Toyota Dealerships in Chennai Host Exciting Motorsport Activities to Popularise Etios Motor Racing

March 24, 2012 - PRLog -- Chennai, March 24, 2012: Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. (TKM) today unveiled the concept cars of its Etios Motor Racing (EMR) Series along with exciting motorsport activities at Lanson Toyota and Harsha Toyota in Chennai. This new venture is in line with its global philosophy of introducing ‘WAKU DOKI’, which in Japanese means ‘excitement, joy and fun.’

Showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012, earlier this year for the first time, the new sporty avatar of the Etios will re-emphasize Toyota’s efforts in reaching out to the younger target group through the Etios Brand. And, more importantly take motorsports closer to its customers and the youth of the country.

TKM also announced today that MRF is now on board as the ‘Official Tyre Partner’ for EMR in 2012 and 2013. MRF is considered to be the pioneer of motor racing in India.

Apart from the EMR concept cars on display, there was a host of motorsport based activities for all age groups visiting the dealership. Racing simulators and remote controlled cars on race tracks were installed to enthrall motorsport enthusiasts. Children who accompanied their parents were given a crash course in basic automobile technology in a zone called the ‘Children’s Automotive Learning Area’, apart from other relevant contests and activities.

This year will be dedicated to popularizing the EMR brand, apart from the dealership activations in 14 cities and 24 dealerships, there will be exhibition races, roadshows and a whole lot of activities lined up before the actual races next year.

Mr. Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director-Marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “Globally, Toyota’s commitment to motorsports extends to the grassroots level and through Etios Motor Racing in India we aim to do the same by identifying and training young racing aspirants. We are pleased with the response we have received for our driver selection programme and will be conducting rigorous auditions to choose the best drivers for our exhibition races this year and the series next year.” He also commented on the strategic partnership with MRF, “We are delighted to have MRF on board as our exclusive tyre partner, and we believe it will give Etios Motor Racing a huge boost.”

About Etios Motor Racing (EMR)
Continuing the Company’s global legacy of motorsports, the EMR tourney will be supported by one of the most accomplished and acclaimed engineering companies in motorsport history – TRD (Toyota Racing Development), the corporate brand from the Toyota affiliate, Toyota Technocraft Co. Ltd. The EMR Trophy series that is slated to be held in the second half of 2013 will be based on a one-make racing championship platform. The cars will be FIA qualified with racing parts supplied by TRD, and their technical expertise will be utilized throughout the series.

Toyota will also partner and work closely with Indian motorsport experts, Red Rooster Racing (International) Pvt., Ltd. based in Bangalore, to better understand the needs of the sport.  

The Etios racing platform will help talented young racers develop their skills, and further train them to gain a competitive edge for their future in motorsports. They will be mentored by experts in the field, and will be given an opportunity to compete among the best in the country. This series will not only highlight the technological prowess of the manufacturer, but also the endurance levels of the Etios and the ‘fun to drive’ aspect of the vehicle.

Driver Selection
1.   Online applications were open for over a month and the response was a record number, 3303 registrations.
2.   Rigorous EMR camps will be conducted in four cities viz. Pune, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore in March and April, 2012 to arrive at the final driver line-up.

The selected applicants in the first two camps will go through go-kart selection rounds, and then those selected for the third camp will drive the Etios Motor Racing cars along with in-depth lectures as part of the training process. All the training will be conducted by professional drivers and instructors from Toyota and local racing experts. The study material will be a combination of what is used in Japan and required by FMSCI to ensure the drivers are trained to international standards.

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