New Delhi: The dust from the weekend is settling down but Sameer Gaur has little time to relax. The enthusiasm and turnout that he and his team saw at the Buddh International Circuit on Sunday means that the momentum generated by Formula 1's debut in India has to be maintained.
Gaur, managing director of Jaypee Sports International Ltd, has seven proposals at hand from series and events just waiting for the green signal from JPSI.
"As of now, I have slotted time after November 10 to schedule meetings with representatives from MotoGP, V8 Supercars, World Superbikes, manufacturers like Porsche and Audi. In all, there are seven proposals for me to discuss," Gaur told TOI.
Talks are also on with i1 Super Series promoters Machdar Motors. "But I'm still not completely sold over their idea," Gaur said.
The 875 acre facility has about a window of five months in which it can hold international motorsports and Gaur is acutely aware of that.
"We really can't target more than 4-5 events honestly. I have to keep the weather in mind," he stated, before adding, "The world of motorsports comes to life after mid-January so I have February and March before it gets incredibly hot. April, May, June, July and August are ruled out and then we have only the months of September, October and November to host events."
The next international entity to come down to Greater Noida could very well be the World Superbikes and/or the V8 Supercars, according to Gaur.
But if you're itching to have another look at the circuit then the next round of action at the track will be the final round of the JK National Racing Championship and also the JK Asia Racing Series. The weekend of November 26-27 will see 10 races: four rounds of JKRAS, two races of JK Polo Cup, two races of Formula LGB and two races in the Super Saloon category.
After the smashing success of LAP Buddh Circuit in collaboration with actor and club owner Arjun Rampal, even the idea of hosting concerts is not too far from Gaur's mind. "Yes, concerts definitely are an option."
Though the event went off without a glitch, there were a few things that raised some eyebrows. One of those 'little things' was the presence of mouse droppings all over the brand new team facilities buildings, faulty wiring that had to be fixed, bats in the media centre and marshal uniforms that didn't fit. "In the next three months, whatever work was unfinished will be completed. We've started work on it from today itself," Gaur promised.
Interestingly, rumours are rife that the FIA might still make a few changes to the 2012 calendar and that the Indian Grand Prix might get pushed ahead to April again. JPSI and Gaur have earlier spoken about their inability to successfully host a race during that time. "I have a written confirmation for October 2012. Even if we were to disregard the weather, logistically it would be impossible for me to pull off the event with elections round the corner," he said.
TOI
