FIM MiniGP World Series India from July
Series open to riders in 10-14 age group
Bengaluru, Hyderabad venues for five rounds
Ohvale to provide mini bikes, racing gear
Bengaluru, June 2: In what could be a game-changer for two-wheeler racing in the country, India has been included in the FIM MiniGP World Series 2022 with a five-round competition under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). The India series, comprising 10 races, will be held in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, from July.
FIM, the World governing body for two-wheeler racing, in conjunction with Dorna Sports, promoters of the FIM MotoGP, launched the MiniGP Series in 2021, as part of the Road To MotoGP programme, aiming to create an equal platform for young riders around the World to begin their motorcycle racing careers. The Series is restricted to riders in the 10-14 years age-group.
The FIM MiniGP World Series India 2022 kicks-off with selection trials in Bengaluru on July 2-3 at Meco Kartopia. The first of the five rounds will also be held at Meco Kartopia, on July 23-24, before moving to Hyderabad for the next two rounds and then returning to Bengaluru for the final two rounds. Each round will comprise two races.
The selected riders will compete on equal Ohvale GP-0 160 machinery (Mini bikes) while Pirelli is the official single tyre supplier for all the FIM MiniGP World Series with a standard tyre allocation given per event. All the five rounds (10 races) will be run on karting tracks that meet minimum standards set by the FIM or the national federation. The uniqueness of the India series is that the reputed Italian manufacturer Ohvale will provide mini bikes and full racing kit besides service at no cost to the competitor. KYT will provide helmets while Videm, Ohvale India and RMS Motorsport are the main sponsors.
India, along with Australia, Austria, Indonesia, Japan and Qatar are the new additions to the Series that already includes 10 other countries – France, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, North America, Portugal, Spain, the UK and Alpe-Adria.
Fmsci president Akbar Ebrahim said: “We welcome the FIM MiniGP World Series to India. It is a big step forward in our efforts to identify, nurture and promote young talent in our country. The Series also presents a massive platform for talented youngsters to showcase their skills and pursue their racing dreams. It is a great initiative on part of Ohvale to provide the machines and riding gear without charge and hopefully, this incentive will encourage and inspire more youngsters to take to the sport.”
Marco Rossetto, Product Manager, Ohvale India, said: “The FIM MiniGP World Series India is a fruition of the groundwork we did in the past few years. India is a logical choice considering the two-wheeler population. We plan to tap and harness the abundant racing talent, and hopefully, India will produce a MotoGP rider in the near future. The response thus far has been tremendous and we are grateful to the FMSCI for granting us permission besides actively involving in the programme.”
THE CALENDAR July 2-3: Tryouts and selections, Kartopia circuit, Bengaluru July 23-24: Round 1, Meco Kartopia circuit, Bengaluru August 20-21: Round 2, Chicane circuit, Hyderabad August 27-28: Round 3, Chicane circuit, Hyderabad Sept 10-11: Round 4, Meco Kartopia circuit, Bengaluru Sept 24-25: Round 5, Meco Kartopia circuit, Bengaluru