''SPEED Run 2004'' will hit Mumbai this weekend

Mumbai: Bharat Petroleum Company Limited (BPCL) will present 'Speed Run 2004', a two-day drag race on March 27-28, at the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

The event is based on the concept of 'The Quarter Mile Run', a popular concept in international drag racing where participants have to accelerate as fast as possible from a still position over a distance of a quarter mile (little over 400 metres) and the only thing that will matter is how fast can one drive.

Last year's event, 'Speed Run 2003', attracted over 15,000 fans. Car enthusiasts like Gautam Singhania, managing director, Raymond Industries raced in his Lotus Elise, Himanshu Jadeja, a racing enthusiast, raced his Corvette, while Jay Mehta, a renowned industrialist, drove a BMW M3 winning the overall fastest car, setting a speed record of 14.730 seconds. Well-known rally driver J. Anand arrived in his Formula F3 racer to share in the excitement, while Karan Chandok, a recent winner of the Formula 3 in Europe was also present.

According to S. Ramesh, general manager, retail strategy and brand, BPCL, "Speed has been strongly associated with motor sports from the time of its launch. Speed Run 2004 strongly supports the core brand values of Speed by leveraging the passion for motor sports in the country. BPCL and Speed will continue to associate with motor sports in a big way."

The biking fraternity is expected to turn up in full force. Some of the bikes that will be seen roaring down the Bandra-Worli Sea Link will include the Yamaha V-Max, Honda X4, Honda CBR 600, Suzuki Hayabusa 1300 cc, Honda Valkyrie 1500cc, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R 1100 CC.

There will also be an array of 4-wheelers like BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Lotus, Aston Martin and even a Formula 3 car. Along with cars, Indian bikes up to 250 cc and foreign bikes up to 750 cc will also battle it out in the run. Cash prizes will also be given to winners in each category.

According to Hormazd Sorabjee, editor, Autocar India, "Speed Run 2004 will accommodate the entire spectrum of vehicles from 100 cc to over 3,000 cc"