Champion rally driver Nivit Bhasin to host a mega go-karting event in the F1 track of Greater Noida where you not only build the vehicle but race it too. At your own risk, of course.
This former champion of Raid de Himalayas is out to encourage professional motorsports
Nivit Bhasin, 36, is into cars. No, not fancy, luxury cars - he loves them though, the Lamborghinis of the world. But he is into cars that are rough, rugged and rally ready. It could be a Gypsy or it could be a Honda City, his job being powering and packing them up with enough muscle to race or to rally, leaving a dusty trail of triumph. And yes, making them safer doing so.
But now, this winner of Raid de Himalaya, amongst the top ten toughest rallies in the world (that was in 2000 when he was just 20), is onto something even bigger. He is busy organising a mega competitive event on the F1 track of Greater Noida in July, 2018. This is a go-karting event where selected teams from various universities will not only design and develop their own go-karts, but race them too. Online registration is starting from September 23 on the site RocGkc.com. There will be a pre-event round where participating teams will be flown down to Noida to attend a five-day workshop cum seminar to learn the practical aspects of building a car. "Most universities teach only the theoretical part of automotive engineering. Students hardly get exposed to the practical side of car manufacturing," says Bhasin, also the champion of 2001 SJOBA Rally and several other AutoCross races.
Following this, each team consisting of not just students of mechanical and automotive engineering, but also MBAs, communication specialist, etc., will present their designs. Based on the feasibility of these, teams will be selected for the mega event next year. That's when they will be given materials required to make a go-kart. Assessment will be done on the vehicle's design, saleability, performance and racing prowess. The winners get cash rewards as well as internship in companies like Hyundai or Maruti.
This seems to be a win-win situation for everyone. Students get practical experience, auto majors get employable engineers, and universities, on their part, are only too happy to trumpet it on their brochures.
But doesn't he miss rallies? He does, but there are other rallies to ride, keeping the matrimonial bandwagon on track, being a dad, and so on. But the car-mic circle is intact: He has been encouraging youngsters to take up motorsports professionally or to become automotive engineers. He still organises the auto-cross event, Race of Champions, every year, and his company Hyperformance Motorsports customises race and rally cars for Valvoline, Mobil 1, Indian Oil, Philips, and so on.
Trust this resident of Sector 80 (Noida) to do something out of the ordinary. For this pocket dynamite is the same Nivit Bhasin who created a craze in Delhi back in 2002 for NOS (nitro oxide system).
NOS, if you didn't know, is a shot of automobile adrenaline that boosts a vehicle to rocket off at top speed during races, blue flames shooting out like vipers from the silencer pipes. You must have seen the movie The Fast and the Furious.
