Like the way Vicky Chandhok
described, the journey from the “highway to the speedway” finally culminated
with Jagat Singh and Nagarjuna A winning the first ever Indian truck race. For
the first time in the last three years of the race, the professional British
drivers were forgotten and the crowds rooted for the local lads. These Indian
drivers would not have ever dreamt that they would one day get an opportunity
to compete in a truck race and win accolades for their companies and become a
hero in the eyes of their friends and most of all their families. Many of drivers
came from humble backgrounds and were accustomed to the world of poverty and
hardship.
The two, Jagat and Nagarjuna
created Indian motorsports history when they won the maiden race T1 Prima Truck
Racing Championship, organised for Indian truck drivers, in its third edition.
The Indian drivers competed in
the Super Class category comprising of some of the most experienced drivers.
These drivers were selected through one of the most comprehensive training and
selection programmes for Indian driver, from Tata Motors fleet customers’
operations across the country.
Trained by some of the best
race instructors in India, roped in by MOMA, over a period of three months, the
T1 Prima race saw the trucking heroes take home Rs 10 lakh. This amount was awarded
to each of the first place winners of the two Super Class category races.
Meanwhile, for the British
drivers, having finished fourth in the first 8-lap race of the two Pro Class races
comprising of international drivers, David Jenkins of Team Tata Technologies took
top honours in the final 20-lap race, with Rick Collett and Graham Powell both
from Team Tata Cummins, taking second and third place respectively, in an
action packed race.
Mat Summerfield of Team
Castrol Vecton, winner of the first 8-lap race, clocked the fastest lap of
1:50:691 seconds, in the second race, around the 3.1 kilometers race track.
Coming back the race
comprising Indian drivers, the 12 Indian drivers selected for Season 3 of the
T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship were –
Nagarjuna A
Bacchu Singh
Rabinder Yadav
Bhag Chand
Rajkumar Mahato
Jitendra Singh
MD Parvez
Jagat Singh
Anand
Mohd. Iliyas
Malkeet Singh
Syed Akram Pasha
While Season 3 witnessed
Indian drivers competing in black Prima race trucks, which were identical to
each other – in look and built, the 12 coloured trucks competing in the Pro
Class of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship Season 3, represented six teams,
who participated in the previous two seasons of the championship, with one new
team – Tata Motors Finance. Following were the teams and their drivers –
INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS
Tata Technologies David Jenkins Brian Burt
Castrol Matt Summerfield Adam Bint
Cummins Rick Collett Graham Powell
Dealer Daredevils Ray Coleman Simon Cole
Dealer Warriors Ben Horne Paul McCumisky
Tata Motors Finance Oly Janes Tony Smith
Tata Motors has also partnered
with some of the country’s leading automotive brands. The included 1. WABCO –
Official Braking Technology Partner
2. JK Tyre – Official Tyre
Partner
3. Castrol – Official
Lubricant Partner
4. Cummins – Official Engine
Technology Partner
5. Tata Motors Finance – Official
Commercial Vehicle Financing Partner
6. Tata Technologies –
Official Technology Partner
The Season 3 also hosted some
of the country’s most prominent names from the music and entertainment scene.
From the sensational Hip Hop heartthrob Badshah to the vivacious damsel of
melody, Neeti Mohan, the scintillating Garima Yajnik, with her foot-tapping
Indo-western numbers and last but not the least, the ruling diva of Bollywood
music, with her memorable feast of melody and dance numbers, Sunidhi Chauhan,
were few amongst the many other surprises that T1 season 3 had to offer.
The T1 Prima Truck Racing
Championship is organised by MMSC (Madras Motor Sports Club) and is inscribed
on the calendars of FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) and FMSCI
(the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India) with safety and performance
standards being followed as per the guidelines of the BTRA (British Truck
Racing Association), who also play in role in the selection of the best British
and European Race Truck Drivers, that compete in the T1 Championship.