Need for speed: Top drag riders race it out in a blink of an eye

Chandra Prabhu | NT Bureau

Bengaluru/Hosur: Automobiles and motorcycles that were once only visible on popular video games have come to life here, in an airstrip in the outskirts of the city.

The tenth edition of the Vroom Drag Meet on Sunday saw mercurial speed and horsepower off the hooks, and records being made. Drag racing is an evolving motorsport which involves two vehicles racing each other in a strip or a flat road for 400 metres.

Evolved in the streets of the United States, this form of racing has attracted a lot of eyes in the Indian scene. While the Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Limited (TAAL) airstrip sees planes fly high, on Sunday it saw motorists push supercars and superbikes to the limit.

Coorg - born Bengaluru based rider Hemanth Mudappa, clocking 9.24 seconds, was the fastest on the track here. “The national record is long overdue,” said the 12 time national champion.

Muddhappa’s rig, a customised Suzuki Hayabusa clocks in at 270 kilometre at the top end. “The engine is built in India, by an Indian, which makes me proud to break the record here,” he added.

However, he feels that the future is good only when certain restrictions are lifted. “Everyone has their eyes beyond India. Drag racing has grabbed attention and we riders need support,” he ended.

Imran Majid, whose customised Nissan GTR had reached 400 metres in a couple of heartbeats, was the fan favourite. The loud exhausts, added with a suspense before the lights turn green, had the entire track on their feets.

“You don’t have space to think, it's all about understanding the car,” he said.

Although Majid had words of praise for Sunday’s race, “Drag racing here has been going on for 25 years, with good racers and technicians, it has attracted the youngsters here, However, the monetary gains need to be increased,” he signed off.