SportsDMK-AIADMK alternation

Madras Motor Race Track opens at Irungattukottai

· Irungattukottai

Madras Motor Race Track opens at Irungattukottai
Will Pittenger, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

A permanent motor racing circuit was inaugurated at Irungattukottai near Madras, becoming the centre of Indian motorsport.

Motor racing in Madras had earlier been held on temporary circuits such as an old airstrip at Sholavaram. The Madras Motor Race Track at Irungattukottai, near Chennai, was built in the late 1980s and inaugurated in 1990 to provide a permanent venue. It became India's main circuit for national championships in single-seaters, touring cars and motorcycles.

Related events

  1. 1987

    1. 1987ChetpetSports

      MRF Pace Foundation set up in Madras

      MRF Limited set up a fast-bowling academy in Madras with the help of Australian bowler Dennis Lillee.

  2. 1988

    1. 1988ChennaiSports

      Viswanathan Anand becomes India's first grandmaster

      Chess player Viswanathan Anand of Madras became India's first grandmaster.

    2. 30 Mar 1988ChennaiSports

      Tamil Nadu win the Ranji Trophy for the second time

      Beating Railways by an innings in the final, Tamil Nadu won the Ranji Trophy for the second time, 33 years after its first title.

  3. 1995

    1. 18 Dec 1995 to 27 Dec 1995ChennaiSports

      Madras hosts the 7th South Asian Games

      The 7th South Asian Federation Games were held in Madras, with the rebuilt Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as the main venue; India topped the medal table.

  4. 1996

    1. 6 May 1996IrungattukottaiIndustry

      Hyundai Motor India formed, plant at Irungattukottai

      Hyundai established an Indian subsidiary and a car factory at Irungattukottai near Chennai, where the Santro, its first car, was launched in 1998.

  5. 2005

    1. Mar 2005CoimbatoreSports

      Narain Karthikeyan becomes India's first Formula One driver

      Coimbatore-born Narain Karthikeyan made his Formula One debut with Jordan at the 2005 Australian Grand Prix.

Open in the timeline explorer