Nigeria’s Motorsports promotion outfit, Work and Play, has said the recently concluded eight Ondo Auto Rally in Ilara-Imokin, has helped it to deepen inclusion and collaboration among different industry players.
At the X-Kart Series 2 race early this month, Team X extended their dominance from their Series 1 win. They now have 40 points of 20 each from the two wins. The Work n’Play X-Kart team is still in hot pursuit with eight points adrift of Xers.
Metallic Crushers, FAME, OYSBA, and Elizade are the other teams hoping to rev up their chances before the lined seventh and deciding series of the maiden X-Kart Series in the country.
Speaking on the effect of the race on the country’s auto racing, Walk and Play President, Ade Ojuoko, said this year’s Ondo Auto Rally had the biggest attendees compared to the other editions.
He said: “Growth comes in different forms, and for us, it has been interesting considering that we are experiencing it both in inclusion and collaboration across the Motosports space.”
Ojuoko said that the eight Ondo Auto Rally is the single biggest gathering of the motorsports community, which includes Racers, enthusiasts, tourists, and lately service providers, adding that it needs to consistently explore more innovative offerings for its ardent followers.
“This year, we expanded the offering of the event to host the second edition of the X-kart Series that debuted in Shagamu a few weeks back, along with some of the traditional races that the Ondo Auto Rally is reputed for,” he added
Also commenting on the event, the Director General and Chief Executive of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Joseph Osanipin, commended the use of the motorsports platform to create a sustainable traction for tourism, employment and commerce in Ondo State.
“It’s is a great feat to have sustained the idea after eight years. The Work and Play deserve must be commended and we encourage more stakeholders to partner them.
He said they need to infuse the X-Kart calendar into the Ondo Auto Rally as a way of pursuing collaboration and ultimately lending support to an important aspect of the motorsports project development that will benefit the industry and the country at large.
