Japanese car maker Toyota is getting ready to begin the six-race, one-make Etios Motor Racing series in the country by 2013. Set to be hosted with the manufacturer's domestic partner Kirloskar, the event will be held across three cities in the country. The company made this announcement soon after it declared that the Etios Liva premium hatchback has been received warmly in the domestic market. Drivers will be racing in the event in the cars provided by the manufacturer.
Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida will be used for conducting the first of the six races of the Etios Motors Racing championship. This track is best known for successfully hosting the inaugural Formula One Grand Prix in 2011. According to Hitoshi Fukui, Managing Coordinator – Marketing, Chennai (Madras Motor Race Track) and Coimbatore (Kari Motor Speedway) will be the other two venues selected by the car maker to host the event. He said, "We're planning to hold two races each in these cities."
In order to compete for selection and participate in the inaugural championship next year, 25 racers from India would have to pay a registration fee of Rs. 1.5 lacs each. The applicants who are selected to compete in the championship will be subjected to intensive training under the watchful eyes of Toyota's professional drivers and instructors as well as local racing experts. They will teach the participants how to tackle varying racing environments. The top three drivers in the event would become eligible to take part in the international racing championships conducted by Toyota, as per Fukui.
About the event, RK Ramesh, General Manager, Toyota Kirloskar, "We started the process with over 3,000 applications, pruned it down to 50 from which the final 25 would be selected." Auto experts believe that this racing championship will create new opportunities for upcoming racers in the country to compete against their rivals on real race tracks.
