City gears up for Go-karting

KOLKATA: Do you get an adrenaline rush each time you watch the brothers Michael and Ralph Schumacher slug it out on one of those Grand Prix meets?
Or are you one of those racing aficionados who keep collecting old videos of Ayrton Senna just to admire the ease with which the legendary Brazilian used to negotiate hairpin bends while not dropping speed at all?
In case your answer is yes to any of these questions, there is just one place for you to be on Sunday — Clown Town — to witness the Times of India co-sponsored Maruti Suzuki Merchants Cup Go-Karting championship.
Believe us when we say that it would possibly be the closest you can get to Formula I excitement in Kolkata, with the thrill being a continuous one from start to finish.
The whine of engines pushed to their limits, screeching tires at sharp bends, flying asphalt... the feeling, one can guarantee, would be simply captivating.
After all, it is not for nothing that go-karting admirers include within its ambit the champion racers of the world. Senna was a champion go-karter before he went on to hit big time on the Formula circuit and Michael Schumacher still go-karts when the Formula I races are not on.
"Go-karting is one of the best tests of driving skills. Here is a person sitting on a vehicle, which has just a chassis, just inches above the ground trying to outdo his competitor on a 400 m track. Talking of excitement, can it get any better for Kolkatans?" asked Clown Town director Sanjay Maheshwari.
Definitely not, going by the reaction of the city''s business community. Representatives from leading business organisations like Hindustan Lever, Tata Steel, ITC Infotech, Tata Tea, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Shaw Wallace, Fosters, HSBC, Maruti, Siemens, Aviva and Assam Tea have all confirmed their participation at the meet to try their luck at karting and win glory for their company.
More importantly, they will be there for a bigger cause — supporting the education of less fortunate children. Proceeds from the tournament would go towards establishing a school being built by Calcutta Park Street Round Table number 34 at Barasat and Joka.
The Round Table is a group of young men who aim to bring learning within the means of nearly 40 million children.