The Origin
The dearth of quality motor sport events in the country, especially ones dedicated towards motorcycle sport, prompted Team Avalanche to launch The Shimla Motorcycle Challenge. The event was envisaged as a platform to provide youngsters an opportunity to showcase their talent and to learn from the veterans of the sport.
All care was taken to ensure that the event was affordable for riders, most of whom were young and new to the sport.
In order to provide sustained exposure to the riders the event was concieved as a Motorcycle Championship consisting of 4 individual rounds being held throughout the year in Shimla. Each round would carry Championship points for the first 8 riders in each category, including a special category to promote the riders of Himachal. The rider with most accumulated points after the four rounds would be crowned The Shimla Motorcycle Champion 2008.
The Championship is the first of its kind being run in India in the ‘Rallysprint’ format, a pioneering concept that has drawn accolades for its cost-effectiveness for participating competitors and a publicity and media-friendly format, which is tremendously sponsor-friendly.
The Shimla Motorcycle Challenge is a Championship approved by the Federation of Motor Sport Clubs of India (FMSCI), the parent organizing body for all motor sport in India, and is listed prominently on the national motor sport calendar of the FMSCI. The Challenge runs under the aegis of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the international body that governs all global motorcycle motor sport.
The Story
The First Round of the Shimla Motorcycle Challenge was held on January 26/27. The biting cold did not deter the enthusiasm of the riders or officials who braved ice-covered roads and freezing temperatures to firmly set the foundation of an event that would rock the biking fraternity in the months to come.
After the bone chilling first round the pleasantly warm weather on April 19/20, Round Two saw the competition start off from where it had been left off. Even though some of the riders, including the second fastest in Round One - Parishrut Singh Jhina, were missing the Second Round did not lack in action.
A full five months passed by before the Third Round hit the roads on September 13/14.
December 5/6 was the day of reckoning as the Final Round of the season threw up a number of surprises.