Formula Rolon
Encyclopedia
Formula Rolon
Formula Rolon, also known as Formula Rolon Chevrolet
is an open wheel single seater Formula Racing car made and raced in India
. They run in the single make championships held in the tracks of Coimbatore
and Chennai
. The car is similar to Formula Asia and is powered by Chevrolet
engine with a racing gear box. The car was launched in Mumbai December 2005 and made its debut in Coimbatore track
on September 2006. The 2010 season was its last season as LG Sports announced that it will not enter Formula Rolon for the 2011 season.
.They are the main sponsor and parent company
of Super Speeds
.
steel space frame
and the body panels are of Composite Fire retardant GRP
. Aerodynamic aides include adjustable front wing, and adjustable Flower type rear wing.The Racing Tyres are from JK tyres and the cars have a choice of grooved semi-slick and ungrooved slick version on the Race day.
The car was entirely designed and constructed by Coimbatore based Super Speeds
, the same company that designed the Formula Maruti
in mid 80’s, which is now a division of L.G.Balakrishnan and Brothers. The Chief designer of the car is ex-racing driver B.Vijaykumar. The car has a high indigenous content of over 97%.
The Engine is supplied by General Motors
India. The Chevrolet
1600 cc engine produces 120 bhp in race trim as of 2006 with a re-chipped ECU; otherwise it’s the same stock engine as used in Chevrolet Optra model sold in India
. Notable race modifications from the passenger car engine include a re-chipped ECU, K&N Air filter and tuned Exhaust pipe while the Head, Block and Camshaft remain the same as in Stock
.This also makes a first for Chevrolet
’s involvement in Racing outside USA.
The Gearbox is a Racing
gear box
, with straight cut-dog ring gears and in-built LSD (Limited Slip Differential)
manufactured in-house at Coimbatore
by Super Speeds.
in other South East Asian countries or Formula Ford
in UK, and is considered the best way to select racers for the Formula Asia and Formula BMW series.
The Cars are sold with the Engine on lease or the complete car leased with three different springs supplied per car. All engines are sealed by LG Sports with the maintenance of the engine by Super Speeds.
The class in which the car races is a single make championship class, with the cars sold or leased to several teams, who in turn engage or hire drivers. The races are annual championship series held in Kari Motor Speedway
in Chettipalayam, Coimbatore
and in MMSC track in Irungattukottai in Chennai. The Drivers with most number of points accumulated from his wins and finishing positions becomes the Formula Rolon Chevrolet champion for the respective year.
champion Gaurav Dalal, 2005 Formula LGB
Champion Reo Banajee,2006 formula LGB swift
national champion Saran Vikram Tmars,Aswin Sunder and Vikash Anand formula Maruti
champion 2009.
|
G.Vikash Anand, Chennai
| 1st Runner up- VA Racing
| Super Speeds
- LGB Rolon Esteem 1.3L DOHC
|}
Formula Rolon, also known as Formula Rolon Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
is an open wheel single seater Formula Racing car made and raced in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They run in the single make championships held in the tracks of Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
and Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. The car is similar to Formula Asia and is powered by Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
engine with a racing gear box. The car was launched in Mumbai December 2005 and made its debut in Coimbatore track
Kari Motor Speedway
Kari Motor Speedway is a purpose built auto racing circuit or race track, located in Orratukuppai, Chettipalayam, Coimbatore, India. The track's length is currently 3.2 km. It was inaugurated in 2003, in memory of Late Shri. S...
on September 2006. The 2010 season was its last season as LG Sports announced that it will not enter Formula Rolon for the 2011 season.
Name
Rolon is the brand of Automotive chains and sprockets, owned by L.G.Balakrishnan Brothers Ltd. CoimbatoreCoimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
.They are the main sponsor and parent company
Parent company
A parent company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors; the second company being deemed as a subsidiary of the parent company...
of Super Speeds
Super Speeds
Super Speeds is a company in India which designs and constructs open-wheeled Formula Cars for Indian National championship series. For more than three decades this outfit has been the only full-fledged Indian company entirely dedicated to indigenous design and construction of race cars in...
.
Design
The car is built around a monocoqueMonocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
steel space frame
Space frame
A space frame or space structure is a truss-like, lightweight rigid structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with few interior supports...
and the body panels are of Composite Fire retardant GRP
Fibre-reinforced plastic
Fibre-reinforced plastic is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. The fibres are usually fibreglass, carbon, or aramid, while the polymer is usually an epoxy, vinylester or polyester thermosetting plastic...
. Aerodynamic aides include adjustable front wing, and adjustable Flower type rear wing.The Racing Tyres are from JK tyres and the cars have a choice of grooved semi-slick and ungrooved slick version on the Race day.
The car was entirely designed and constructed by Coimbatore based Super Speeds
Super Speeds
Super Speeds is a company in India which designs and constructs open-wheeled Formula Cars for Indian National championship series. For more than three decades this outfit has been the only full-fledged Indian company entirely dedicated to indigenous design and construction of race cars in...
, the same company that designed the Formula Maruti
Formula Maruti
Formula Maruti is a single-seater, open wheel class in motorsport made and raced in India. Many of the top teams in Indian motorsports have run in the series, including Team Lakshmi Mills Superspeeds, Team JK, Team MRF, Gabriel Racing, WSRF Racing, McDowell Racing, and Team Valvoline...
in mid 80’s, which is now a division of L.G.Balakrishnan and Brothers. The Chief designer of the car is ex-racing driver B.Vijaykumar. The car has a high indigenous content of over 97%.
Engine and Gearbox
After remaking the car in 2010, the engine has now been changed to Maruti Esteem engine which is 1300cc.The Engine is supplied by General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
India. The Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
1600 cc engine produces 120 bhp in race trim as of 2006 with a re-chipped ECU; otherwise it’s the same stock engine as used in Chevrolet Optra model sold in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Notable race modifications from the passenger car engine include a re-chipped ECU, K&N Air filter and tuned Exhaust pipe while the Head, Block and Camshaft remain the same as in Stock
Stock
The capital stock of a business entity represents the original capital paid into or invested in the business by its founders. It serves as a security for the creditors of a business since it cannot be withdrawn to the detriment of the creditors...
.This also makes a first for Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
’s involvement in Racing outside USA.
The Gearbox is a Racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
gear box
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
, with straight cut-dog ring gears and in-built LSD (Limited Slip Differential)
Limited slip differential
A limited slip differential is a type of differential gear arrangement that allows for some difference in angular velocity of the output shafts, but imposes a mechanical bound on the disparity...
manufactured in-house at Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
by Super Speeds.
Tyres
JK tyres of India makes and supplies the tyres specially designed for this car. JK Tyres also sponsor the National championship and few drivers in this series. The tyres are available in Wet and Slicks.Costs
The entire season of 12 races (6 Double races) would cost less than one tenth compared to a full season in or Formula AsiaFormula BMW
Formula BMW is a junior racing formula for single seater cars. It is positioned at the bottom of the motorsport career ladder alongside the longer established Formula Ford category...
in other South East Asian countries or Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....
in UK, and is considered the best way to select racers for the Formula Asia and Formula BMW series.
Championship Races
The cars were built for LG Sports, to run in the JK National Road racing championship, which is the breeding ground for young racers in India.The Cars are sold with the Engine on lease or the complete car leased with three different springs supplied per car. All engines are sealed by LG Sports with the maintenance of the engine by Super Speeds.
The class in which the car races is a single make championship class, with the cars sold or leased to several teams, who in turn engage or hire drivers. The races are annual championship series held in Kari Motor Speedway
Kari Motor Speedway
Kari Motor Speedway is a purpose built auto racing circuit or race track, located in Orratukuppai, Chettipalayam, Coimbatore, India. The track's length is currently 3.2 km. It was inaugurated in 2003, in memory of Late Shri. S...
in Chettipalayam, Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
and in MMSC track in Irungattukottai in Chennai. The Drivers with most number of points accumulated from his wins and finishing positions becomes the Formula Rolon Chevrolet champion for the respective year.
Teams
- NK racing –Narain KarthikeyanNarain KarthikeyanKumar Ram Narain Karthikeyan , is the first Formula One motor racing driver from India. He has previously competed in A1GP, and the Le Mans Series. He made his Formula One debut in with the Jordan team, and was a WilliamsF1 test driver in and...
’s team with Speed Petrol (Bharat PetroleumBharat PetroleumBharat Petroleum Corporation Limited is a state-controlled oil and gas company headquartered in Mumbai, India. In 2011, Fortune Global 500 ranked the company of 272.- History :...
) as Team Sponsors. - Mars racings - chennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
- Meco Racing - ChennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
- Rams Racing - ChennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
- Prime Racing - CoimbatoreCoimbatoreCoimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
- Red Rooster Racing - BangaloreBangaloreBengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
/ChennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India... - Team Amaron Pro Racing with MECO
- VA Racing - ChennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
Current Drivers
- G.VIKASH ANAND - VA RACING PVT LTD
- SARAN VIKRAM - TEAM MARS RACING
- SAROSH HATARIA - TEAM MECO RACING
- RAHIL NOORANI - TEAM MECO RACING
- RAJ BHARATH - TEAM MECO RACING
- SAMYAK SHAH - TEAM MECO RACING
- DILJITH T.S. - TEAM MECO RACING
- RAJ VIRUTHAN - PRIME RACING
- PARTH GHORPADE - AMARON PRO RACING WITH MECO
- VISHNU PRASAD - AMARON PRO RACING WITH MECO
- NIKHIL KASHYAP - AMARON PRO RACING WITH MECO
- CHITTESH MANDODY - MOHITES RACING
- SUDARSHAN RAO - RAMS RACING
Drivers and tuners
Notable drivers who have taken part in the series and still involved include ex-formula 3 champion Akbar Ibhrahim,ex-Karting champion Ameya Walavalkar, Gaurav Gill (Aisa-Pacific Rally winner , ex-formula MarutiFormula Maruti
Formula Maruti is a single-seater, open wheel class in motorsport made and raced in India. Many of the top teams in Indian motorsports have run in the series, including Team Lakshmi Mills Superspeeds, Team JK, Team MRF, Gabriel Racing, WSRF Racing, McDowell Racing, and Team Valvoline...
champion Gaurav Dalal, 2005 Formula LGB
Formula LGB
For specific models see*Formula LGB Hyundai*Formula LGB SwiftFormula LGB is a series of single seater, open wheel class race cars manufactured by Super Speeds for LG Sports in Coimbatore, India...
Champion Reo Banajee,2006 formula LGB swift
Formula LGB Swift
Formula LGB Swift is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport in India launched in 2003. The cars are powered by 1.3 liter Maruti Esteem engines and are driven by top and upcoming Indian drivers in the National Racng Championship...
national champion Saran Vikram Tmars,Aswin Sunder and Vikash Anand formula Maruti
Formula Maruti
Formula Maruti is a single-seater, open wheel class in motorsport made and raced in India. Many of the top teams in Indian motorsports have run in the series, including Team Lakshmi Mills Superspeeds, Team JK, Team MRF, Gabriel Racing, WSRF Racing, McDowell Racing, and Team Valvoline...
champion 2009.
Champions
| Season | Driver | Team | Chassis/Engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Gaurav Gill Gaurav Gill Gaurav Gill is an Indian race car driver who started his motorsport career by rallying on 2 wheels in the Indian National Rally Championship. He is based out of Delhi.Heis India’s leading rally driver... , New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is... |
WSRF with Leela - JK Tyre | Super Speeds Super Speeds Super Speeds is a company in India which designs and constructs open-wheeled Formula Cars for Indian National championship series. For more than three decades this outfit has been the only full-fledged Indian company entirely dedicated to indigenous design and construction of race cars in... - Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... Optra 1.6L DOHC |
| 2007 | Adithya Patel, Chennai Chennai Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India... |
NK Racing - Speed Petrol | Super Speeds Super Speeds Super Speeds is a company in India which designs and constructs open-wheeled Formula Cars for Indian National championship series. For more than three decades this outfit has been the only full-fledged Indian company entirely dedicated to indigenous design and construction of race cars in... - Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... Optra 1.6L DOHC |
| 2008 | Gaurav Dalal, Chennai Chennai Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India... |
Red Rooster Racing | Super Speeds Super Speeds Super Speeds is a company in India which designs and constructs open-wheeled Formula Cars for Indian National championship series. For more than three decades this outfit has been the only full-fledged Indian company entirely dedicated to indigenous design and construction of race cars in... - Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... Optra 1.6L DOHC |
| 2009 | Ashwin Sunder, Chennai Chennai Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India... |
NK Racing | Super Speeds Super Speeds Super Speeds is a company in India which designs and constructs open-wheeled Formula Cars for Indian National championship series. For more than three decades this outfit has been the only full-fledged Indian company entirely dedicated to indigenous design and construction of race cars in... - Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... Optra 1.6L DOHC |
| 2010 | Saran Vikram, Chennai Chennai Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India... |
Mars Racing | Super Speeds Super Speeds Super Speeds is a company in India which designs and constructs open-wheeled Formula Cars for Indian National championship series. For more than three decades this outfit has been the only full-fledged Indian company entirely dedicated to indigenous design and construction of race cars in... - LGB Rolon Esteem 1.3L DOHC |
|
G.Vikash Anand, ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
| 1st Runner up- VA Racing
| Super Speeds
Super Speeds
Super Speeds is a company in India which designs and constructs open-wheeled Formula Cars for Indian National championship series. For more than three decades this outfit has been the only full-fledged Indian company entirely dedicated to indigenous design and construction of race cars in...
- LGB Rolon Esteem 1.3L DOHC
|}
See also
- Formula MarutiFormula MarutiFormula Maruti is a single-seater, open wheel class in motorsport made and raced in India. Many of the top teams in Indian motorsports have run in the series, including Team Lakshmi Mills Superspeeds, Team JK, Team MRF, Gabriel Racing, WSRF Racing, McDowell Racing, and Team Valvoline...
- Formula LGB SwiftFormula LGB SwiftFormula LGB Swift is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport in India launched in 2003. The cars are powered by 1.3 liter Maruti Esteem engines and are driven by top and upcoming Indian drivers in the National Racng Championship...
- Formula LGB HyundaiFormula LGB HyundaiFormula LGB Hyundai is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport in India launched in 2006 by LGB with Hyundai being the Engine supplier. The cars are powered by 1.4 liter Indian built Hyundai Accent engines in the entry level JK Road Racing National Championship series...
- JK Tyre National Racing ChampionshipJK Tyre National Racing ChampionshipThe JK Tyre National Racing Championship was launched in 1998 with the Maruti Esteem saloon class and Formula Maruti class. This championship series is also considered to be the stepping stone for Indian Racing drivers who want to break into international motorsports...