One advertisement tagline that has stuck on for years is JK Tyres’ ‘Total Control’. Over the weekend, tyres developed by the Singhanias-owned tyre major powered speed demons as they roared across the 3.5km long Chennai street circuit.

This is the city which witnessed motorsports and racing first in Sholavaram over three decades ago. At that time, there was nothing like structured racing and the men behind the wheels of cars like Fiat and Ambassador and some with access to imported cars raced for sheer thrill.

Much has changed in Indian racing since then and JK Tyres has been a part of the journey. Rarely would one find a tyre manufacturer involved in promoting motorsports, as such. If one talks of high-octane Formula One, in the good old days, there used to be a rivalry between the international tyre kings like Michelin, Pirelli and Bridgestone. Now, for all teams, it is just one brand – Pirelli, till 2027.

When it comes to motorsports in India, Chennai and Coimbatore are the two major bases with proper racing circuits on the outskirts of Sriperumbudur and Chettipalayam respectively. Even as youngsters today have access to karting and Formula racing at home, it is thanks to the JK Tyres’ motorsports division that India was able to put two drivers — Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok — on the F1 grid.  At the same time, JK Tyres pushed someone like rally driver Gaurav Gill hard and he went on to win laurels and eventually the prestigious Arjuna Award.

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New Wheels

Narain has been part of motorsports for over 35 years. He has raced at all levels and has now decided to give back to the sports. And it is his hard work behind the wheels that has resulted in JK Tyres engineering and developing a new tyre called the ‘Levitas Extreme’. JK Tyre has a legacy of producing race spec tyres ever since it got involved in motorsports. From producing rally tyres to Formula BMW tyres, Indian Formula LGB 4 tyres, and even tyres for truck racing, the tyre manufacturer has always showcased its technology prowess.

The Levitas Xtreme tyre was developed from design concept to final product within four months, after extensive analysis and simulations at the company’s R&D centre at Mysuru to create new designs with the usage of special materials like Kevlar, special alloys steel belts and tread compounds. The prototype was then produced at the company’s state-of-the-art plant in Banmore (Madhya Pradesh).

And technical inputs that Narain gave for developing this tyre was invaluable. Dating back to the mid 90s, Narain has been supported by JK Tyres. And even his first stint at the wheels of a Jaguar F1 car in 2001 (test drive) in Britain was supported by them. Beyond his active racing career, Narain has been associated with JK Tyres as their brand ambassador since 2021.  To feature in advertisements and commercials is just one part, the work he does behind the scenes for the sport is invaluable.

At 47, he doesn’t have to be pushing so hard at the wheels of the cars on which this tyre was subject to stringent testing this summer. “We benchmarked the new Levitas Xtreme race tyre with other race tyres globally and after putting it to extreme tests, I can safely say that these tyres are consistent, durable and probably the best single-seater race tyres,” Narain Karthikeyan told brandline.

Karthikeyan is now involved deeply in developing a circuit of his own near Coimbatore amidst a bucolic setting. Karting and racing, both will happen soon there.

Back to the Indian Racing League and the the street circuit. Hyderabad had seen it in the past in Formula E but the Formula 4 cars are a different game altogether. If anything, motorsports in India needs a bigger push, what with so many engine manufacturers now in the fray. It is not like the time when Narain began racing and saw a Maruti 800 engine being developed as a single seater to get a pulse of racing.

How and why JK Tyres are involved with motorsports is no mystery. It is the passion and vision of business tycoon Raghupati Singhania. From Chennai to Coimbatore and the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida, the JK Tyres National Racing Championship has offered motorsports fans plenty of thrill and spill. The finale of the 2019 JK racing season was held at the BIC where racing, stunts and plenty of fan experiences saw over 50,000 spectators turn up on a Super Sunday. Sadly, the BIC is shut since February 2024.

But now there is the Indian Racing Festival.

Talking about what all JK Tyres have done over the years, Sanjay Sharma, Head of Motorsports at the company says, “When we entered motorsport, our goal was clear: to leverage it as a platform for R&D alongside branding. Over three decades later, our efforts have borne fruit. The robust foundation built for motorsport in India has transformed it into a testing ground for major automobile brands and has attracted new promoters, who are bringing advanced technologies and international race machines, creating opportunities for Indian talent on their home ground.”

“Through racing, we have tested our products in the most demanding conditions. Our association with motorsport and such high-octane events has been instrumental in further strengthening our brand image,” says Sharma.

(The writer is a veteran sports journalist)