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Vrooming down nostalgia lane
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Bangalore had a vibrant motor racing tradition in the early Fifties, when it was still a small town
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Firhad Cariappa heads for the starting gates; (below) Anne Cariappa and Nandini Basappa at a go-kart race
LONG BEFORE the Garden City came to be called as the IT hub, it was famous for being the nerve centre of motor racing. Many of the motor racing greats, some of whom are now getting on in years, nostalgically recall how thrilling and exciting motor sport used to be in those days. Sadly, the sport is now being ruined with club politics and ego problems among those who administer the game at the highest level.
It was in the early 50s, when Bangalore was still a small town growing at a leisurely pace. New layouts were being formed and the Double Road was one of the first roads in the city to be a 100-feet road.
Traffic used to thin out by seven in the evening with the BTS buses (as they were then known) back in the parking bay. However, residents of Double Road (now Kengal Hanumanthaiah Road) would stand near their gates as some action was forthcoming.
A.D. Jayaram is one of the pioneers of motor racing in Bangalore. He had a house on Richmond Road and the racing bug had bitten him. Being an automobile fanatic, Jayaram had spruced up his Standard Super 10 car and the best place to test the car was the Double Road. The roar of the car was so deafening that from the top end of the road, people would know that the car would soon zoom by. Over the years, Jayaram had even built probably the first go kart in the city. That vehicle too would speed along the road, touching fantastic speeds.
Jayaram's contemporaries in the 50s and 60s were John Webb of the then famous Webbs Garage. John and Cyril Doveton were among the motor racing enthusiasts and they participated in many of the races that the motor sports club organised. Around the 1970s, motor racing was popularised even more with the dynamic Gopinath Siva joining the association and organising events.
Jayaram fondly recalls the races of those years. Bangalore used to have races at the Yelahanka airstrip, and later, the drag meets shifted to the Jakkur aerodrome. The Maharaja of Gondal had some fabulous imported cars such as the E-Type Jaguar and Jayaram's custom-built Jayaram Special, the Standard Super 10, was a single seat car with a Herald engine. Jayaram made a number of improvisations, and with imported cam shafts from England, raced his car with good results. He modified his car every year and the testimony of his bond with the car is that even now, it is in running condition. Jarayam recalls how he used to touch 110 mph in his super special.
The races gradually took on an international flavour. Drivers from Sri Lanka spent money lavishly bringing their cars for races at Bangalore and Madras. K.D. Jinadasa, Raja Pereira, and David Peiris were some of the famous names from Sri Lanka who participated in the motor races here. Over the years, others such as the late Karivardhan, Ravi Gupta, Deepak Patel, and other racing stars made Bangalore a favourite destination for their competitions.
Bangalore was also very popular with the two-wheeler racers. Firhad Cariappa reminiscences on the days he would fold a 100-rupee note and head for Madras to take part in the races there. Roughing it out, the intrepid scooterist (he started with a Lambretta) would burn rubber at the tracks and sweep the winners list. Prize money was around Rs. 1,500 then, and it was the thrill of winning that motivated these racing enthusiasts.
Firhad's wife Anne was also bitten by the racing bug and she was a champion driver herself. Firhad was inducted into the sport by Prithvi Baveja, another enthusiast who spent hours tinkering bikes and cars to get them in top racing condition. Firhad was a true champion and with his major successes was one of the first brand ambassadors for scooter and motor cycle companies. "I just loved racing and would drop everything just to take part in the championships, both in Bangalore and Madras," Firhad fondly recalls. "My wife too was a keen racer and she is one of the pioneers in the women's section of the events," Firhad added.
One of Karnataka's premier motor racing event was K-1000. Initially, the rally traversed the State, running a distance of 1,000 km.. Over the years, with rising petrol prices and safety on the highways becoming perilous, the race was truncated to about 300 km.. Vicky Chandok, Farad Bathena, Harish Samtani, Leelakrishnan and Jagat, and Anita Nanjappa have all done well over the K 1000.
Apart from Bangalore, Chickmagalur (where the Coffee 500 rally used to be held), Mercara (now Madikeri), and Mangalore were popular racing events. Unfortunately, the sport is being neglected now and with costs to stage such events spiralling and sponsors not forthcoming, most of the outstation rallies have become defunct.
Racing circuits are replete with interesting stories that have been passed around from person to person. One story goes how a driver started the rally and headed straight for the finish point, failing to check in at any of the stages en route. The penalty points he incurred for not checking in was, however, less than what the other drivers incurred. And the crafty driver emerged winner!
The contingent of racers that flocked to Sholvaram from Bangalore was also huge.
Ravi Thirumale would race the Yezdis tuned by his brother, Ashok Thirumale. Mohan was another tuner who switched over to racing and "Paapu" Ramaswamy joined the flock of race enthusiasts from the city. The list of bikers and car racers is actually endless, and many of the names involved with the events have been missed out.
Motor racing was also a sport of the kings. The erstwhile Maharaja of Gondal was an enthusiast, and had a fleet of cars.
One of his prized possessions was an E-Type Jaguar and the Maharaja used to race that car. Years later, when it became difficult for the Maharaja to maintain the Jaguar, he reluctantly sold the car after much vacillating. Reportedly, turning down offers from even Vijay Mallya, he sold the car to a person in Coimbatore, who wishes to remain anonymous.
Only when the Maharaja was 100 per cent sure that the car would be truly well maintained did he part with the Jaguar.
The car was a real attraction at the races and was capable of touching 240 kmph.. Even today, after 35 years of its manufacture, the car is in top running condition. With all the hype, the motoring scene today has not reached the heights it had touched in the past.
D. RAVI SHANKAR
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