JK Tyre will launch the country’s first-ever drifting competition, the JK Tyre Drift Challenge. The event is organised at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) on October 16.
Drifting is a motorsport discipline that requires skill, precision and car control over outright speed. It involves drivers sliding their cars and using oversteer to go sideways through a corner. There will be cars driving their way to an exciting challenge. Drifting is extremely popular with fans, especially the younger generation. It is also the fastest-growing sub-disciplines of motorsport across the world.
Speaking on the announcement, Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre, said, “The introduction of the JK Tyre Drift Challenge marks a significant moment in Indian motorsport history. Drifting has been happening in India in silos; however, with this competition with the help of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), we will formalise norms of drifting in India and try to match it on par with global standards soon. We have always been forerunners in the Indian motorsports arena, and with this competition, we continue to pursue our aim to develop the motorsport scene here with the introduction of diverse disciplines. This challenge will not only provide a platform for the country’s talented drivers to shine but also delight motorsport enthusiasts who are hungry for a new thrill.”
The JK Tyre Drift Challenge will feature a grid of 25 powerful rear-wheel drive cars and talented drivers. The challenge will test the limits of driver and machine. The event will be judged by an international three-member panel of drifting experts comprising Alistair Woodham from India. He is ex-member of Drift Commission of FIA, Cristiani Nanami Lazaro from Brazil and Tanakorn Lertyaovarit from Thailand.
The judging criteria
The participants will be judged on four main aspects: line, angle, style, and speed.
Judges normally brief the drivers about the ideal line through a corner and drivers that stick as precisely to it as possible are scored higher. Similarly, the angle at which a driver drifts the car also counts towards their score. A shallow angle earns a lower score. A more acute angle is scored higher considering it requires more skill as the driver has to carry more speed through the drift so as not to lose momentum.
In addition to the Drift Challenge, the BIC will also host the JK Tyre Formula Imperial and Indian Karting Race. The event is organised by the Imperial Society of Innovation Engineers (ISIEINDIA) and supported by JK Tyre. This is an Industry-Academia initiative that offers a platform to the engineering students of India to design and develop.
Over 2,000 students from across the country are expected to take part. They will demonstre their innovation in the areas of vehicle aerodynamics, battery and powertrain design, brakes, and suspension technologies. They are tested on rounds between October 12 and 16, culminating in a 12-lap the endurance finale at the BIC.