Indian Truck Drivers to race in Prima Truck Racing Championship

Tata Motors today announced their plans of giving Indian truck drivers their first ever shot at circuit racing. Speaking at the unveiling of the Prima T1 2016 race truck, Tata Motors shared the profiles of the 17 drivers shortlisted to compete for the final 12 slots in the third season of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship.

The T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship was initiated to bring the excitement of top-drawer Truck Racing to the enthusiasts back in 2014. In just two short years, Tata Motors have gone on position their Championship as the premier platform for showcasing International truck racing talent. They’ve also used it to showcase the technological advancements in the trucking space by Tata Motors.

The response to the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship has been beyond expectations since its debut. With over 25000 spectators in the first year alone, Tata Motors knew they had something huge on their hands. Season 2 which was held in March, 2015 saw the spectator numbers double over that of the first year, when over 50000 truck racing enthusiasts cheered on the participants every step of the way.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors, said, “Trucking is vitally important to the nation’s economy and the T1 Racer Program has been designed to help put a name and face to the men, who deliver essential commodities across the country every day. Since inception in 2014, with the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship, we had made a conscious decision to give Indian drivers an opportunity to be part of this prestigious event, and today, are in the process of selecting the final 12. We are proud to have collaborated with our customers for a shared vision in promoting the profession of truck driving and are excited and honored to have these individuals, as the newest members of the T1 PRIMA TRUCK RACING CHAMPIONSHIP.”

Having seen the potential behind the burgeoning interest for Truck Racing in India, Tata Motors decided to up the game a little. For Season 3 of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship, they thought it was time to bring in some local flavour to add to the excitement. Kicking off with the T1 Racer Program (TRP) for Season 3, this year, Tata Motors announced the country’s first ever, Truck Driver Race training & selection program.

The T1 Racer Program reached out to the vibrant customer base that’s spread out through the length & breadth of the country. Tata Motors received over 550 driver entries which underlined the enormous untapped potential of Truck Racing here in India. Following a validated selection procedure, the entrants were narrowed down to 17 potential racers over three levels of shortlisting. These 17 racers will now battle it out for the final 12 slots in the race to be held on 20th March. The 12 final contestants shall create history by being the first ever Indian Truck Drivers to race around the globally acclaimed Buddh International Circuit (BIC), for top honours in the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship.

Thus, Season 3 shall see the introduction of the Two SUPER CLASS category that will have the 12 shortlisted Indian Truck Drivers racing for top honours. The drivers in this category will compete in Black PRIMA race-trucks that are identical in the styling as well as mechanical performance aspect to each other. This will allow for a level playing field, thereby bringing the individual driving skills to the fore. Additionally, the Two PRO CLASS races featuring experienced international drivers that were seen the preceding two seasons of the championship shall continue to be held as well. The teams will comprise of the participants from the previous two seasons (including last year’s winners – Team Castrol Vectron). There will be one new team as well, who shall make their debut this year.

All-in-all, there’s lots of excitement and plenty of wheel-to-wheel action, coming to you soon at the Buddh International Circuit, courtesy Tata Motors and Season 3 of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship.

Let’s go Trucking!