Opinion: The need to bring more Asian races to India

During the last decade, Indian promoters have been trying to bring top-notch international events to the country with varying degrees of success. Formula 1 was a big coup for Jaypee and the race went some way in making motorsport recognisable in India.

However, at the same time, attempts to host MotoGP and World Superbike races have failed miserably. There has been a renewed interest in a WRC round in India, but no promoter has turned up to bear the costs yet.

While there is no denying that India needs a showpiece event, efforts also need to be made in bringing more Asian-level races to India. The success of the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) and Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) - both of which returned to the country last year - only adds to this cause.

Such events can provide a stepping stone for Indian drivers, especially helping those who don’t have the funding to travel overseas.

Multiple JK Tyre Racing champion Vishnu Prasad is an ideal example. The Chennai-based driver was given a seat in the Scirocco Cup in Europe as a reward for winning the Polo Cup in India, but he couldn’t raise enough sponsorship to compete in the series.

An easy way to solve this problem would be to bring small, but significant Asian races in the country where local racers can make wildcard appearances. In fact, this is already happening in ARRC and APRC.

Honda India protege S Mathana Kumar made his debut in the Asia Dream Cup category in the India round of ARRC last year, while Phalguna V Urs likewise joined the APRC field in Chikmagalur.

Moreover, some Indian drivers are already racing in Asian-level championships. For instance, Aditya Patel is a frontrunner in the new-for-2017 Blancpain GT Asia series, while Armaan Ebrahim recently completed his third season in Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia.

Having a home races will boost morale of drivers like Patel and Ebrahim, while also providing more exposure to their sponsors.

More than just a one-off appearance

While the first step for Indian racers would be to compete against the best rivals in the continent over one weekend, there is also the need to establish a racing ladder of sorts.

Either through manufacturers or scholarship drives by promoters, locals drivers who impress at their home turf should be given a chance to compete for the full season.

For instance, if a driver coming from a Honda or a TVS one-make series excels in ARRC, it should be upon the respective manufacturer to hand him/her more opportunities abroad.