MMSC-FMSCI National Racing to start from this weekend

The 2013 MMSC-FMSCI National Racing Championship will kick off in Chennai this weekend with the races to be held on February 8-10. The championship, which will consist of 12 races for each class, with 3 races taking place this weekend and the remaining races starting later this year in June in Coimbatore. The racing will then shift to Chennai with the season finale being held at the Buddh International Circuit at the end of the year. The different racing categories this weekend will include the MRF International Challenge, MRF F1600, MRF Indian Touring Cars and MRF Indian Junior Touring Cars. Other categories for the second part of the championship will be confirmed shortly.

Mr. Ajit Thomas, President, Madras Motor Sports Club, commented, "Indian motorsport has never enjoyed more success and it is important to build on this in the coming years. We have worked hard to ensure that we have the best racing categories available in the country. Our objective is to create a platform for young drivers to showcase their talent, be it single-seaters or sportscars. At the same time we would like to expand the sport in order to bring in new audiences and attract additional sponsors. The response from the car manufacturers and other partners have been very positive and their support will be instrumental in ensuring the sport moves forward."

The opening round of the MMSC-NRC will see the finale of the MRF International Challenge, which will headline the event. Leading international drivers including Formula 2 Champions Luciano Bacheta, GP3 drivers Conor Daly Alice Powell, Jordan King and Indian drivers Parth Ghorpade and Parthiva Sureswaren. Also confirmed is 1996 Formula One Champion Damon Hill's son, Josh Hill. Other categories for Round 1 will include the returning MRF 1600 series, the MRF Indian Touring Cars and the MRF Indian Junior Touring Cars championship.

This will also the be the first time in over a decade that the MMSC-NRC will kick-off in February, going back to the old racing days of Sholavaram. The ITC and IJTC categories will get a huge boost this year with 30 cars being confirmed on the grid. The series will also see a significant increase in prize money for the winners.

FMSCI President Vicky Chandhok added, " It feels great to start the season in February again. The FMSCI is pleased to see a huge increase in the prize money for the MMSC-NRC this year. The NRC has been the stepping stone for many of our Indian racers who have gone one to race internationally and we are keen to improve the show. The single-seater championships on display is the fastest cars produced in India and features some big names in the junior category of racing from around the world. Our long term aim is to create more opportunities for young aspiring drivers, be it a career in single-seaters or Touring cars."