Racing Team India set to make Asian Le Mans collection debut in Dubai

The race is taken into account to be one of many trifectas of legendary motor races alongside the Monaco GP & the Indianapolis 500. 
Racing Team India’s Dubai debut will make it the primary outfit with an all-Indian driver line-up to compete in worldwide endurance racing.

If it secures an invite to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which takes place in June 2021, it’s going to grow to be the primary squad flying the Indian tri-color to participate within the iconic twice-around-the-clock endurance traditional on the Circuit de la Sarthe in France. 

The race is taken into account to be one of many trifectas of legendary motor races alongside the Monaco GP & the Indianapolis 500. It is the world’s oldest sports activities automobile race, which has been held yearly since 1923. The distance coated on this one single race is equal to 18 Formula 1 races, thus making it probably the most excessive check of man and machine on this planet of motorsport.

Fielding the Le Mans-winning ORECA 07 with technical help from reigning Asian Le Mans Series champion crew Algarve Pro Racing, Racing Team India has already displayed a promising flip of velocity. The automobile has a 4 litre V-8 engine which produces 600 bhp and has a prime velocity in extra of 320 kmph.

Karthikeyan ended the primary day of testing, additionally held in Dubai, on the prime of the timesheets. The success of the undertaking lies within the mixed efforts of the crew which are actually being synchronized.  

Padma Shri Awardee and India’s first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan stated, “It is an extremely proud second for me to be representing our nation’s first all-Indian endurance racing crew. I’ve flown the flag for our nation throughout varied motorsport disciplines from Formula One to NASCAR and SuperGT racing.

I’ve raced on the 24 Hours of Le Mans as soon as earlier than, and it was an unimaginable expertise, one which I all the time needed to repeat. However, I could not have imagined something higher than to compete there for an Indian crew. I’m extraordinarily grateful to the ACO for giving us the platform to compete. They have been extremely supportive from the primary time we approached them, and this help has been instrumental in getting our crew up and operating. 

“As for the weekend ahead, I’m looking forward to it. Arjun, Naveen, and I have considerable racing experience between the three of us. Our package has also been quick through testing. We did have some issues on the second day with traffic and difficulty in switching on the new tyres. But there’s a lot of speed in the car and I’m confident we can deliver a strong result on our debut.”   

Former F2 and European Le Mans Series racer Arjun Maini stated, “Firstly, it’s nice to be again behind the wheel once more, and to be flying the colors for an all-Indian crew makes the expertise much more particular. Endurance racing is a format I’ve come to take pleasure in throughout my time racing within the European Le Mans collection. I imagine it performs to my strengths as a driver.

It feels unusual to suppose that of the three of us I’ve probably the most endurance racing expertise. I’ve competed within the 24 Hours of Le Mans and I can let you know it’s an unimaginable feeling. I’m actually wanting ahead to going again there. We have a powerful bundle, a confirmed driver line-up and with help from Algarve Pro Racing, who I do know properly, I imagine now we have all of the substances in place to make it occur.”

2020 IMSA Prototype Challenge Champion Naveen Rao stated, “My entire career has been spent racing sports cars and for me, Le Mans is the absolute pinnacle of competition. I have spent a long time dreaming about one day driving in this iconic event and I am grateful for the opportunity to do it for a team representing the country in which I have my roots. I’ve got a good feeling for the car, the three of us have struck up a strong relationship and I believe we genuinely have a package that can help us fight at the front.”

Racing Team India can also be very proud to be related to JK Tyre, as one in every of our inaugural companions. JK Tyres has been and continues to be the biggest supporter of Indian motorsport for over 50 years. They have been instrumental in creating and supporting each Narain and Arjun over the previous 20 years and their dedication to the Racing Team India program demonstrates their dedication to the way forward for the game as properly.

Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre stated, “At JK Tyre now we have been steadfast supporters of Indian motorsport over many many years. Not solely have we created a strong home motorsport ladder however now we have all the time been extraordinarily proactive on the subject of figuring out, grooming, and supporting the worldwide racing careers of a few of our most gifted children.

Now, with Racing Team India now we have one more likelihood to create historical past for Indian motorsport. We are assured the crew has what it takes to achieve success and race at Le Mans which might ship the breakthrough that Indian motorsport wants.”