Speed Fest – Time Attack 2025: Meghalaya’s first national motorsport event

Meghalaya recently held its first-ever national motorsport event in the form of the Speed Fest – Time Attack 2025 autocross. It was organised by the Meghalaya Motorsports Society and backed by the Government of Meghalaya, with the event being held on January 31 and February 1.

The event was spearheaded by Phoebe Dale Nongrum who is the chairperson of the Meghalaya Motorsports Society and also the first female Formula 4 driver from the North East, the first female driver and vice champion, INRC Women’s Category 2024. Joining her at the helm was Easter Giselle Kharkongor, president of the Meghalaya Motorsports Society. Arindam Ghosh, the president of FMSCI was also present at the event.

The two-day autocross event also marked the official flag-off of the Grassroots Motorsports Project, an initiative under the FMSCI, guided by the FIA, which is designed to nurture and develop young motorsport talent from the region. The Speed Fest – Time Attack attracted participants from Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam with a total of 117 entrants, along with 30 new entrants in the Grassroots Category. A highlight of the event was the Star of Meghalaya category, designed to identify and nurture the state’s next top racing talent for future national competitions. This highly competitive category was won by Ronan Bazeley, with Mihsalan Bareh and Brandon Bazeley finishing in second and third place respectively.

Motorsport events such as the Speed Fest – Time Attack are taking place even in the far-flung and remote regions of India, and they ensure that the sport becomes mainstream throughout the country – thus growing the tribe of enthusiasts. The concept of the Grassroots Motorsports Project is also a commendable one, helping unearth local talent and getting more Indians involved in motorsport.