Sun, Dirt, Fun
Last year's highlight event for the Bangladeshi car enthusiast crowd was definitely the Nitol-Tata Rallycross Championship. It featured a whole day of loud cars going sideways on a dirt track, kicking up so much dust that some are saying the recent sandstorm in the UAE was a result of the dust having traveled across half a continent from the Trade Fair grounds, as Bangladesh's little revenge pack for the way they treat our migrant workers. Environmental after-effects and international relations aside, it was a blast, and this year, its back.
As far as first attempts go, the first installment of what we hope is a yearly event was a truckload of fun. Funnily enough, a truck full of dirt in front of a certain lady's office was what held back the preparations this time, as the event had to be rescheduled several times due to the ongoing political violence. The sponsors are ready, the track has been finely packed in (little to no dust expected this time, or so the organisers tell us) and the participant registrations are almost done.
What's different from last year? Well, the venue is completely new, for one. Last year it was held in the busy hub of the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) field beside the BICC complex, but this year the event has shifted to the Bashundhara International Convention City grounds, opposite Bashundhara Residential Area. While a change of venue might not be as interesting to the average Joe, it's a way of leveling the playing field between the new entries and the participants who competed last year. One major problem the organisers faced last year was ensuring track conditions stayed same throughout the day, since dirt and sand has a habit of shifting about under weight and thus the conditions progressively worsened through the day. This time around, there will be construction equipment close by to repair the track and maintain similar conditions all through. As usual, fire and health safety is utmost, and the necessary precautions have been taken.
Things are looking up for Bangladesh. At the official press release ceremony, the organisers, Bangladesh Motorsports and CEMS Global, as well as the Bangladesh Tourism Board hinted at the viability of a permanent race-track to quench the thirst for speed that most teenagers and young adults have these days. There's also talk of more motorsport oriented events in the future, more refined and held more frequently. It can only go forwards and up from here.
See you on the track, and look for our coverage of the second Nitol-Tata Rallycross Championship, right here on Shift.
Comments