Indian Racing Festival: Speedbumps aside, optics live up to expectations ahead of main race day
It was almost like cinema. The floodlights were on, the tracks were clear and all that was left was for the cars to get going.
And get going they did, as the Indian Racing Festival (IRF) was given the green signal to go ahead with Round 2 here, at the Chennai Formula Racing Circuit on Saturday.
At first glance, the lit-up streets of Chennai looked stunning with the sound of engines echoing around Island Grounds.
With only a couple of hours left before closing for the day, drivers wasted no time after the inaugural session, which was flagged off by Udhayanidhi Stalin, Minister of Youth Development and Sports, a little past 7 PM.
But it took a couple of hours after that for the first practice session to begin – at 9:10 PM, the pit signal finally turned green. Indian Racing League (IRL) and Formula 4 Indian Championship (F4IC) drivers quickly made their way to the TV screen in the pit at the sound of the FLGB cars firing up.
After what seemed like forever, the cars were able to get a feel of the track that was kept from them for so long, hours after the scheduled start. However, what looked smooth sailing towards the end of the day was not so early in the day.
There was a significant delay of almost seven hours that pushed back the first session of the day. This was because it took a while to receive the FIA certification after a few changes to the track were recommended by the governing body, particularly at Turn 10 and 19. These two corners were on either end of Swami Sivananda Salai. Turn 10 is near the Periyar Statue on Anna Salai and swerves into Swami Sivananda Salai. Turn 19 is where the circuit turns back into the final straight.
The FIA officials observed that these corners needed some adjustments before the track could see any racing. While their approval did come on August 29, their final stamp would be given only after this tedious process of making alterations.
Soon, a race against time began as several people were deployed to these corners. While the work was happening at full pace, the news of such a pressing matter was known outside the limits of the track only a bit later.
Just before the Napier Bridge, on Saturday morning, everything looked like it was going as per schedule. Drivers were seen taking a lap of the circuit on foot, security personnel, police officers and many others were being briefed and some spectators were seen arriving to see the spectacle of a race in their backyard.
After what seemed like forever, the cars were able to get a feel of the track that was kept from them for so long, hours after the scheduled start.
| Photo Credit:
R RAVINDRAN
After what seemed like forever, the cars were able to get a feel of the track that was kept from them for so long, hours after the scheduled start.
| Photo Credit:
R RAVINDRAN
However, the sight of drivers boarding a bus back to the hotel caught everyone off guard. There were whispers of the session being delayed but with the guarantee that it would resume within a ‘while’.
A while became a few hours causing a lot of confusion among the personnel who were unaware of these sudden changes. Media personnel couldn’t access the track, police officers were unable to let people through and there was plenty of miscommunication all around. A lot of people seated in grandstands were not happy with the way things went either.
But none of this stopped the people who remained in the pits, the mechanics. They continued to work on their cars, despite the humid weather, in anticipation of seeing their contenders get on track as soon as possible.
While it was quite a wait before they could see any action on track, the view of the cars shining under the floodlights and completing a quick lap around the circuit was quite rewarding.
One cannot deny that a few hiccups and challenges weren’t expected during this endeavour, but it can be said that the sight and sound that beheld those who waited endlessly was worth it.