HYDERABAD: The excitement was missing during the finale of the Indian Racing League (IRL) held at the Hyderabad Street Circuit (NTR Marg Road) on Saturday. The motor racing extravaganza which was to begin on Saturday morning could not take off till 4 pm due to unforeseen conditions.
This meant that only the warm-up session could take place on Saturday which saw the breakdown of a few cars. The organisers failed to give any reason for the delay in conducting the races. Also, the audience turnout at the venue was poor.
Last month too, city fans were upset as the single-seater motor racing championship first-round races held on November 20 were abruptly called off due to an accident involving drivers from the Chennai Turbo Riders and Goa Aces teams. There was also a technical failure and a host of logistical issues, prompting the officials to call off the races in Hyderabad and same was rescheduled for Chennai.
The practice session on Saturday saw the Bangalore Speedsters duo of Oliver Webb and Anshul Gandhi topping the table, followed by the Godspeed Kochi pairing of Nikhil Bohra and Alister Yoong. Finishing third were Shahan Ali Mohsin and Akash Gowda for Speed Demons Delhi.
With the Hyderabad Black Birds, the home team, also in the championship, Sunday promises to be an action-packed day for all motorsports fans with both qualifying sessions, two Sprint Races and the Feature Race on the schedule.
Only warm-up session held, poor turnout at venue
Only the warm-up session took place on Saturday which saw the breakdown of a few cars. The organisers failed to give any reason for the delay. Also, the audience turnout at the venue was poor.