Chennai, September 1
Acclaimed actor Akkineni Naga Chaitanya arrived in Chennai to witness the Formula 4-night street race. He shared his experience and said that such initiatives give a platform to the budding drivers.
While talking to the media, he shared, "It's been a great experience. Never dreamt that something like this would ever happen in Chennai. I would really like thank the Chennai government and Chennai people for supporting this sport...I think the league itself, the Indian racing festival is giving an opportunity to many budding drivers. Motorsports sometimes back was not so accessible but now they are giving the seats to young budding drivers, giving them a promising future to look forward to. There are so many moto enthusiasts in this country, events like this give them a direction, give them opportunity, build ambition among so many youngsters. I am really happy."
The Indian F1 qualifying 1 and qualifying 2 rounds are currently taking place at the Chennai circuit. Later, the JK FLGB 4 Race 1 and IRL qualifying for Driver A category will also be held.
Actor John Abraham and Former India cricketer Sourav Ganguly also arrived on Sunday to watch the mega sports event.
Tamil Nadu's Minister for Sports Development and Youth Welfare, Udhayanidhi Stalin, flagged off the race last day (31.08.24).Other attendees included Tamil Nadu Ministers Ma. Subramanian, Sekar Babu, SS Sivasankaran, along with officials from the Tamil Nadu Sports Department and IRL.
The Indian Racing Festival 2024's Round 2 is scheduled to take place on August 31 and September 1 at the Chennai Formula Racing Circuit (CFRC), a 3.5-km track.
The race route will go around the Island Grounds near Marina Beach, with cars racing in an anti-clockwise direction.
The route will pass by several of the city's major landmarks, including the Victory War Memorial, Napier Bridge, Swami Sivananda Salai, and Annasalai.
On behalf of the Tamil Nadu government, the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) is organizing the second round of the Indian Racing Festival.
India is set to create sporting history as Round 2 of the Indian Racing Festival will witness formula cars roaring on the streets of Chennai in a groundbreaking spectacle across the iconic stretch of Island Grounds.
The street night circuit will witness more than 40 drivers vying in action in the course of the day and will set a new benchmark for motorsport in India, with the exhilarating energy and unique street circuit layout paving the way for what promises to be an unforgettable finale.
The drivers took a "track walk" across the 3.5 km street circuit on Saturday and later drove through to master the challenges of the technical bends and get a feel of the thrill and the fast lanes, and all the drivers gave unanimous thumbs to the track.