Mangalore being sought after as a motorsport destination.
No weekend passes without some or the other motorsport event happening in the Coast. A motorcycle stuntman making his mark in films, drivers of 800cc cars beating engines twice their size in motocross events, stuntmen performing all those stunts that their city counterparts do on the tarmac on the beach are some of the achievements of motorsport enthusiast from the region.
Mangalore is increasingly being sought after as a motorsport destination that both Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) and Indian Motor Sports Club (IMSC) have evinced interest in hosting events in the region as well as the rugged terrains of Western Ghats.
According to IMSC office bearer Arun: ”The southern districts of Karnataka, including Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Hassan, have been on the top of the list of motorsports organisers in the country. A few of them have also gone international. The International Rally Championship (INRC) leg events are held in Polibetta in Madikeri, which is considered to be one of the toughest legs of INRC. That apart, the Coffee National Rally Championship leg held in Chikmagalur and the Mahindras’ monsoon challenge Time Stage Distance rally are some of the big events here.”
The tribe of motorcycle stuntmen seems to be growing. What started with a motley group of four in 2007 has grown into 40, with few of them being hardcore stunt riders. The group ‘Zero Gravity’ organises stunt shows for charity and also for entertainment and beach festivals.
”They are proficient in their act and in the past three years, we have had minimum injuries due to flips. They use all common bikes like RX 100s, FZs and R15s and they have an exceptional control over their vehicles,” said Jupsy Kushalappa, the main stuntman of the group.
Since stunting on public roads is illegal, Kushalappa and his group never show off on open roads.
“Stunting on beaches is the USP of Zero Gravity. It is far more superior and challenging than stunting on the tarmac. The sands of the beaches put man and machine to the toughest tests, but it is also a good learning ground,” said Kushalappa, who acted in the yet to be released Kannada film ‘Shivajinagar’.
Race to race
In the past one year, 32 motoring events were held in Mangalore and Dakshina Kannada districts. Drag races, stunting, motocross, dirt track and beach stunting are some of the most popular motorsport events in the region. Youths in most villages and towns in the region hold at least one motorsport event every year, and the prize money goes up to lakhs of rupees and sponsorships steadily pour in.
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