COIMBATORE: “There was a political strike and we had to sneak out bikes to avoid trouble during the trials,” Lalfakzuala Hauzel, vice president of the Mizoram Motorsports Association (MiMSA) said.
This was two months back, during the selections for the 20th JK Tyre Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) National Racing Championship, which is currently happening here.
The football-crazy state saw around 100 students turn up. While the likes of Jeje Lalpekhlua has many fans, riders like Valentino Rossi and Marc Márquez too are admired. Racing in Northeast is huge, but not as popular as other sports.
The story behind MiMSA is very interesting. While the lack of money is robbing young riders of opportunities, street and illegal races are on the rise. “We are like an NGO. We wanted to do something about street-racing, and that’s when we came up with the idea for the association. We want to provide a safe environment to race,” explained Lalfakzuala.
However, MiMSA is not affiliated to FMSCI. In fact, this is the first time they are travelling as a group to participate in the national championships. With the intention of making it more professional, MiMSA have held initial talks with FMSCI. “There are a lot of criteria to be followed. We have spoken to Akbar Ebrahim (FMSCI president) and we will be a part of it soon.”
Results
Euro JK17: Race 1: 1. Vishnu Prasad, 2. Anindith Reddy, 3. Nayan Chatterjee; Race 2: 1. Ricky Capo, 2. Anindith Reddy, 3. Vishnu Prasad. LGB Formula 4: Race 1: 1. Sandeep Kumar, 2. Vishnu Prasad, 3. Raghul Rangasamy; Race 2. 1. Vishnu Prasad, 2. Raghul Rangasamy, 3. Kevin Perera. Suzuki Gixxer Cup: 1. Joseph Matthew, 2. Malsawmdawngliana, 3. Sanjeev Mhatre. Red Bull Rookie Cup: 1. Jaden Gunawardena, 2. Lalhruaizela, 3. Varoon S.
vimalsankar@newindianexpress.com