Gulf Oil introduced Indian motorsports fans to the world of Top Fuel "Drag Racing" with an awesome display of power and speed.
Ian King clings on to the Gulf Oil Top Fuel Bike Image: Gulf King Racing |
There were three opportunities for crowds to see the Gulf Top Fuel motorcycle when it blasted along specially designed drag strips at Lower Parel, Vashi and Kharger. Ridden by World Number Three and five times European Drag Bike Racing Champion, Ian King, the incredible machine roared from a standing start to just over 400kmh in under six seconds.
The six metre-long bike is powered by a 1,500bhp, supercharged engine, fuelled by nitro methane and lubricated with Gulf's Pride 4T Plus 20W-40 bike engine oil. The engine itself was built by Knight's own company, PUMA engineering, which has become renowned for developing the world's most powerful engines.
Faster off the line than an F-16 fighter aircraft, Knight wowed the crowds with the bike's phenomenal speed in an effort to raise the profile of the world's highest participation motorsport with a growing Indian audience.
Motorsport in general is gaining a much higher profile across the country, helped by Formula One which held the first Indian Grand Prix in New Delhi earlier this year, has its own team - Force India - and its first ever F1 driver in Narain Karthikeyan.