Formula LGB Swift is a single seater,

open wheel An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have thei ...

class in motorsport in India launched in 2003. The cars are powered by 1.3 liter

Maruti Esteem The Suzuki Cultus is a supermini car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Suzuki from 1983 to 2016. The nameplate is currently used as a rebadged second-generation Suzuki Celerio in Pakistan since 2017. It was first presented at the 25th Tok ...

engines (also used in the

Suzuki Swift The is a supermini car ( B-segment) produced by Suzuki. The vehicle is classified as a B-segment marque in the European single market, a segment referred to as a supermini in the British Isles. Prior to this, the "Swift" nameplate had been a ...

) and are driven by top and upcoming Indian drivers in the National Racing Championship. This car can be considered as an Indian equivalent of Europe's

Formula Ford Formula Ford, also known as F1600 and Formula F, is an entry-level class of single seater, open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held across the world form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers. Formula For ...

series, where it is void of aerodynamic aids like wings. From 2006 this car replaced

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 Ra ...

as an entry level formula car. This series offers the first feel and insights into open wheel racing for an upcoming race driver.

Name

LGB denotes L. G. Balakrishnan Brothers, the manufacturers of Rolon chains and sprockets. LGB is the parent company of Super Speeds which designs and constructs the cars. Swift denotes the engine supplier

Maruti Udyog Maruti Suzuki India Limited, formerly known as Maruti Udyog Limited, is an Indian automobile manufacturer, based in New Delhi. It was founded in 1981 and owned by the Government of India until 2003, when it was sold to the Japanese automaker ...

. The car was named

Formula LGB {{No citations, date=June 2018 Formula LGB is a series of single seater, open wheel class race cars manufactured by Super Speeds (A division of L.G.Balakrishnan Brothers, the manufacturers of Rolon Chains and Sprockets) for LG Sports in Coimbato ...

from 2003 till 2005. In 2006 Swift was added to avoid name confusion with the launch of another Hyundai engined Formula LGB (

Formula LGB Hyundai Formula LGB Hyundai is a single seater, open wheel class of motorsport in India launched in 2006 by LGB with Hyundai the engine supplier. The cars are powered by 1.4 liter Indian built Hyundai Accent engines in the entry level JK Road Racing Nati ...

) which was slightly different in layout and design. Formula LGB Swift of B

Design

Early version

The car was originally named

from 2003 till 2005 and the engines were the same 1.3 liter used in the

but in carburated form with a single overhead cam. Still the car had 50% more power (65 b.h.p. being its stock version in carburetor form), than the stock version in race trim.

Current version

In the 2006 season, the car was renamed Formula LGB Swift and Maruti Swift's 1.3 litre 16 valve MPFI engine was refitted. The new engines were left in stock form as the new engines could reach over . The engine is mounted in a transverse direction with the stock gearbox as in a

front wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitu ...

car. The wheelbase is between and the weight of the car (minus the driver) is .

Chassis

The chassis is a steel spaceframe monocoque with fire retardant composite GRP panels. The design is on the heavier side, mainly for structural and safety reasons. The steel tubes are of square section and the tyres are supplied by JK Tyres in a grooved slick pattern. The Formula Swift rides on aluminium wheels and both front and rear tyres are 185/60.

Costs

Along with

this is one of the cheapest formula cars in the world to race, with rental for Friday practise, Saturday qualifying and a double race on Sunday (15 laps each), costing only $800 (as of 2005). That rate includes

tyres A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which t ...

and fuel.

Races

Races for the national championship are held at Coimbatore's

Kari Motor Speedway Kari Motor Speedway is a purpose-built Formula 3 auto racing circuit or race track, located in Chettipalayam, Coimbatore, India. The long track was inaugurated in 2003. The circuit is named after S. Karivardhan. History Part of the existing ...

and at

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

's MMSC Irrugatukottai track. The car is designed and built by Coimbatore-based Super Speeds Pvt. Ltd. for LG Sports, makers of Rolon chains and sprockets, Coimbatore. The car was designed by ex-racer B. Viji (also known as B. Vijaykumar) with JK Tyres being the championship sponsor and also sponsoring some of the drivers. Maruti Udyog presents the championship winner a brand new Maruti car. In 2006 it was Maruti Swift.

Champions

* Denotes wins in

More pictures

*https://web.archive.org/web/20070520121336/http://www.thehinduimages.com:8080/hindu/photoDetail.do?photoId=4724733 *https://web.archive.org/web/20070522120707/http://www.thehinduimages.com:8080/hindu/photoDetail.do?photoId=4724739 *https://web.archive.org/web/20070520121824/http://www.thehinduimages.com:8080/hindu/photoDetail.do?photoId=4956633

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20060510012030/http://www.newstodaynet.com/05dec/cs4.htm
Ganpat Amarnath
*https://web.archive.org/web/20070310232841/http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=%7B34E1CFAD-DD02-4545-9492-6D9B70DB8EED%7D&CATEGORYNAME=BUSINESS
Madras Motor Sports Club
{{Class of Auto racing Lgb Swift Indian racing cars One-make series