Riders to boycott season opener

Chennai: The Madras Motorsports Club is planning to start the 2014 edition of the national motorcycle racing championship on February 16, but majority of the teams and prominent riders are set to boycott the season opener. Disgruntled with the way the series has been organised, the riders have already conveyed their “boycott” message to the representative of the MMSC in a recent meeting. 

The competitors, who are set to float their own representative body, also complain that the time between the last round of the 2013 championship (December 15) and the new season isn’t enough for preparations. 

“Our demands are reasonable. The organisers are making no efforts to get TV coverage. We are finding it hard to get sponsors because of lack of visibility. The hospitality they provide us during the championship is shabby. When four-wheeler racing is getting all these facilities, why not us?” asked a rider. 

The MMSC, the promoters of the national championship, is planning to run the season opener as a support race for the MRF Challenge Formula 2000.