Featured: Madras Motor Race Track at Irungattukottai

When you think about motor racing, India isn't exactly the first name that comes to mind. Thankfully that trend is changing and several talented Indians are racing in some of the most prestigious racing series' all around the world, including Formula 1.

We have featured one of the oldest tracks in India, the Madras Motor Race Track at Irungattukottai, about 30 kms from the Chennai Airport. Don't get put off by the website, a lot of the pro Indian racers got their starts from this very location. The track is 11 meters wide and has 10 major curves, apart from a number of minor ones. A smaller club circuit of 2.1 kms is also available for shorter events. The main track has three straights, with the longest one being 250 meters. The main circuit is about 3.717 kms long, while the club circuit is 2.067 kms long. The circuit conforms to the two international bodies - the Federation Internationale de Automobile (FIA) and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), who lay down the norms for racing and racing circuits.

The club and track also host several driving and riding events through-out the year. They also host benefit events for causes such as the O2 Health Studio Car Rally for the Blind 2012. Attendance is usually pretty strong for the events, but the awareness is still lacking. With the introduction of the Indian Grand Prix in the Formula 1 calendar since 2011, this awareness is only going to increase considering the number of motor racing fans in the country. But to reach that level of racing, one has to start from the ground up. At tracks like the Madras Motor Race Track.