Everyone has an affinity for speed. No, I don’t mean rushing to work and back, but the speed that gets your adrenaline pumping as you hit those curves and push the throttle. After noticing a growing trend among the youth racing down the streets of Mumbai, companies like Bharat Petroleum decided to market this event in 2004, giving birth to the Speed Run, a 400-meter drag race.
A drag race was organized in the heart of the city, at Bandra Reclamation, that drew hordes of people including me, to witness modified, imported and extremely powerful beasts tear down the asphalt. Not only was it a grand success, but it opened the doors to racing among the youth of Mumbai.
The Speed Run takes place every year, except the location has shifted to New Mumbai, Kharghar. In fact, every weekend speed enthusiasts bring their wheels to compete against each other for fun and glory.
This activity has given birth to teams and groups like Game Over, Team RSA and more. It also provides an opportunity for speed freaks to unleash their potential, bring about creativity in terms of modifying cars with art work, as well as a healthy dose of competition. It’s a sport that is dominated by males, who are in age group of 18 to 32, very few women participate in the races.
An interesting point to make is that the streets of Mumbai are safer because the speed lovers have a home to call their own. If you are a speed enthusiast, look out for Speed Run 2009 coming up in the next couple of months!