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Chandok: 'India GP will go on'

Fears expressed about the cancellation of the 2013 Indian Formula 1 GP were allayed on Friday morning by race organisers who vowed it would go ahead.

GREATER NOIDA, India - Indian Grand Prix organisers have confirmed that Sunday's race will go ahead even though the country's top court has agreed to hear a petition on Friday seeking its cancellation over tax issues.

The Indian Supreme Court decided to hear the case after campaigner Amit Kumar accused race promoters Jaypee Sports International of not paying entertainment taxes in full for the 2012 race.

'LET IT BE HEARD...'

Indian motorsport chief Vicky Chandhok told Reuters: "The race will go on. There's absolutely no doubt about that. This has happened many times before... people trying to stop cricket matches... our justice system is pretty strong that no sporting event should be stopped.

"It's a civil matter, let it be heard in court as long as it takes and that's it. No worries."

Chandhok heads the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India.

Kumar filed a Public Interest Litigation in 2011 arguing that F1 "was not sport but entertainment" and should not be exempted from entertainment taxes.

RACE DROPPED

JPSI spokesman Askari Zaidi said they would adhere to the court order. "A PIL was filed earlier also and whatever the court had asked to do, we did. The court had asked us to deposit a certain amount (of money); that was deposited. Now if somebody goes to court again, we'd do whatever the court tells us."

The Indian GP has been dropped from the 2014 F1 calendar but the promoters are optimistic of a return in 2015.

Stay with Wheels24 for the 2013 Indian F1 GP weekend.
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