World’s oldest motorcycle brand, Royal Enfield, has prepared itself to host the highly anticipated 1st edition Continental GT Cup 2021. As India’s first retro racing series, the event aims to provide an opportunity for new and experienced racers alike. For the races conducted on Saturday and Sunday, a final grid of 18 riders was set up after qualifying. Along with the inclusion of two media wild card entry racers, the qualifying rounds showcased a close competition among racers.
2021 Royal Enfield GT Cup: Selection Process
The 1st season of the event displayed immense action during the weekend and received an overwhelming response from racing enthusiasts. Close to 400 aspiring racers applied for the Royal Enfield GT cup, out of which 100 managed to get shortlisted. After getting invited to Coimbatore on Monday, October 18th, the shortlisted riders had to undergo a gruelling selection process.
18 of the fastest riders from the shortlisted 100 managed to make it to the race rounds of the event. As part of the JK Tyre National Racing Championship (JK-NRC), 18 racers will compete in four rounds of races. The Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup winner, 2021, will achieve the 1st ever GT Cup.
2021 Royal Enfield GT Cup: The Riders
The inaugural 1st season of the Royal Enfield GT Cup has witnessed participation from multiple racers across India. As some finalists hail from smaller cities like Latur and Thrissur, they display their passion for motorcycling. These finalists are also a testament to the increasing popularity of motorsports in India. Over 60% of racers hail from Southern India, with the maximum number of competitors coming from Karnataka.
Anfar Akdhar, the youngest racer in the group, set the fastest time of 1:23 seconds in the final round. Lani Zena Fernandez, who’s a passionate motorcyclist and professional psychologist, hails from Puducherry to represent the female racing community. She showcased her skills on track to prove the point that any motorsport is not exclusive to men anymore. Along with a few racers from Jammu & Kashmir, Raivat Dhar, a young racer from Jammu, qualified as a top 18 finalist.
2021 Royal Enfield GT Cup: Season Schedule and Bike
Twenty finalists will utilize a track-specification based Royal Enfield Continental GT-R650, which has purpose-built performance modifications. The bike sports an old-school build for easier maintenance and repair, along with offering an un-intimidating, agile and spirited performance. This makes it an ideal track tool for newcomers to learn from and test capabilities.
Rounds 1, 2 and 3 of the Continental GT Cup Race are set at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore. The final 4th round of the Cup Race is set to take place at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida. Dates for the four rounds are October 21st-24th 2021, November 18th-21st 2021, December 2nd-5th 2021, and January 13th-16th 2022, respectively.
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