Think racing, then think rallying, combine both and you will get supercross. The 8,000-odd Pune fans who turned up at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex were witness to high octane, adrenaline-filled action as the Indian Supercross Racing League made its debut here on Sunday.
Held in the controlled environment of a stadium, the newest league kicked up dirt to everyone excitement as riders raced on a dirt track.
The air was filled not just with the smell of gasoline and mud but the crowd’s ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ in response to the steep jumps and acrobatic action of the riders on them, which led to many crashes and accidents. All part of the dirt racing adventure.
A makeshift dirt track was set up on the athletics track of the stadium with huge sheets of plastic, a layer of plywood, and a mix of soil, sand and gravel to protect the synthetic surface. Many huge mounds were built to create obstacles for the motorbikes; riders accelerated to clear the obstacles and then came down on the next mound.
Two races of three main categories – 450cc international, 250cc international, 250cc India-Asia mix – were held in addition to a demonstration 85cc junior category. Each race lasted for over 10 minutes plus two laps with the winner getting 20 points, second place finisher 17 and third placed rider 15. A total of 12 racers – two each from the six teams – took part in each race.
Frenchman Jordi Tixier of Panchshil Racing, on a Honda, won both the 450cc international races to lead the championship. BigRock Motorsport, co-owned by Indian rally rider CS Santosh, leads the team points table.
Australian racer Reid Taylor of BigRock, on a Kawasaki, leads the 250cc international after two races while Thanarat Penjan of Thailand, also of BigRock, leads the 250cc India-Asia mix category.
The next leg will be held in Ahmedabad on February 11.
