Indian sports management company Kankanala Sports Group will be fielding a team called INDE Racing in the 2024 season of the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup. The upcoming season of the electric motorcycle off-road racing series will also see India host the finale on November 29-December 1.
- Aishwarya Pissay joins INDE Racing
- Other riders are Spenser Wilton and Sandra Gomez
- One more Indian racer to be confirmed later
What is FIM E-Xplorer World Cup?
The FIM E-Xplorer World Cup is an endurocross series featuring electric motocross bikes, fielded by a mix of factory and private teams.
Teams have to develop their own e-bikes and there are two categories: the Hyperbikes category for prototype machines with batteries up to 7kWh and a standard MX bike wheelbase. The GT category is for bikes based on production models, but they’re heavily modified for racing. Each team has to field both male and female riders.
After racing only in Europe for its inaugural season, the series is expanding to Asia this year. Japan will host the season-opener in February, with India hosting the finale. The final location for this will be confirmed later.
The courses feature a mix of obstacles such as rock piles and logs, as well as dirt jumps and bumpy sections.
INDE Racing riders
The INDE Racing team will participate in all races across the season and a total of three riders have been confirmed, including six-time Indian National Rally Champion Aishwarya Pissay. Accompanying her are two seasoned international riders – Canadian rider Spenser Wilton and reigning E-Xplorer champion Sandra Gomez.
“Winning last season was fantastic and now taking on the opportunity to potentially repeat that with this new team in the competition is exciting,” said Gomez.
The team is still looking for an Indian male rider to complete its roster. Additionally, INDE Racing has teamed up with KTM34 garage (located in Mauguio’s Motopark, France) for rider training and tuning of their bikes.
“With the launch of INDE Racing, we aim to break new ground in Indian motorsports, not only on the racetrack but also in promoting sustainability, gender equality, and the spirit of innovation,” said Abhishek Reddy Kankanala, the founder of Kankanala Sports Group and INDE Racing.
E-Xplorer has signed an exclusive nine-year partnership with Kankanala Sports Group to race in India. Valentin Guyonnet, CEO and co-founder of E-Xplorer, says the series is keen to collaborate with Indian motorcycle manufacturers. "India is on the brink of becoming the world’s leading two-wheel market. Our enduring nine-year partnership is a testament to our commitment to a long-term vision, especially in collaborating with Indian motorcycle manufacturers," he added.
He also shared that E-Xplorer is looking at setting up a national championship and other grassroots programmes in India.
Also see:
India to host E-Xplorer electric off-road racing finale