After being the cornerstone of Indian motorsport for the last decade and a half, the JK Tyre National Racing Championship will not return to the race tracks for the 2013 season, Autocar India can reveal.
Recognising that the national championship requires a neutral sponsor to attract more categories and additional sponsors, FMSCI has decided that the Madras Motorsports Club (MMSC) will take over as title sponsor this season onwards.
Single-seater classes will include the MRF Formula 1600 and LGB Formula 4 while tin-tops will consist of Indian Touring Cars and Indian Junior Touring Cars in addition to the two one-make series – VW Polo Cup and Toyota Etios Motor Racing, although it is likely that the manufacturer-backed series won’t be classified as national championships.
The opening round for the MRF 1600, IJTC and ITC is set to run from February 8-10 at the Chennai Circuit as part of the MRF Challenge, while the remaining rounds will commence June onwards, the three aforementioned categories being joined by the LGB Formula 4 and the two one-make tin-top championships.