JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing C'ship begins tomorrow

Coimbatore, Jul 29 () The JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship that gets under way here at the

Kari Motor Speedway

tomorrow promises to be bigger, faster and much more exciting than ever before. The racing capital of India, Coimbatore, is abuzz with excitement at the prospect of the upgraded

Formula BMW

cars, rechristened as the Euro JK 16, being unveiled and scorching the track over the weekend. With its new aerodynamics and slicker new tyres, they are expected to shave off 8 to 10 seconds over its race distance of 2.1 kilometre compared to last year. The longest running racing championship, in its 19th edition, will see old rivalries resume and new challengers emerge in three categories: the Euro JK 16 India Series, the

LGB

4 and the Indian Touring Cars. Leading the pack in the Euro JK 16 category will be well-known racers

Krishnaraaj Mahadik

and

Akhil Rabindra

who have been creating ripples in the British Formula 3 championships. Akash Gowda, Mohammed Nalwalla and

Kush Maini

who have been pitting their skills against the world's best in the

FIA

Formula 4 will also be strong contenders in a field of 12 racers. Among the debutants in this class, all eyes will be on defending Senior Max champion

Ricky Donison

. Currently the runaway leader in the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Rotax Karting Championship, he will be hoping to make a successful transition from karting to single-seater racing. The LGB 04 races promise to be equally fascinating with Sudarshan Karwal, Rohit Khanna and

Sneha Sharma

expected to be among the title contenders. Apart from Sneha, Mira Erda is the other woman racer making it a pack of 19 top racers. Twenty-three year old Vishnu Prasad, a seasoned racer and winner at 23, will be hoping to crack this jigsaw and add this trophy to his cabinet. The return of the Indian Touring Class, involving super saloons, to the championship is a welcome addition to this year's calendar. Defending champion

Arjun Narendran

will be the name to watch out for in this class. On the entertainment side, the stunt driving team led by racing legends Hari Singh, Rohitaaz Kumar and Sunny Sidhu, has put together an exciting never seen before package. They have all worked on several new routines during the off-season and will be seen in 1600 Maruti-Suzuki

Balenos

this year. Race lovers in Coimbatore are in for a bigger treat as the National Championship is going to be a lot more than speed and racing. A special adventure zone has been created for kids and adults alike, which will include a Zip Line, a Free Fall and various obstacle courses. An international band will be performing all through the day to create the ambience for a perfect mix of speed, music and glamour. ATK ATK