As the Fmsci Indian National Rally Championship 2023, promoted by Blueband Sports, goes green, efforts are on to make the 46th South India Rally, commencing here on Friday, a carbon-neutral event by planting 6000 trees ahead at the Madras International Circuit where much of the action will take place. The second round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (Asia Cup) will be run concurrently.
Blueband Sports and Lions Club, Chennai, came together for a tree-planting exercise to lend the 2023 season a ‘Go Green’ theme.
Chief Promoter of Blueband Sports Premnath Kasinath said the ‘Go Green’ initiative was one of many such ventures planned for the 2023 season, including introducing a Ladies Class, new venues, delayed telecast of Super Special Stage, and a substantial hike in financial incentives to participants, besides expanding the INRC to seven rounds.
“Over the past year, Blueband Sports has introduced a slew of changes to make the INRC economically viable for the drivers. The ‘Go Green’ theme and associating ourselves with various social organisations helps us to reach out to new audience via the Social Media by way of footfalls. I am proud to say that the Indian Rally Championship received 14 million hits on Instagram reels during the Rally of Nagaland weekend. I take this opportunity to thank MRF Tyres for their unstinted support which we hope will continue,” he said.
PMJF Lion Mohamed Naveen expressed happiness that Blueband Sports are lending the ‘Go Green’ theme to the INRC season. “Our Lions movement is more concerned with environmental issues like global warming, climate changes and pollution. Every year, we plant thousands of trees. So, when Blueband Sports informed us about their new theme, we grabbed this opportunity to associate ourselves with the promoters and plant 6000 trees at the Madras International Circuit this weekend.”
Vicky Chandhok, President of FIA APRC Working Group and also the Vice-President of MMSC besides being the Chairman of the Event, said: “It is good to see a professionally-run promoter the Blueband Sports coming into the sport. As for the APRC, it augurs well that there are 15 entries, but there is more to be done to attract more participants, especially at the grassroot level. To this end, we intend to develop a dedicated Rally test track at the MIC so that more events such as the Rally Sprint, can be held. Promoters Blueband Sports are going the right way by investing in the sport. The future lies in tier-2 and tier-3 cities where the sport will get a lot more exposure and attract bigger audiences. We have to step out of big cities and into rural India.”