Starting trouble for LGB’s Formula 4

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The 15th edition of the JK Tyre national racing championship begins this weekend at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore, but the event’s premier single-seater category — Formula 4 — will not be a part of the season opener.

At the end of the last season, the series promoters and the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India decided to introduce Formula 4 cars replacing a decade-old Formula Swifts, but the constructors (Coimbatore-based LGB) are yet to hand over the fleet of 30 cars to the teams.

A deadline — July 12 — has been set for LGB and the organisers are confident that the brand new Formula 4 machines will be ready for the second round to be held in the last weekend of July.

“It’s our (promoters) decision to postpone Formula 4 races as we don’t want to run them for the sake of it. Some of the teams have been handed over the vehicles, but we want to ensure that all of them are well-equipped.

Total number of races for the season will remain 12 with future rounds making up the numbers,” said JK Tyre’s motorsport head Sanjay Sharma adding that the demand for the new Formula 4 vehicles has been overwhelming with a bunch of teams in waiting list.

Though there is no significant difference between Swift and its successor Formula 4 — both powered by 1.3litre Maruti Esteem engines, Sharma said Formula Swift cars have reached a plateau running in the domestic circuit for almost 10 years.

“No doubt, it’s the most reliable race car ever constructed in the country, but it’s time to move on. The initial plan was to import cars, but the cost factor made us rethink. That’s why we decided to provide subsidy for producing an updated version locally,” added Sharma.

Another significant change this season is the entry fee for the national championship. For example, a driver has to pay Rs 90,000 for a full season (six rounds) in the Indian Touring Car category, while the entry cost was only Rs 27,000 last year.

Sharma said the organisers were forced to increase the entry fee to meet the extra expenses. “Race officials and circuits (Chennai’s Madras Motor Sports Club and Coimbatore’s Kari Motor Speedway) are charging us more this year. So we have no other choice,” explained Sharma.

JK’s Junior Cup, which churned out promising youngsters over the last six seasons, has run into trouble.

Though sponsors are ready to fund the event, competing teams are against the idea of using the Formula Swift cars, clarified Sharma. “Teams such as Rams Racing and Wallace Sports and Research Foundation want to continue with 20-year-old Formula Marutis,” said Sharma.

Every year, the top-three finishers from Junior Cup get scholarships to compete in the senior nationals, but with the event yet to take off JK will be promoting drivers from their Rotax karting programme.