Glorifying the existence of trucks in the country and bringing them to life, Tata invested in India’s first ever truck racing championship- ‘T1 Truck Racing Championship’. Unlike other general heavy vehicles, these trucks were worth a glance! Fleet of trucks competing on the tracks of Buddh International Circuit, caught the attention of many. The event agency behind the initiative, The Innuendo Communications (T.I.C) won gold in the ‘Best signature event category at EEMAX Awards.’ It is rightly said that being different is what makes you an outstanding player in your domain and Tata did it right…

The Concept:

The concept of truck racing is very novel to India. Its popularity among the general category is quite less. Developing from its roots in United States, truck racing has slowly gained popularity across the world. Speaking of which, the ‘Tata Prima T1 Truck Racing Championship’ was a model put to thoughts in December 2012, with Tata Motors deciding to take their Prima range of trucks to the tracks. In alliance with the British Truck Racing Association (BTRA), the series was designed and brought to execution. Tata made 22 specific modifications on the trucks that were used, including tweaks to the fuel tank, propeller shaft guards, brake cooling system, racing seats, etc. The trucks were modified in a way to meet the regulations set down for racing, based on the BTRA guidelines. Showcasing its technical prowess and wanting to bring a change in the outlook of trucks among youngsters, Tata made a commendable attempt. Tata has taken a step for itself to grow within the realm and has set a platform for other heavy vehicles brands to contemplate on the idea of truck racing in India.

Tata’s requirements:

Tata Motors’s desire to stay ahead in the game and ensure their position as an innovative brand that foresees the future of the country came true. “The company wanted to inspire the succeeding generations to take up Truck driving as an inspirational profession as well as wanted to address the scarcity of young skilled truck drivers in India. They wanted to create aspiration towards trucking as a profession amongst the second generation owners and drivers. To achieve this they required to narrow down the deficit of professional drivers along with showcasing their technical advancements through performance excellence in Motor segment”, said Gaurav Dhall, Managing Director, T.I.C.  The unique platform of T1 prima Truck racing efficiently met Tata’s objectives.

The Innuendo Communications POA aka Plan of Action:

Based on the clients’ objectives, T.I.C did extensive planning for 3 years and came up with Tata Motors T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship. “People were used to of seeing HCVs utilized for long distance haulage of super-heavy loads at sedate speeds. However with this event, we made them see these trucks in a new Avatar: that of Hardcore 370 bhp, 1550 Nm road-racing machines!” explained Mr. Dhall. The event managed to transform the identity of trucks from sloggers to hardcore racing machines. “We partnered with the top international (FIA and British Truck Racing Association) and Indian (FMSCI, MMSC, Buddh International Circuit) Motorsports bodies and racing personalities (Narain Karthikeyan, Vicky Chandok), F1 track with International Truck Racing drivers to ensure credibility for India’s first- ever Truck Racing Championship .”

Three months of aggressive 360 degrees pan-India BTL and ATL promotions and over one million man hours built the grand event.

Some noticeable aspects of the event:

The event saw 14 top international drivers from the European truck racing circuit. More than 5,000 on ground personnel, 800 volunteers and 250 track engineers were deployed at the venue. To list a few crowd engaging activities that became a part of the racing championship were: A fashion show inspired by Truck Panel art, Art trucks designed by renowned designer Manish Arora, Performances by percussion artist Sivamani and singer Mika, truck stunts and much more.

Tata’s feedback:

“All details were planned very meticulously. The agency, our T1 event partner, was imperative to the project. Having been involved in the project right from conceptualization until execution, they have delivered on all grounds and on time which is most critical in such activities. T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship, 23rd March 2014 was just the beginning to a new era of sporting in India. We hope to create magic yet again next year with the agency as our event partner.”  Charu Gulati - TATA Motors.

Despite exploring and investing in a concept that undoubtedly is different and fresh in India, the event gathered over 20,000 stadium spectators and 40 million TV viewers. The sport that was brought to existence abroad in 1980s was finally flagged off in India.