Tata Motors has been all over the news in the past few weeks as the company has been announcing things one after the other. After announcing the 1.2-litre Revotron engine on Monday and launching the Vista Tech on Tuesday, the company has now announced the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship on Wednesday. With this initiative, Tata Motors is bringing truck racing to India for the first time. The first race is scheduled for 23rd March 2014 at the Buddh International Circuit. This truck racing championship is governed by FIA and FMSCI.
A total of 12 Tata Prima trucks, spread across 6 teams will participate in every race. These trucks are specially prepared for racing. The race is being organised by MMSCI and the standard being followed are those of the British Truck Racing Association (BTRA). International racers will participate in these races which are bound to be a worthy spectacle for on-lookers. There will be two races on the race day – qualifying and main race (with a rolling start). Dual British truck racing champion, Steve Horne has worked with Tata Motors to bring the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship to light.
The Tata Prima 4038.S truck is being used in the racing championship. This vehicle produces 370 BHP of power at 2100 RPM and has a top speed of 110 km/hr. Extensive modifications have been made to the trucks to make them race worthy (22 to be precise). These include change in brake cooling system, fuel tank, exhaust, steering wheel, propeller shaft guards and the addition of safety belts and racing seats. Tata Motors has tested the trucks at its Jamshedpur facility for high speed stability and handling.
