Q'S TO THE PRESIDENT

Every month the FMSCI President answers your motorsport questions

Akbar Ebrahim answers your motorsport queries

Is it mandatory to homologate cars for the saloon car championship? Can I bring any car to race? - Ravi Sharma

There are substantial changes to the technical regulations for the Touring Car classes for 2017. In this, one can enter a non-homologated car by completing a Technical Data Form process with the Technical Commission. To support this, the Technical Commission has introduced the restrictors of different sizes for different cubic capacities for the TC 2, TC 3 and TC 4 Classes. These restrictors will nullify any deviations made by the engine builder in terms of specifications of the related components of the engine. In the case of homologated cars, the specs are available to be checked. In the case of non-homologated cars, there are no certified specs by means of a homologation and thus with the introduction of the restrictors, it has now become possible to also enter them. Please do mail the FMSCI for the required process and they will in turn direct you to the Technical Commission to guide you through the same.

The Esteem cup is a fantastic initiative. So does it mean the future for the touring cars championship doesn't include the Esteem? - Sandeep Shanbhag

The Esteem Cup runs to the 2016 IJTC Regulations. As most of the cars were Esteems and since these cars are not manufactured anymore, the class has now been made into a Cup and not as a National Championship class for Touring Cars. Instead the IJTC regulations for 2017 have been upgraded and now renamed TC 2 (Touring Car 2) to allow more current generation cars to compete and provides more scope for engine and chassis modifications but not as expansive as the TC 1 Class. To permit non-homologated cars to compete, the restrictor rule has been brought in and the size of the restrictor varies based on the permitted cee cee range.

Why are student build events such as Baja and FSAE not under the purview of the FMSCI? - Vishnu Mahajan

The Baja and FSAE events are for dynamic and static tests and are not for any gravel or tarmac racing competitions. This does not fall under the purview of the FMSCI currently as there are no regulations in the FMSCI that govern such type of events and the FMSCI only governs the operation of all sporting competition events. Whenever these events include a track or gravel race for the products, the FMSCI issues a permit only for the racing part of the event with stipulated rules and regulations.

I read that there are plans to have an All India Race Meet like in the nineties with all the promoters coming together for a two weekend race meet. Is that happening? - Sarvesh Kumar Yes, talks are on with the promoters of the two National Championships. We will see how this progresses.

Could we expect bigger bikes in the national championship categories? - Dharmesh Shah

Currently the 600cc and 1100cc bikes are run in the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship as a support Series at the BIC. This is being expanded. MMSC runs one round of the Asian Road Racing Championship. It is possible that MMSC may also include the bigger bikes in their National Racing Championship for 2017 for the MMSC and BIC tracks in Chennai and Noida as these bikes are currently not permitted to be raced at the KMS track in Coimbatore.