Hyderabad’s loss is Chennai’s gain: Indian Racing League shifts venue after police refused to issue clearance

Hyderabad: Hyderabad will not host the second season of the Indian Racing League (IRL).

The racing carnival moved to Chennai due to failure to obtain a clearance certificate from the police department.

The street circuit race was originally scheduled for November 4 and 5 in Hyderabad, but the organizers faced difficulties in securing the necessary permissions from the police department.

According to officials, governing bodies like the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) expressed no objections to the race being held in the city. However, the police department reportedly yielded to pressure, citing upcoming elections as a factor in their decision.

A source involved with the handling of IRL expressed disappointment at the change, stating, "We have to move to Chennai, and it's heartbreaking that the race, which started in Hyderabad, has to be shifted to a different venue. Overall, the entire logistics change, and we have to make other arrangements in our approach."

The second season of IRL was initially planned to begin in Hyderabad, move to New Delhi, and conclude in Chennai. However, the abrupt decision to relocate the race from Hyderabad to Chennai disrupted the team setup.

"Road closure has been the issue, and when they can close it for religious festivals, the barricade for racing shouldn't have been a problem. That too, it's a weekend, and the race could have gone as per the earlier schedule without any issues. We were well prepared and had our parameters in place to host the race," the source added. The setback is estimated to result in a minimum loss of ₹2 crore for the racing league.

While the inaugural season saw enthusiastic support from the public, IRL has assured that full refunds will be issued to ticket holders.

Six teams, including the Hyderabad Blackbirds, Godspeed Kochi, Bangalore Speedsters, Chennai Turbo Riders, Goa Aces, and Speed Demons Delhi, were set to compete in the league, with each team featuring a female driver.

A senior official from the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) pointed out that the upcoming state elections played a significant role in the racing league's failure to obtain permission for the event.

The source said, "The elections are coming up, and that played a major part in IRL not hosting the race in Hyderabad. Crowd gatherings are not allowed during this time is what we are told by the Election Commission of India (ECI), and we are following the instructions penned down by them."

Regarding the potential impact on the city hosting the Formula E event next year, the source mentioned, "I don't think this will have any impact, but we will have a clear picture once the elections are over. As of now, Hyderabad is scheduled to host Formula E but not IRL."