Even though the arclights on Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida dimmed as Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) took Indian F1 GP off its calender for the next two years, the country’s biggest automaker made sure that the motorsports frenzy in the country does not fizzle out. But this time it was not a car or a bike race that happened on the 5.1 km circuit but a dozen high-end trucks and that too from the stable of Tata Motors.
An idea, which was incubated by the top brass of Tata Motors, including its MD late Karl Slym, with its allied partners and other stakeholders more than a year ago, got crystallised when T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship was hosted at the same F1 circuit on March 23, 2013, at Greater Noida. To make it a global spectacle, this event was also inscribed on the calendars of Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). At the conference, Tata Motors maintained that it will likely be a single-day annual/bi-annual event with plans to take it globally too.
Speaking on the ocassion, Mr. Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director – Commercial Business Unit, Tata Motors, noted: “We have had a tremendous day here for the truck racing with a really pumped-up atmosphere, and we have been delighted by the response received for the launch of our debut truck racing event. Tata Prima trucks proved their racing prowess and build quality in this high intensity race. We are extremely delighted with the performance of T1 teams and drivers who have been supportive throughout the event. We would like to congratulate the winning team, sponsors and all participants for making this first-of-its-kind debut racing event, a historic day.”
Cummins, Castrol, Tata Technologies, JK Tyre, Wabco and Accenture were the key sponsors for the event, with Tata Steel, Setco Automotive, RSB Group and Rane Group as associate sponsors. The six teams, comprising two drivers, for the T1 Championship, were Castrol Vecton, Cummins, Tata Technologies Motorsports, Allied Partners, Dealer Daredevils and Dealer Warriors. The event was managed by T.I.C, an event management and marketing company of Chennai.
Model-cum-showstopper
The Prima truck used as race truck is a 4038.S model and the series used 12 heavily-modified Tata Prima trucks capable of churning out 370BHP@2100 RPM and reaching a top speed of 110 km per hour driven by experienced international drivers. Even though there were no F1 drivers like Sebastian Vettel or the supercharged European trucks (like Volvo, MAN and Scania), the monstrous and high-revving Tata Prima trucks were entertaining enough for motorsports fanatics or Tata Motors dealers as some highs-speed corner action and edge-of-the-seats overtaking was performed by a lot of drivers.
Featuring Tata Prima trucks built specifically for the purpose, India’s first truck racing championship was organised by Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC). Safety and performance standards are being followed as per the British Truck Racing Association (BTRA) guidelines. Therefore the trucks were modified and were sent to the circuit only after undergoing stringent security check-ups. At least 22 key modifications were made to meet a mix of safety and performance needs for the Truck Racing environment. These included significant changes in fuel tank, brake cooling system, propeller shaft guards, racing seats and safety belts, exhaust and steering wheel, among others. The trucks have gone through multiple quality checks and also are tested on the test circuit at Jamshedpur for high speed run and control.
British drivers set the pulse racing!
Even though 12 Prima Race trucks competed against each other for the top spot, experienced British racer Stuart Oliver, representing Castrol Vecton, emerged winner at the inaugural Tata T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship at Buddh International Circuit. The ten-time British Truck Racing Champion took 30:26.848 minutes to complete 15 laps of the 2.5 km loop on the 5.1 km-long track. Starting from pole, the 50-year-old staved off the tough challenge from Mathew Summerfield (30:31.522 mins) of Team Cummins who finished at the second position. Summerfield, who started fourth on the grid, was passed by Oliver in the eighth lap. David Jenkins, who raced for Tata Technologies Motorsports, finished third with time of 30:32.413 minutes among 12 contestants.
The race was held for 45 minutes, and the massive and powerful Tata Prima trucks proved to be an eye-candy for motorsports fanatics in an intense race that witnessed a lot of edge-of-the-seats overtaking and high-speed corner action. The debut season of the championship had an audience of over 25,000 cheery enthusiasts though not a single Indian driver was on board the Prima trucks. The winning Team Castrol Vecton was followed by Team Cummins and Team Tata Technologies Motor Sports in the final Team points standings.
Stuart Oliver, who maintained his grip on the race as he started to increase his lead and finished 4.674 seconds ahead of the nearest rival, said: “It’s really amazing to win this inaugural edition race. The competition was very close as everyone had the same vehicle. It’s about holding on to your nerves. The track is beautiful and trucks were performing great. I am thrilled to have won the first-ever Truck racing championship in India. Among the enthusiastic crowd who were cheering each time we drove past the grand stand. I saw a lot of potential of this sport here and would love to come back and race again.”
The 50-year-old Stuart Oliver, a ten-time British Truck Racing Champion, staved off the stiff challenge from Mathew Summerfield (30:31:522 minutes) of Team Cummins. Summerfield finished at the second position. David Jenkins, representing Tata Technologies Motorsports, finished third with 30:32:413 minutes.
Team title was awarded to Castrol Vecton. This was the first-ever truck racing in India and saw two races piloted by experienced truck racing drivers of British and European Truck Racing circuits. Credit also goes to Alex Felix who was the Race Director of T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship.
How the points stack up
The T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship comprised two races, a 5-lap Sprint Race and a 15-lap Main Race, with the Championship Award granted to the winning driver on the basis of combined points from both the races. The Team Championship was awarded on the basis of the combined scores of the two drivers of the respective teams from both the races . The series used 12 heavily-modified Tata Prima beasts capable of putting out 370 hp and reaching a top speed of 110 km per hour driven by experienced international drivers.
Besides the winning drivers, there were top British truck racing drivers, including Bran John Burt, Dave Jenkins, Paul McCumisky, James Horne, Simon Ashley Reid, Richard Collett, Steven Powell, Steven Thomas and Graham Powell, who showcased their driving skills during the event. The spectacle, the first-ever truck racing championship held in India, will certainly mark another small step forward for Indian motorsport as the country asserts itself on the global motor-racing stage.
T1 Prima Race Truck Specifications
• Engine: 4038.S (4X2 TRACTOR) BS-III,WABCO,L2,T24 WITH ISLe Engine
• Power: 370 BHP @ 2100 RPM (+/-50 RPM)
• Max. Torque: 1550 Nm at 1200-1400 rpm
• Engine calibration is upgraded keeping in mind the power requirement of the racing truck.
• Gear Ratio:
o Crawler- 10.58 o 1st-7.38
o 2nd-5.23 o 3rd-3.71
o 4th-2.73 o 5th-1.99
o 6th-1.41 o 7th-1.00
o 8th-0.74 o Rev-10.59
• Max. Geared Speed in Top Gear: 110 kmph (With Std. Rear Axle)
• C-SL FLAT ROOF CAB: Full forward steel cab with rigid structure
T1 Prima Truck modifications (as per British Truck Racing guidelines)
• Roll cage incorporated inside the cabin for drivers safety as per the requirement of FMSCI (Federation of Motor Sports Club of India)
• Side under Run Protection and Rear under Run Protection device provided for safety
• Steering wheel provided with Quick release mechanism for driver’s safety in case of any mishap
• FIA approved Seat suitable for Racing and 5 point mounting for seat belts for enhanced safety
• Fire extinguisher in cabin
• Always ON Tail Lamps in RED color as per the requirement of FMSCI
• Aggregate and components relocated to have COG (Centre of Gravity) towards center
• As per FMSCI, safety measures are implemented such as Propeller shaft guard, Relocation of Battery and Battery cut off switch
• New generation wider brakes – Brake drum with water jet cooling mechanism to keep brake drum temperatures lower
• Suspension height reduction suitable for racing application
• Racing Tires – JK Tyre specific tubeless racing tyres
• Fuel System, Fuel Tank & Refueling – 90 lit. Fuel tank mounted on the top of the chassis behind CAB as per racing requirement.
• Reduction in rear suspension height for lowering the Centre of Gravity
JK Tyre
JETRACING, the first-ever truck racing tyre in India from JK Tyre, created a benchmark in the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship. Coming from the pioneers of truck radials in India, JK Tyre had designed and developed the new truck racing tyres especially for this event. The combination of the Prima trucks of Tata Motors fitted with Jet Racing received an overwhelming response from participants and excited onlookers and has definitely brought in a revolution in the Indian racing scenario.
Delighted over the success of the first-ever truck racing championship, Mr. A.K. Bajoria, President and Director, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., said: “We, at JK Tyre, are proud to have received a positive response from the racers for India’s first truck racing tyre. With a successful debut of Truck Racing in India, we are confident that our partnership with the much revered sport will be a long and healthy one. This, of course, is another step forward for us in our endeavor to further strengthen Motorsports in India.”
Mr. Steve Horne, organiser British Truck Racing Association and development driver for the Prima T1 Race trucks, said: “We are very happy with JK Tyre. They have built a fantastic tyre for us-rugged and reliable, good compound, grippy, working very well.”
British racer Mr. Stuart Oliver, who won the race, noted: “The tyres’ performance was really good. The entire combination of the machine and the tyres was really commendable.”
Mr. Grahan Powell, 2010 BTRA division 2 champion, said: “We have all got the same tyres and the racing has been very close because of this. We all crossed the lines within 4 seconds of each other, which is terrific. The trucks are good, the tyres are good. It’s been fantastic.”
CASTROL
Castrol India Ltd. was one of the main sponsors of the inaugural “T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship” organized by Tata Motors, held on 22nd and 23rd March, 2014 at the Buddh International Circuit in New Delhi. Incidentally, their team turned out to be victors in the inagural event.
All of the Tata Prima Racing Trucks are powered by the performance of Castrol lubricants. Castrol India is also the sponsor of Castrol Vecton Team and is fielding two trucks in the Championship race to be driven by Stuart Oliver and Dave Ball, who are former British Truck Racing Association Champions.
Mr. Ravi Kirpalani, Managing Director, Castrol India Ltd., commented: “There has been a lot of enthusiasm for Motor Sports in our country over the last few years, and we are very excited at the prospect of being part of the first ever “T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship” in India. Staying true to Castrol’s rich legacy of motor sports it was a natural decision for us to associate with the Championship and sponsor the Castrol Vecton Team.”
Ms. Soma Ghosh, VP – Marketing, Castrol India, said: “Historically, Castrol has also been a pioneer in the area of Motorsports performances. These types of races are like a stress test for engine oils that allow us to eventually deliver consumer benefits through the use of cutting edge technology in our products sold in the market.”
Cummins
“Since 1931, Cummins has had a rich legacy of participating in motorsports events globally. The first diesel car in America was designed and driven by our founder, Clessie Cummins. He, along with a co-driver, had set an endurance world record at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, driving continuous for 336 hours and 13,535 miles at an average speed of 44 miles per hour. Being associated with the first ever Truck Racing Championship in India furthers this legacy as also the company’s long-standing partnership with Tata Motors, who are spearheading this event. We believe that such legendary sporting events provide an apt platform to showcase innovation and latest advancements that are taking place in the commercial vehicle space. All the trucks which competed in the race were powered with the Cummins ISLe 8.9 litre engines that ensure high performance, strong acceleration and lower operating costs, with reliability and durability. As a global technology leader in on-highway applications, we continue to stay committed to delivering on our customers’ expectations in this segment and are excited to be partnering with Tata Motors, yet again.” – Mr. Mahesh Narang, Chief Operating Officer, Cummins Group in India
WABCO
WABCO Holdings Inc. (NYSE: WBC), a global technology leader and tier-one supplier of safety and efficiency systems to the commercial vehicle industry, demonstrated its industry leading safety and efficiency technologies at India’s first-ever T1 PRIMA Truck Racing Championship. Tata Motors has recognised WABCO as its Braking Technology Partner.
Overall, six truck racing teams have competed in the T1 PRIMA Truck Racing Championship showcasing twelve of Tata Motors’ state-of-the-art PRIMA Model 4038.S trucks. All of the specially customised race vehicles have featured a number of safety and efficiency technologies drawn from WABCO’s extensive global portfolio.
“As the local market leader for commercial vehicle safety and control technologies, WABCO is honored to sponsor Tata Motors’ T1 PRIMA Truck Racing Championship as its official Braking Technology Partner. We are excited to showcase the high performance of our advanced braking systems in a racing environment, which represents the most extreme conditions for heavy duty trucks,” said Jacques Esculier, WABCO Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
“The fifty years of experience we have gained from innovating safety and vehicle control systems here in India means that WABCO technologies are helping to protect drivers not just on the race track, but in the hundreds of thousands of trucks and buses on India’s roads every day,” he added.
Each race truck was equipped with a fully integrated compressed air system that includes WABCO’s high-performance Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) alongside high-output compressor technology, advanced air processing systems and braking components.
Tata Technologies
Tata Technologies, a leading global provider of engineering services and manufacturing enterprise IT, was one of the main sponsors at the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship. The Tata Technologies Motorsports team of two Prima trucks was steered by David Jenkins (2011, BTRA Division 1 champion) and Brain Burt (2013, BTRA Division 2 second place).
Mr. Patrick McGoldrick, MD & CEO, Tata Technologies, said: “Tata Motors trucks have seen extensive involvement from Tata Technologies over the years and it will be a matter of pride for all of us to see the Prima trucks perform on track.”
He added: “We are honoured to support this exciting new development in the Indian motorsport arena. We welcome this opportunity to demonstrate Tata Technologies’ advanced automotive engineering & design capabilities and reinforce our long-standing commitment to superior product development for the commercial vehicles industry.”
Rane Group
“Rane Group’s business partnership with TATA Motors is more than 40 years old and we are delighted to sponsor Tata Motors’ T1 PRIMA Truck Racing Championship” said Mr. L. Ganesh, Chairman, Rane Group. “Tata Motors values Rane Group’s continuous efforts to provide quality products and to improve TATA Motors vehicles’ reliability & safety. Tata Motors appreciates Rane Group’s support of TATA truck racing event”, said Mr. Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director, Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors Limited.
SETCO
Setco Automotive was one of the associate sponsors of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship. The company co-owned Allied Partners, one of the six participating teams, with all the 12 trucks of track fitted with Setco’s precision engineered heavy duty clutches.
“We are very excited to be the clutch technology partner at India’s first-ever truck racing championship hosted by Tata Motors. Our R&D team is constantly pushing performance criteria by subjecting our DVP to maximize Rs./km value for our customer; which is in line with our ‘Lipe for Life’ philosophy,” said Mr. Udit Sheth, Executive Director, Setco Automotive.