People’s at Formula Imperial
Dr. Rodney Reviere
Project Head at IGVET, GIZ
Dr. Rodney Reviere, Project Head, IGVET, GIZ India to Kindly address the gathering :- He has Over thirty years’ professional experience on 5 continents. Over twenty years’ experience in international development assistance. Experienced adviser in capacity development, including leading teams in 4 countries and drafting national CD policy and CD plans .he is Experienced manager of large TA programs with multicultural and multidisciplinary teams, PhD with a focus on organizational aspects of school effectiveness, including policy advisement, Experience with qualitative and quantitative research and evaluation methodologies Specialties: Capacity assessment, capacity development, education systems, organizational development, strategic planning.
Mr. Sanjay Sharma
Head of Motorsports, JK Tyre and Industries
Sanjay Sharma (popularly known as Hardy) is the head of motorsports at JK Tyre and is responsible for scouting upcoming race talent and nurturing them also he has been responsible for backing most Indian racers who have raced abroad.
Sanjay joined JK Tyre in 1994 to head its motorsport division and to make the team more professional and focused. In 1997, he started National Racing Championship which has grown from the humble beginnings to India’s premier motorsport championship today.
An affable man, Sanjay used to be a rally driver and loved the sport so much that he had to be associated with it even after he hung up his racing boots. In 2000, he brought karting to India which again has clearly emerged the preferred choice for professional karters to develop their racing careers.
Mr. Gaurav Gill
Professional Rally Driver and an Indian Motorsports Athlete
Gaurav Gill is a professional rally driver and an Indian motorsports athlete who competes in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. In 2013, Gaurav Gill became the first Indian driver to win the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and went on to win two more APRC titles in 2016 and 2018. Gill became the first sportsperson from Motorsports to win the coveted Arjuna Award from the President of India in 2019.
Gaurav Gill also holds the record for the highest number of the Indian National Rally Championship titles for four-wheelers along with Naren Kumar. He equaled the record of Kumar by winning his seventh title in 2020. The last four of his seven titles were won with the Mahindra Adventure team with experienced Musa Sherif as his navigator. Gaurav also took part in the World Rally Championship round in Australia in 2018 as an unregistered driver in the WRC2 class driving for new development MRF Tyres, making him the only Indian driver to do so ever.
Mr. Pat Clarke
Chief Design Judge and Mentor of Formula Imperial
Mr. Pat Clarke (Known as Grand Father of Formula Vehicles) to all the Formula Imperial Teams. He has been involved in Formula Student Events since 1994. Most of you know him as a Design Judge from various Formula Student Events in Germany, England, Austria, Australia and recently even Russia and India.
He officially retired in 2016 although he keeps himself busier than most. He was a guest lecturer at the University of Technology in Sydney and is the Tech Editor of an Australian Motorsport Magazine. He frequents several international Formula Student events each year in roles as a Design Judge and as a mentor at Pat’s corner.
Pat entered into Formula Imperial through his passion for bringing education into motorsport, apart from the racing aspect. In 1994, while travelling to USA on business, he attended the FSAE competition there as a visitor. In 1996, he attended as a volunteer, and so is history.
Mr. Vicky Chandhok
Former President, FIA-APRC
Vicky Bharat Chandhok (born 7 April 1957) is an Indian racing driver and motorsport administrator. From 2003 to 2005 and from 2010 to 2013, he served as president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). He helped bring the Indian Grand Prix Formula 1 races to India during his second term as president of the Indian federation. As a representative of the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone, he also oversaw the construction of the F1 track at Buddh International Circuit. He also served as a consultant for Jaypee Sports International (JPSI), the company that built and owned the Formula One track. He currently serves on the FIA Truck Racing Commission and the FMSCI Council. Additionally, he has won multiple Indian rallying titles. Karun Chandhok, India’s second F1 driver, is his son and his father Indu Chandhok, is the founding member of the FMSCI and the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC).
Chandhok made his debut as a driver in a modified Ambassador at Sholavaram in 1972. He continued to race in the 1970s and 1980s and participated for many years in the Indian National Rally Championship. He quit racing and rallying in 2000 after 28 years, having won over 350 awards. After a five-year hiatus, he competed in the South India Rally in 2000, which he won in a Mitsubishi Lancer that had just made its debut in Indian rallying. Sandeep Lal was his co-driver, and Manoj Dalal, his long-time navigator, was the event’s Clerk of the Course. He made a brief comeback in 2018 by competing in the South India Rally 2018 at the age of 61. He and co-driver Chandramouli finished third in the INRC1 category.
Chandhok established the Wallace Sports and Research Foundation in 1989 to train rally and race drivers. Akbar Ebrahim, who went on to become the president of FMSCI, was one of the first students at the Wallace Foundation. Under Wallace’s direction, Ebrahim competed in his first race at the brand-new Madras Motor Sport Track now renamed as Madras International Circuit.
Tyla Relph
First Australia Champion in Moto 3
Currently competing in the Australian Supersport 300 Championship on her Yamaha R3. Tyla Relph started riding at 3, racing motocross at 6 and road racing at 11.
Specialising in Motorsport, proven experience in Motorsport PR & communications, Social Media Engagement & digital marketing, Photography/Videographer, Content Creation, Social Media Management, Reporting and Editorials.
She have had a strong love for the journalism and media industry from a young age. The passion of this industry started due to her sport! As a professional motorcycle road racer, She was constantly taking part in interviews both on and off camera, writing stories and blogs for motorcycle news corporations and always had a real insight into what the media and broadcast journalism industry entailed, especially within the Motorsport industry.
Mira Erda
1st Indian Female Racer to win internationally in Formula 4
Mira Erda is the first Indian female driver to race in the Euro JK Series as well as a Red Bull Racer. She has broken age and gender stereotypes in India, and it’s her never-quit attitude that ensures that the spotlight follows her wherever she goes. She began racing at the age of 9, and her first professional race was JK Tyre Rotax Max National Karting Championship. In an age where girls think about what clothes to wear and what accessories to buy, she was changing the perception of women in racing in the country. While her peers like to spend their weekends chilling with friends, Mira likes to race around a track in a Formula BMW car. Mira shifted to racing the Formula LGB class of race cars in 2014 as the youngest female driver before making her historic leap to the 2017 JK Euro Series, where she became the first and only Indian woman to participate. Against experienced racers, the Vadodara native is showing that she actually belongs to the elite class of drivers in the country. This Formula Racing Champion is currently at home in Vadodara, Gujarat, as motorsports have been suspended until further notice.
Sneha Sharma
Formula 4 Driver
Sneha Sharma (born 1 August 1990) is an Indian racing driver who competes in Formula 4 National Racing Championship, she is also professionally a Pilot with Vistara Airlines (since 2022). Sneha was born in Kolkata however, since childhood she has been raised in Mumbai, she did her education from the Canossa Convent School in Andheri, Mumbai and flying training from San Francisco, Miami in USA and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
She has been racing since the age of 16. At the age of 17 she raced in the MRF National karting championship while pursuing her high school and flying studies. In 2010 she graduated to cars from karts and has also competed in the JK Tyre National racing Championship. Sneha secured a second position in her 4-stroke category at the JK Tyre National Karting Championship 2009 and was also the only girl to qualify for the final round of the KCT of the MAI National Karting Championship. She was shortlisted for the 2015 Volkswagen Vento Cup and The Toyota Etios Cup in India. Sneha Sharma was given the title of India’s fastest female Racer after securing top 5 position in the Mercedes young star driver program. Because of not having a sponsor or a strong economic background, the teachers who taught her about basics of braking and cornering were simple mechanics and Sneha has performed various jobs at the race track to subsidise her racing fee. As of today Sneha receives sponsorship for her racing career from JK Tyre and Indigo airlines. Currently, in various categories, Sneha has won over all, 6 race victories and 14 runner up positions
In 2019, Sharma attempted to qualify for a W Series, but failed to progress beyond the evaluation day
Saurav Bandyopadhyay
Former Racing Driver, Volkswagen Motorsports India
Saurav Bandyopadhyay is a Race Driver and an Entrepreneur. He was the Vice Champion of the Volkswagen Championship in 2018 & 2021. While he is a senior coach at Rayo Racing, Saurav is also the CEO of IR Esports, which is a company focused on Racing based Esports.
Ms. Bani Yadav
Indian Woman Car Rallyist
Dr. Bani Yadav (born 7 September 1971) is an Indian rally driver, motorsports promoter and social rights supporter. Yadav was the only woman in India to win most of the major Cross Country Rally Titles in the national women’s category.
She was born in Lucknow and later brought up in Delhi. She had her very first experience on the wheels at age 13, which made her want a career in racing. At the age of 43, she finally started off with her racing career for the first time in Jaipur Speed Sprint in 2013 and ended at 2nd position in the event.
In 2013, Yadav began Motorsport racing. In 2015, she was declared the fastest woman driver in IRC Asia Pacific cup in the year 2015. Yadav participates in women empowerment events and endorses equal rights and gender equality.
Bani was the National Autocross Champion-Woman in 2018 and 2019. She is the first woman from India to officially drive formula 4 cars outside of India at Abu Dhabi Yas Marina Circuit. She is the only woman in India to have been awarded a doctorate in Motorsports.
The toughest time of her life was when she got spine injury in October 2013. She went through two back surgeries. Minor surgery was in October 2013, and then major one was in December 2013. It took her 6 months to get back to her feet. As soon as she recovered she got back on the track.
Mr. Mike Hurst
Technical Manager, SFI
A life long motorsports enthusiast who grew up in Indianapolis, He was exposed to Rallying while attending College in Michigan, and competed in his first National Championship rally in 1982.
Behind the wheel, He was 3 Time SCCA Club Rally national champion driver (2001-2003), 3 time regional rally champion driver (1992-1995), 2019 NASA Rallysport National 2WD Champion, 4 Time driver in the Car and Driver magazine One Lap of America (2001-2004) and have competed in hundreds of rally and road racing events with many class and overall wins.
Professionally, He worked as a rally mechanic for factory supported teams in the 1980’s before being hired by NASCAR legend David Pearson to work on his racing team in South Carolina. After earning an engineering degree and returning to Indiana, he continued my involvement as a crew chief for local racing teams while also owning and operating an 8 bay drive-ability, general auto repair, and competition prep business in metro Indianapolis.
He was named Technical Director of Rally America after serving as the SCCA Club Rally Series Manager in 2004. After Rally America became the sport organizer for the ESPN X Games rally car competition in 2006, he was named X Games Rally Car Race Director.
Due to the expansion of my responsibilities with Rally America after the 2006 season, he was hired full time in 2007 and relocated to the Minneapolis area.
In March of 2012 the SFI Foundation hired him as their Technical Manger, but he is still and active rally driver and also assist with the organization of rallies and rallycross events. He work in San Diego, but have a home & race shop near Pittsboro, Indiana.
He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the International Council of Motorsports Science (ICMS), associated with the SFI foundation and Federation International d’Automobile (FIA), and also an ASE certified master auto technician.