Season II boasted 10 per cent more speed (upto 130 km/hr), a new aerodynamic design, with 10 per cent increased acceleration and 10 per cent weight reduction, over Season I of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship held last year.
The T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship was organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) and was conducted under the aegis of FIA and FMSCI. For Season II, WABCO, JK Tyres, Cummins, Castrol and Tata Technologies were the main sponsors, Setco Automotive and Tata Motors Finance were the sponsors of Team Allied Partners.
MOTORINDIA’s exclusive interaction with Stuart Oliver, Winning Driver of Castrol Vecton team
How long have you been in the racing fraternity?
I started truck racing in 1998 in the UK and have participated in various races in Europe. I am very fortunate to have won 10 British Championships and one European Championship. Now, I have also won Indian championships, including the one last year.
Tell us about your experience in this event
It’s a great pleasure to be here in India. It is always an amazing feeling to be the defending champion, and I would like to thank Team Castrol Vecton for their continuous support and belief in me. I would not miss out the opportunity to thank all the fans for coming out and cheering for all the drivers. I look forward for the next season of the championship quite eagerly
What about your impressions with driving Tata trucks
I find it very impressive. When we came last year, we didn’t know much about the truck and how it will perform. But when we came this year, we were overwhelmed. It’s a great privilege to come back for the event. There have been some improvements than last year. The trucks have got more power, faster, better braking resistance and lighter too. Overall, Tata trucks gave a cheer driving pleasure.
Tata Motors Racing ahead
An exclusive interview with Mr. R. Ramakrishnan, Sr. Vice President (Commercial), CVBU, Tata Motors, at the racing venue
At the venue of Tata T1 Prime truck racing championship, MOTORINDIA Editor had a chance meeting with Mr. R. Ramakrishnan, Senior Vice President (Commercial), CVBU, Tata Motors, popularly known as Ramki. The following are excerpts of the interview with him:
MOTORINDIA: Please tell us about your great initiative for the T1 Prima Championship.
Ramakrishnan: The T1 Prima Truck racing is a new initiative we started last year. Our objective was threefold. The trucking (sector) is a very important one. It actually booms the country’s industrial and agricultural produce. Unfortunately, the trucking industry (in India) is not seen in a very important light. Moreover, truck drivers are moving goods across the country at a lot of risk for themselves and their families. They are treated as the lowest strata of the society and don’t get the regard, attention and care they deserve. So our ultimate objective was to address these two concerns.
The third objective was, of course, to showcase the technological capabilities of the Tata Prima. The impression about trucks in the country is that it is a rickety old box crawling on the highways. This is justifiably so as majority of trucks plying on the Indian roads are probably of obsolete technology. We were initially not sure how it will be received by various walks of people. But after the last year’s race, the response that we got was tremendous, not just for the people we aimed at, i.e., truckers and drivers, but our suppliers were also enthusiastic with the response. They want to ensure that their competence is there in the Prima Trucks and want to participate in the Truck Racing in a highly sportive mood. This is because the trucks that travel at that speed do 15 laps and complete the race is proving that the reliability of technology and design is there in the product.
This time around, we are going with a better format with faster truck and more races. We got a positive feedback from the international drivers about the changes that made the racetrucks more stable and powerful. To increase the stability, we have reduced the centre of gravity by changing the suspension and raise the speed limit of the vehicle by 135km/h. We have also knocked off some 700K weight of the vehicle. We have adjusted the front steering geometry to enhance the stability and handling of the vehicle. All that has made the vehicle peppier with better pick-up and speedier.
MI: So do you intend to take this initiate beyond India?
Ramki: The vision in our mind is quite big. Right now we are working on three fronts. First of all, we want to take the vehicle itself to the international level. If this year we have taken it from 110 to 135km/hr, we would like to take it to international standards of 160km/hr. That is going to mean very different things. Here what we did in the first time and the second time was take a production vehicle and tune it to make it suitable for a particular race. Next time, when you want to make it in tune with international standards, you have to build an engine and make a vehicle around it. That is going to be a significant change.
Second is in expanding the number of participants and races. We want to work towards more races during the year, and that will lead to a national-level championship. So we have started the groundwork for this. We don’t know how long will it take, but clearly we want to take it in that direction.
The third aspect we are working on is to have Indian drivers doing the race. We have started a programme called identifying interest in the country and we will put into course a very rigorous training programme through which we will be having at least 16 Indian drivers in the next round. We will invite applications from across the country through our transporters, dealers and other sources. We will identify a selection criterion by which we will shortlist about 240 drivers. We will put them through more stringent evaluation and shortlist about 60 drivers.
This 60 will undergo a lot of training in classroom or on track. Then we will put them under simulated training when they can sit in front of the screen, understand what a race track is and make manoeuvres sitting on the chair watching on a digital screen. This will help them equip with a lot of skills to do a race without actually being actually on a racetrack. And then, of course, we will put them in a truck on a track which will also require a lot of training. Once that is done, we will shortlist about 24 people whom we want to train further and expose to international races. Finally, out of that we will have about 16 people who will be hopefully be there in the next round.
We are exploring multiple possibilities of whether having Indian racers separately or together with foreign drivers. And, of course, sometime in the future we have to take this event out of the country and participate in the countries where we are already present or want to be present in a big way. There are many countries which host truck races, and we would eventually like to participate in them too.
MI: Besides truck racing, what are the other initiatives that you would be taking to retain your marketshare?
Ramki: For us to retain a dominant position in the CV space, the products are the key. We hope to continue to retain our marketshare at 60 per cent for many more years to come. We have probably the widest range, and the market as well as the customer requirements are fast evolving and continuously changing. The regulatory environment is also bringing its own set of changes on safety, emissions, etc.
We are developing new products and variants to meet the market needs better. Our key plank for leadership is fuel efficiency, because we all know that 65 per cent of the cost of operation is the fuel. Therefore, our aim is to continuously be the leader in fuel efficiency. Today I am glad to tell you that more than 85 per cent of the products are better than the equivalent competition in terms of fuel efficiency. So, that is an area that we constantly keep developing.
Another area where we are focussing on is the driver’s space where the driver should feel more comfortable and safe. It has to be comfortable enough for the driver to travel more kilometres in a day or it could be two drivers alternating so that the vehicle could be put to use round the clock. That can improve the productivity of the vehicle as well as the entire fleet.
So these are the major areas of development as we go forward. And, of course, we expect the infrastructure to ramp up in the coming years. We can have better and faster trucks than before. The GST implementation is round the corner, and it should sharply be polarising the commercial vehicles and goods transportation. On one side it would be faster, heavier trucks, and on the other a lot more last-mile vehicles. So we are gearing ourselves up for that kind of change also.
Another area which I must talk about is the customer evolution as there are customers who are willing to pay a price to own a premium branded product which has the best of performance. There are another set of customers who still want a basic vehicle, but are worried about the acquisition cost, and would quickly want to pay off the instalments. That set of customers will still be there and would still be the largest for some time. But there is an emerging segment in between which wants a balance of premium as well as price. They are willing to pay a bit extra for better performance and are in business for some time, and are not in a hurry to get return on investment and are willing to pay their instalments for a longer duration. At the same time they want a vehicle which helps them expand their business, do better, and so on. So from that perspective, they are demanding better vehicle and driving environment and want us to take care of maintenance, and so on. This segment is emerging quite fast and is going to be the largest growing segment in the coming years.
Fully equipped to meet transforming market needs
With the Prima at the heavy end and the Ultra in the middle and light end, we are fully equipped to meet the transforming market needs very effectively in the goods space. We are already a market leader in the SCV space and are bringing in more products in the pick-up space. And, with the bus body code coming in, we are well equipped to meet the company’s body-building needs very effectively. Overall, we are well geared to meet the transition in the coming years. We will be rolling out 150 new products and variants this year and 200-odd models and variants next year.
One more area I must mention is the dealer network which is the largest among our peers in the country. We are modernising the outlets in terms of looks and interiors, which are more than five years old. We will also be expanding our presence in rural markets.
Castrol’s unbeatable partnership with Tata Motors
An exclusive interview with Mr. Ravi Kirpalani, Managing Director, Castrol India Ltd.
The recently held Tata T1 Prima Truck Racing Champonship has three cheers for Castrol India: the first being the clinching of the championship for a second time in a row; the second being the signing of the MoU with Tata Motors for new Vecton RX; and the third for the successful completion of three decades of cordial mutual relationship with Tata Motors. At the venue of the race, the MOTORINDIA Editor captured a few moments of excitement from Mr. Ravi Kirpalani, Managing Director, Castrol India Ltd.
Here are the edited excerpts from the interview:
MOTORINDIA: Please share your views on the performance of Castrol Team Vecton
Ravi Kirpalani: Castrol has a rich legacy of motorsport, and we are proud to be titled the undefeated champions of T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship. We, alongside Tata, hope to popularize truck racing in India and add Indian drivers to this league in the future. Castrol has supported the championship by co-engineering engine oil with Tata for the trucks racing here. The new Vecton RX is aimed at increasing the fuel efficiency of Tata trucks by three per cent, saving substantial amounts of diesel as well as operating costs. This is yet another step towards strengthening our partnership with Tata Motors.
MI: So, Castrol is now associated with Tata Motors for quite some time.
Ravi: Yes, the Tata Motors – Castrol association began in 1985 when Tata Motors endorsed Castrol CRD. The current “After Market” tie-up with Tata Motors is more than a decade old and has grown from strength to strength over time. The partnership has paved the way for development of technology breakthrough engine and driveline fluids. It ushered in the first joint development and manufacture of the first OEM-endorsed engine oil in the industry. The Castrol Rx Super Max delivers 1.5 per cent fuel economy for the Tata Motors fleet. Historically, Castrol has long been associated with international motorsport. As a technological leader in the lubricant industry, the partnership with Tata Motors on this initiative does not only serve to showcase Castrol’s superior product capabilities, but strengthens the brand proposition within the commercial vehicle fraternity.
MI: Castrol has been the trusted brand for many years and is present in multiple segments of the automotive industry. What is your focus in the CV segment?
Ravi: It is very big as it is the biggest segment contributing more than 60 per cent of our total volumes. We are clearly focussed on it.
MI: Are you working with any other OEMs?
Ravi: Apart from Tata Motors, we don’t have any formal agreement with other players. We are working with MAN since we have a global relationship with them. We also have quite a few associations in the off-road segment with JCB, Komatsu, etc. But we are majorly associated with Tata Motors in India.
MI: What is your current capacity across your major facilities in India?
Ravi: We have three blending facilities in the country with a huge capacity. We are investing to upgrade the existing facilities and are not looking for any greenfield facility in the foreseeable future. We are also looking to utilise the existing capacity completely (as the market revives).
MI: Tell us about your presence in the aftermarket.
Ravi: If you look at our retail space, we are still the market leader. We have around 270 distributors across the country through which we are reaching out to hundred thousand dealers. Going forward, we will be ramping up our distribution network further.
MI: How do you plan to tap the popular fleet operators in the country?
Ravi: We have a special team that goes out and meets them. We tell them about our products’ value and what is special about them. Many of them, in fact, are our valued customers.
MI: So how much is the Indian contribution to your global operations?
Ravi: The Indian market contributes roughly 10 per cent of our global operations and is a very significant contributor to the company’s total profits. The US and China are the other leading markets for Castrol.
JK Tyre steals the show at Tata T1 Prima truck race
MOTORINDIA’s one-to-one with Mr. Arun K. Bajoria, President & Director, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd.
The last decade has witnessed unpresidently growing competition within the Indian tyre industry, particularly with the entry of multinationals. The severe competition notwithstanding, JK Tyre has able to deliver a smooth ride all along.
JK Tyre which was only Indian tyre company co-sponsoring the Tata T1 Prima Truck race championship has ambitious plan to further expand its overall marketshare.
In a one-to-one interaction with the MOTORINDIA team, Mr. Arun K. Bajoria, President & Director, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., dwelt upon the company’s future plans.
The excerpts:
MOTORINDIA: Tell us about your presence in truck radial tyres, and how are you progressing on that front?
Arun K. Bajoria: I would like to say that at JK Tyre we are the pioneers in trucks and bus radials, and we started way back in 2004 after we took over Vikram Tyres in Mysore. Earlier, we were making fabric-belted tyres. With the acquisition of Vikrant Tyres, we completely overhauled the operations. We set up a brand new plant with the world’s latest TBR manufacturing machines, and today we are very happy to say that we command a marketshare of 35 per cent in the truck and bus radial (TBR) segment. Our tyres are as good as any other brand available in India. These are all steel-belted radials that we are offering in the market.
Now we have set up a modern, state-of-the-art world-class all-radial tyre and truck manufacturing unit in Chennai. We have already completed the first phase of operation wherein we have invested over Rs. 1,100 crores to set up a capacity of 4 lakh truck bus radials and 25 lakh car radials. Now, we will be starting the second phase with an investment of over Rs. 1,400 crores for setting up a capacity of eight lakh truck bus radials and another 15 lakh car radials. We will have an overall capacity of 45 lakh car radials and 12 lakh truck bus radials in this plant. This is in addition to the 11 lakh truck and bus radials that we already have in Mysore. We are the leaders in TBRs in India.
MI: This is the second time JK Tyre has joined hands with Tata Motors for the Prima Championship event. What has been your ultimate objective behind this?
Arun: Our association with Tata Motors goes back to almost three decades, and when the then MD of Tata Motors requested our Chairman & Managing Director, Dr. Raghupati Singhania, in September 2013 to develop race-oriented tyres for the event, he wholeheartedly accepted this challenging proposition. For the first time, we developed a truck racing tyre in less than two months. We are very happy to say that we were able to offer tested tyres which are as good as the ones available in the world today. We were able to deliver the strongest and safest truck racing tyres.
In the first season itself, the tyres were capable of running at 100-110 km/hr, and for the second season, based on Tata Motors’ requirements, we have developed them to run at an additional speed of 10 per cent. The company has given special designs to the product and re-engineered them so that they are robust, safe and faster than in the inaugural edition. So these technological developments will definitely have a rub-off effect on our existing product portfolio.
MI: So, besides additional speed, what are the other parameters that you have actively worked on?
Arun: We have worked mainly on the braking capabilities. When the trucks are racing at higher speeds, the braking system needs to be stronger. So we have reinforced the tyres and given them better material to support such braking pressures. Mr. Steve Horne, the organiser, Steve Horne Truck Racing & Promotions Ltd., is very satisfied with the quality of tyres that we have offered for both the seasons. It is the biggest certificate that we could get.
MI: How do you see this race evolving over the years?
Arun: I would say it is a very good initiative by Tata Motors, especially because they have now taken steps to induct Indian drivers for the future races. As the drivers will be trained extensively for this, I see a very good future for this kind of an initiative. I seriously think that going forward this race will gain a lot of eminence.
Setco’s long-standing association with Tata Motors
Face-to-face with Mr. Harish Sheth, Chairman & Managing Director, Setco Automotive Ltd.
Though there are several players in the field of clutch assemblies, there is only one brand which enjoys major acceptance within the commercial vehicle segment, and that is Setco. Started in a humble way the company has set a straight focus on the commercial vehicle segment which paid rich dividends in due course. Now the company which has established its strong presence both in India and abroad has decided to diversify into new areas, including foundry, castings, etc.
In an informal chat with Mr. Harish Sheth, Chairman & Managing Director, Setco Automotive Ltd., at Tata T1 Prima Truck racing championship, in which the company was one of the co-sponsors, MOTORINDIA could gather a lot of details about the company and its future plans.
Excerpts from the interview:
MOTORINDIA: Tell us about the journey of Setco
Harish Sheth: Setco has come a long way, and in the last ten years we have become a direct supplier to virtually all the OEMs in India. About 9 out of 10 trucks that are manufactured in India today are fitted with our clutches. When we started in the 1980s, we were manufacturing clutches for trucks, tractors, cars and other types of vehicles produced in India.
Around 2000, we took a policy decision that we will go in for hi-end commercial vehicles. That was at a time when, due to the emission norms, the engines were getting bigger and therefore the clutches were getting bigger. And in India, nobody was manufacturing those products. Therefore, we entered into a technical collaboration with a UK-based company called Lipe, which was part of Dana Corporation. So we started supplying to Tata Motors which was earlier importing it from some other company. Now we are supplying to all the CV players in India. Going forward, we will be catering to the LCV segment too.
MI: Tell us about your association with Tata Motors for this event
Harish: Our relationship with Tata Motors dates back to many years now. When they approached us to participate in this particular event, we thought it would be a great idea to go ahead with the same. Our clutches fit on all their 11 racing vehicles, and last year too the vehicles performed very well. We participated with them in a small way last year, and now we have become their partner. We look forward to having a long innings with them in this regard.
MI: Please share your expansion plans with us?
Harish: We have plants in Baroda, Uttarakhand, the UK and the US. We plan to expand our horizon in the export markets in a very big way in the coming years. With the technology that we have and the cost-effectiveness in this country, we can supply to various vehicle manufacturers internationally. This will also fulfil Mr. Modi’s ‘Make-in-India’ dream to a considerable extent. I think we are on the right track in this subject. We intend to grow steadily at the same pace over the next two years with the addition of tractor and LCV clutches as well as new export markets and a robust aftermarket. We have also set up a foundry unit next to our Baroda plant, which will go into production in May and also allow us to get a very good source of castings. We have invested Rs. 180 crores in the first phase, and another Rs. 100 crores will be spent in the second phase.
Currently, we are now a Rs. 500-crore company, and in the next few years we are confident of crossing the Rs. 1,000-crore level. We will definitely look at opportunities that come our way for adding new product lines of superior technology.
MI: Can you specify the new product lines to diversify your business?
Harish: There are various products under consideration. With the help of a foundry unit, we can offer flywheel, clutch housing, etc., as a package to our customers. The new products will be developed based on the technologies acquired from abroad. We may take over a company too. But it is too early to talk about it.
Wabco demonstrates advanced safety technology at T1 Prima truck race
WABCO Holdings Inc., a leading innovator and global supplier of technologies that improve the safety and efficiency of commercial vehicles, demonstrated its advanced safety technologies at Tata Motors T1 PRIMA Truck Racing Championship 2015 as the official Braking Technology Partner. Tata Motors hosted a second season of India’s premier truck racing event on March 15 at the Buddh International Formula 1 Circuit in Greater Noida.
WABCO provided all the competing trucks with a range of innovative products drawn from its portfolio of industry-leading safety and efficiency technologies, including its anti-lock braking system (ABS) and high-performance air management system. Additionally, the trucks featured high-output, modular compressor technology, advanced air actuation systems, integrated pedal unit (IPU) and other braking components. These technologies help improve the safety of trucks, drivers, and motorsport enthusiasts at the race event.
WABCO also provides a host of additional industry-leading technologies to Tata Motors’ trucks and buses for sale in India and other markets. Advanced technologies include electronic braking systems (EBS) with electronic stability control (ESCSmart), electronically controlled air suspension (OptiRide), and automated manual transmission (OptiDrive). WABCO’s technologies are widely recognized by commercial vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators for their ability to help improve driver effectiveness and road safety.
“We are excited to demonstrate the high performance of WABCO’s advanced safety and efficiency technologies in a racing environment, which represents the most extreme operating conditions for heavy duty trucks,” said Mr. Jacques Esculier, WABCO Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “WABCO is proud that our technologies offer safety and efficiency benefits for millions of vehicle operators on India’s roads every day.”
Said Mr. Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director, Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors Ltd.: “We greatly value WABCO’s contribution of advanced technologies that help Tata trucks and buses to be safer and more efficient on the road.”
WABCO was the first company to introduce ABS to the global commercial vehicles industry, with nearly 17 million systems sold worldwide to-date. ABS significantly improves the stability and steerability of commercial vehicles even in the most extreme of braking conditions. WABCO ABS ensures balanced braking and reduces vehicle stopping distances, which is a paramount safety factor in both race and everyday traffic environments.