MUMBAI, November 23: Something was terribly wrong at Nariman Point today. Even if the Sunday was sunny and pleasant, the place was supposed to wear a cadaverous, deserted look. But once 18 young men and a 16-year-old woman took siege of the Vidhan Bhavan, things were never the same again. The Go-Karters had effectively replaced the go-getters in the business centre of India's economic capital.

As the morning matured into a balmy afternoon, decibel levels reached new highs with the drivers of La Filiere, the Le Mans-based formula racing development school, left an almost indelible impression of hot rubber on the road surrounding the Assembly.

The Elf Karting Trophy managed to entice not only the State Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, but also a good chunk of south Mumbai, as kids of all ages tagged to their parents to witness speed at its controlled best. Also present was the entire electronic media of Mumbai to encapsule this visual treat.

Though some tiny tots were found asking the whereabouts of former World F-1 champion Michael Schumacher, the machines managed to hold enough interest. Not even a foot high, the Karts still took the centre-stage as the grown-ups jostled with six-year-olds to have a feel of it. Those who were lucky enough to get a ride, walked about as if they had hidden springs in their shoes.

The cynosure of every eye was, without doubt, the beautiful 16-year-old Marie Hirth. While gentlemen prefer blondes, her stunning looks became secondary in the wake of her fiery performance behind the wheels. She stood sixth in the final standings and received a standing ovation from the crowd.

There were others who endeared themselves to the public. Ludovic Simon crashed out of the first heat, but was graceful enough to take a big bow and rushed immediately to sign autographs. He lost all hopes of a position then, but he won several hearts.

As for the race, though the organisers Himalayan Rally Association roped in FIA inspector Giuseppi Muschioni to design the track, the fact that these were normal roads and not race-tracks, hampered the performance of the drivers. The ride was bumpy, and the lack of `over-taking zones' bothered the drivers a bit.

That did not dampen the spirits of racers. Franck Mettetal, even before the start of the final, promised a ``safety-first'' tactic. ``Since this is an exhibition event, we do not want to hurt each other accidentally. Still, since this is the first time something like this is happening in India, we will give our best to make the race exciting,'' said the Frenchman.

The helpful behaviour of the players, crew and the officials will have to be documented. Even as they were disturbed time and again during the final stages of preparation for the race, they were accommodating enough to answer all. Perhaps it was the diktat of the sponsors, perhaps it was the fact that all these youngsters are still untouched by fame, but it was a welcome attitude.

The only trouble was in deciphering what they were trying to say. As most of them were French, the pronounciations were almost too much for Indian ears. One driver said: ``We are `sious' about the event''. It took approximately twenty minutes for this reporter to comprehend that he meant `serious'!!But `siously', it was a fun-filled day at the races.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.