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Dravidian Model “Formula 4” Race: Traffic Chase, Drivers In A Daze, Journos In A Maze, FIA License Haze

The Commune

The DMK scion’s much-publicized pet project, the “Formula 4” night race event in the state capital, appears to be falling apart; all the carefully constructed narrative begins to unravel. Despite the Dravidian stocks ‘vrooming’ on social media that this was Asia’s first night race, the event has been plagued by issues. At the scheduled time, ticket holders arrived at the venue, and media personnel were present, but no racers were in sight. The situation in the city has left many wondering what’s going on.

With the event in disarray, the vroomers can’t blame the BJP for the situation and are scrambling to explain the delay. It appears that everything associated with the race is turning out to be bogus.

No Recognition From FIA

The Madras High Court has agreed to hold a special session on 31 August 2024 to review a request from Racing Promotions Private Limited (RPPL) seeking an extension of the 12-noon deadline set by the court the day before. This extension is requested to obtain the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) homologation certificate required for the F4 night street car race event scheduled in Chennai for 1 September 2024.

Acting Chief Justice D. Krishnakumar has directed that a special Division Bench, consisting of Justices R. Sureshkumar and P.B. Balaji, be constituted to address the plea. RPPL, represented by senior counsel P.R. Raman, is asking for the deadline to be extended to 6 p.m. to complete necessary adjustments to a specific corner of the race track, as recommended by the FIA.

The RPPL has indicated that the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) will issue the FIA certificate for the race by 6 p.m. It attributed the delay to the novelty of hosting such an event in Chennai and unexpected rainfall on 30 August 2024. Still, there is no news from the FMSCI.

Sportstar said the practice session was delayed because the track was unprepared. In an official statement, the organizers announced, “We regret to inform our fans that due to technical issues, there will be a delay in today’s activities at the Indian Racing Festival in Chennai. We understand the anticipation and excitement, and we are working diligently to resolve the issues. We appreciate your patience and will provide an updated schedule by 5 p.m.”

Sources suggest that officials are currently addressing issues with turns 10 and 19, which have not yet been cleared by the FIA, causing a delay in issuing the necessary certification to the organizers.

The judges emphasized that the Formula 4 race should not proceed if the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) and Racing Promotions Private Limited (RPPL), the event’s license holders, do not secure the FIA certificate within the court’s specified timeframe. This ruling jeopardizes the DMK’s ambitious project.

For now, a provisional license has been issued for hosting the race event and the qualifying sessions have been pushed to 1 September 2024.

Track Not Prepared For Race Event

DT Next reported that top drivers, including Nikhil Bohra, Jon Lancaster, and Sai Sanjay, along with their teams and crews, were left waiting in the middle of the exit area for transportation due to delays in practice sessions. Sources indicate that the track is still not ready, leading the drivers to return to their hotels as the session was postponed.

Unfortunately, the DMK’s racing event on 31 August 2024 turned into a practice session due to the failure to secure the necessary license, and the schedule was adjusted accordingly.

However, the DMK IT wing and the SDAT’s flyers promoted that qualifiers would happen on Saturday from 19:00 to 19:55 hours. This could be a misleading attempt to sell tickets or a last-minute effort to salvage the event. It remains to be seen whether the court will permit them to proceed with the show as planned.

Traffic Congestion & Roads Dug For Race Event

The traffic situation in Chennai is currently chaotic, with significant congestion and frustration among citizens. Vehicles traveling from the south on Kamarajar Salai towards the War Memorial are being redirected at the Labour Statue. They must reroute via Walajah Road, Anna Salai, Periyar Statue, Central Light Point (Central Station), MMC, and Parrys.

On Mount Road, vehicles heading towards Walajah Point are diverted at Pallavan Salai towards Central Light Point, while Sivanandha Salai and Flag Staff Road are closed.

Traffic coming from the north is not being redirected from Kamarajar Salai towards Santhome. As usual, vehicles travelling from Central Light towards Anna Statue can continue up to the Pallavan Salai junction.

At Pallavan Salai junction, traffic from the south will use the opposite track to proceed to the Periyar Statue and resume regular routes. Vehicles cannot proceed from Muthusamy Point towards Flag Staff Road or Anna Salai; instead, they will be redirected towards Central Light Point, Pallavan Salai, or PLC Point.

The situation in Chennai has worsened as road edges are being dug up haphazardly to display banners and flags for the DMK’s event, adding to public frustration. Usually, it’s challenging for the corporation to address citizen complaints and maintain road quality, but now they are recklessly tearing up well-maintained roads for promotional purposes. Once the event is over, the corporation will likely delay repairing the roads, or else allocate substantial funds for temporary fixes, which anti-corruption NGOs argue is merely a way to waste taxpayers money.

Ticket Mess Up

When ticket sales began, prices ranged from ₹1,000 to ₹20,000, but many families found themselves stranded as their tickets could not be verified despite purchasing them officially. Outside the Kalaignar Memorial, a father with two young children (ages 5 and 11) was denied entry to the venue despite having paid ₹20,000 for three tickets. There were no clear instructions from Paytm, the financial partner, or the event organizers, leaving ticket holders confused and frustrated.

Journalists Left In Lurch

Photojournalists and reporters were left waiting hours on the road, enduring harsh conditions without even a drop of water. The situation was marked by absolute chaos, with no entry allowed for over four hours. When they finally returned to the media point, they found no food or water available. The event was poorly organized, leaving many frustrated and exhausted.

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