A ‘race’ of survival!

Nearly 20,000 screaming fans turned up to catch a glimpse of McLaren-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton on September 27. In sharp contrast, Bengaluru’s own motorsport stars have none of the support even as they prepare to enter the final round of the MRF FMSCI National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2011. Racers Rohit Giri and Prithvi Nath spoke ahead of the finals in Chennai this weekend.
The boys will be racing in the super sport 600 cc expert category, says 25-year-old Rohit, a two-time Asia Pacific champion. “The run up to the last round has been pretty intense, with four rounds completed since May. My team has already sealed the championship and I’m confident about this weekend’s races,” he says. However, Rohit, who is riding for Chennai-based Preethi Racing, is racing on a budget. “I’m planning to put in about 30 minutes of practice and try to save my tyres because I’m paying from my own pocket.” At Rs 25,000, a set of racing tyres last only a weekend and that burns a hole in one’s pocket. The multiple time champion sold his bike and car this year to fund his races.
The other Bengaluru boy in the running for a podium finish, Prithvi Nath has 33 points against Rohit’s 39. The 22-year-old says, “Rohit has helped me throughout my career.” The youngster, who started racing three years ago, laments the lack of infrastructure in the state. “Chennai is the racing capital of the country with the only track, besides the small one in Coimbatore. Motorsports needs support so that more youngsters have the opportunity to race professionally.”
The story of Bengaluru’s Red Rooster Racing (RRR) reflects a sorry state of affairs. The company pulled out of motorsports due to lack of sponsors. Former head of RRR’s motorcycle racing division, Amit Sandill explains, “We had the top motorcycle racers in the country but still couldn’t get corporate sponsors. This is why we have so much talent at the national level, but we don’t make it to the international level. Hopefully, after the foray of Formula One into India, motorsports in general will get a boost.”