>GreenC bot at 20:27, 21 April 2021

2021-04-21T20:27:04Z

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{{short description|Indian racing driver}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
'''Jagat and Anita Nanjappa''' are a well-known couple in the sport of [[motor racing]] in [[India]]. They belong to the [[Kodava people|Kodava]] community and are natives of [[Kodagu]] district of [[Karnataka]]. They have participated and won many motorbike and car rallies in India. Jagat is usually the driver while his wife Anita dons the role of the navigator. Together, they have won nine Indian National Rally Riders Championship awards in the motorbike section from 1986 to 1996.<ref name="won">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/13/stories/2004031312170200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040504232806/http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/13/stories/2004031312170200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2004-05-04|title=In the driver's seat through slush and sand|access-date=2007-08-06|location=Chennai, India|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=2004-03-13}}</ref> Known for their grit and determination, they once completed a rally despite having a flat rear tyre with Anita having to sit on the petrol tank of the bike for a distance of {{convert|70|km|mi}} to reduce the weight on the flat tyre.<ref name="grit">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/08/05/stories/2004080501470400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041031032337/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/08/05/stories/2004080501470400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2004-10-31|title= K – 1000 anyone?|author=D. Ravi Shankar|access-date=2007-08-06|location=Chennai, India|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=2004-08-05}}</ref>

==Initiation==
Jagat, who grew up in [[Kodagu]], was inspired to take up racing by his father Appanna, who was a fast driver. He started racing bikes as a hobby in the year 1981.<ref name="rally">{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040105/cth2.htm|work=Online Edition of The Tribune, dated 2004-01-05|title=Revving up car thrills this champ|author=Harvinder Khetal|access-date=2007-08-06}}</ref> His family was mainly engaged in growing [[coffee]], and Jagat had ample time to pursue his hobby. The winding, muddy, traffic-less roads of Kodagu gave him further motivation to drive fast. He started rallying with bikes but later graduated to cars. He was later joined by his wife Anita, who after marriage became his navigator in the rallies he participated. They started winning different forms of rallies like [[TSD rally|TSD]] (Time, Speed and Distance), stage and raid rallies. Their victories led [[Madras Rubber Factory|MRF]] to sponsor them, and Jagat and Anita raced under the title ''Team MRF'' in the subsequent rallies.

==Victories==
Jagat and Anita won the Annual Indian National Rally Riders Championship in the motorbike section nine times between 1986 and 1996 losing out only in the years 1990 and 1992.<ref name="wins">{{cite web|url=http://nanjappasracing.com/about.html|title=About NRF|work=Online webpage of Nanjappas Racing Foundation|access-date=2007-08-06}}{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Some of the other rallies won by the couple include:<ref name="mrf">{{cite web|url=http://www.mrftyres.com/trackrecord.html |work=Online Webpage of The MRF Tyres |title=Track Record |access-date=2007-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701114204/http://www.mrftyres.com/trackrecord.html |archive-date=2007-07-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* The Great Desert Rally in 1988.
* The [[Coimbatore]] rally in 1992.
* The MASA rally held at [[Mumbai]] in the years 1993 and 1994.
* The Popular rally held at [[Kochi, India|Kochi]] in the years 1993 and 1994.

In car racing, they were runners up in the Indian National Racing championship in the 1400cc category in the years 1998, 2000 and 2001.

==Promoting the sport==
Jagat and Anita started the Universal Sports Club in the year 2002 in [[Bangalore]] with the objectives of introducing new members to the sport, encourage racing enthusiasts, promote the sport and strive towards the improvement of motorsport infrastructure in [[India]].<ref name="toi">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bangalore-times/racing-duo-on-full-throttle/articleshow/549127404.cms|title=Racing duo on full throttle|work=Online edition of The Times of India, dated 2002-01-21|author=Vinita G Singh|publisher=Times Internet Limited|access-date=2007-08-06|date=2002-01-21}}</ref> The inaugural event organised by the club was a hill climb race for cars and bikes at the [[Nandi Hills, Karnataka|Nandi Hills]]. They also started the ''Nanjappas Racing Foundation'' with an aim to professionally organise motorsport events in India like [[drag racing]], [[go-karting]] and [[motocross]].<ref name="events">{{cite web|url=http://nanjappasracing.com/events.html|work=Online Webpage of the Nanjappas Racing Foundation|title=Events|access-date=2007-08-06}}{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Jagat has also lent his expertise in designing dirt race tracks and has been chosen by [[Ford]] India for laying tracks in different cities of India where enthusiasts can test ride [[Ford]]'s automobiles on those tracks.<ref name="won"/> One of the major events organised by Jagat was ''Burnout'' which was a [[drag racing|drag race]] held during [[Bangalore Habba]], the annual cultural event held in [[Bangalore]]. This race which took place in the [[Jakkur Airfield]] attracted around 20,000 spectators.<ref name="drag">{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060409/asp/look/story_6060932.asp|work=Online edition of The Telegraph, dated 2006-04-09|author=Varuna Verma|title=Men in drag|access-date=2007-08-06}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nanjappa, Jagat And Anita}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian rally drivers]]
[[Category:Kodava people]]
[[Category:People from Kodagu district]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

Jagat and Anita Nanjappa - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 20:27, 21 April 2021