Bangalore, Nov 27  :  The inaugural SIDVIN Festival of Speed that brings together rivals JK Tyre and MRF Tyres besides Volkswagen and is to be held in Greater Noida this weekend, will be an annual fixture in the Indian motorsport calendar, according to Mohan Nagarajan, CMD, Sidvin Core-Tech India Pvt. Ltd.

Efforts are also on to secure participation of more car manufacturers in the coming years, Nagarajan said.

At an informal chat with local Media here Tuesday, Nagarajan said the Festival will help split cost of hiring the Formula One Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. The two-day event would also help showcase the cream of Indian motorsport talent besides providing an excellent opportunity for home competitors to drive on an F1 track.

"The exposure would be immense for Indian drivers, many of whom have never before driven on an F1 track. Also, there is the cost factor that will now be shared by the stakeholders."

"I take this opportunity to highlight the initiative by Volkswagen in bringing this show together and I am sure, the Festival will usher in a new era in Indian motorsport," said Nagarajan who is also on the safety committee of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India under whose aegis the festival is being run.

Nagarajan hoped that Volkswagen entry into Indian motor racing through their single-make Polo R Cup series would encourage other car manufacturers to join the bandwagon.

The weekend's programme has the JK Racing Asia Series (4 races), the MRF Challenge (4 races), Polo R Cup series (2 races) and the FMSCI-JK Tyre National Racing Championship (4 races) that has three categories.

Thus, on display will be the erstwhile Formula BMW cars that will run in the JK Racing Asia series, the Formula 2000 powered by Renault engines in the MRF Challenge, and the 180bhp Polo R Cup car in the Volkswagen series apart from the Indian touring cars in two classes, modified and stock, and the LGB Formula 4 as part of the National championship.

In all, 14 races will be run over two days with as many as 125 Indian and foreign drivers competing, thus making it the largest such congregation in the history of Indian motorsports. (IANS)