 |
| The go-kart track in Dimapur. Picture by Jahansher Firoze |
Dimapur, June 8: Get, set, go-kart: this is the new mantra of speed buffs in the Northeast.
With Dimapur and Shillong having joined the go-karting bandwagon already, racing enthusiasts in Guwahati are impatient for a slice of the action. Their hopes rest on entrepreneur Toshi Longchari, who set up the first go-kart track in Nagaland last year and is planning one in the Assam capital.
Longchari said the “tremendous response” to his pioneering venture prompted him to draw up the expansion plan. “We are looking for sponsors and a site for the track. If everything goes according to plan, we hope to get residents of Guwahati racing very soon.”
The go-kart centre in Dimapur, the commercial hub of Nagaland, is called Highway 39 and considered one of the best in the country. Longchari opened it a few months before Eugene Niangti, another adventure-loving entrepreneur, set up one in Shillong.
Longchari’s fascination for go-karting began during a visit to a track in New Delhi. “I fell in love with the idea and thought the people of the region would share my passion. There is hardly any facility for recreation in these parts and anything as exciting as go-karting will obviously appeal to those who like adventure,” he said.
Highway 39 is a sprawling area and so is Speedway Park, the go-kart track in Shillong. Like Longchari, the promoter of Speedway Park has taken pains to make go-karting a thrilling but safe experience.
Longchari said the go-kart’s relatively simple controls and built-in safety mechanism were the main reasons for its popularity. “It a highly exciting sport for the young and old alike. It is a new thing in India, but its popularity is increasing across the length and breadth of the country.”
Captain Ajay of the 9 Assam Rifles, posted at Ghaspani in Nagaland, is one of those planning a visit to Highway 39. The young officer said he had tried out go-karting in New Delhi and found it exciting. “I am looking forward to racing at Highway 39 with my colleagues.”
