Sleepless in Sriperumbudur
My first experience racing at a legendary circuit
WHEN TVS RACING INVITED ME TO COVER THE second round of the National Racing Championship at the Sriperumbudur circuit, just outside Chennai, I expected to be receiving updates in an air-conditioned media room, interacting with riders and crew at the pits, or snapping a few pictures trackside. Not for a moment did I presume that I would be astride a race-ready motorcycle, pushing it around the track with gritted teeth and wide eyes.
Arriving at the track on Friday morning directly from the airport, we were greeted by an infectious energy all around; intense activity, engines revving and just about everyone there for the love of motorcycles. Settling into the media area, we were briefed on TVS’s racing heritage and then asked to try on leathers. Wait a minute; are we actually going to be riding? I was told that all of us journalists were going to be competing against each other in the Media Race that TVS had organised; cue the butterflies!
Later that day I got my first taste of the racetrack, aboard TVS’s latest, the raceprepared Apache RTR 200 4V. We had a 45-minute practice session, to understand the bike and learn the track. I was in uncharted territory, and for the first time was able to appreciate what a different dimension the track is for someone who has ridden exclusively on the road. The wide open spaces around lacked any reference points, greatly masking the sensation of speed. It’s only when approaching a tight corner too fast does panic kick in, and you reach for the brakes in a desperate attempt to stay on the tarmac. Twenty minutes into the session, I was settling into a rhythm, recognising corners as I approached them and tipping the bike in hard; lap after lap my confidence was building. I went back to the hotel anticipating the next morning’s qualifying session, where we would have 10 minutes to set a fast lap, determining our grid position for the four-lap race later in the afternoon.
I hardly slept that night, all I could see when I closed my eyes was the fast, scary approach to Turn One. After tossing and turning for hours I finally switched the TV on to distract myself, and fell asleep way past midnight. Back at the track the next morning, we geared up, were allotted bikes and were sent on to the track to warm up the tyres. As I started my first hot lap, I was determined to set a decent time, but on Turn Three, I was shunted off the track trying to pass another rider who didn’t see me coming, and went down hard in the grass. For a moment I thought it was all over, but then adrenaline and instincts kicked in, and I was back on the bike trying to figure out how to best use the bent front brake lever. I rode as best as I could for two more laps and rolled dejected into the pits, sure that my race was already over. Twenty minutes later I got the surprise of my life when I was told that I had qualified third! After a four-hour wait, with sweaty palms and an elevated heart rate, we suited up again and took our places on the grid. The flag dropped; moment of truth. Starting third, I was determined to finish on the podium, but was soon passed by another rider. I pushed hard to stick with him and regained third position on the second lap, only to have my nemeses on bike number 4 pass me yet again. With visions of the podium fast vanishing, I gave it my all, and somehow made another pass just three corners from the finish. As I rounded the last corner on to the start-finish straight and saw the chequered flag my heart did a little dance as I punched the air with my fist. My first time out on the track and I had finished third; it felt like I had won a World Championship of sorts!
On the podium I could barely stand straight; my hands were shaking, my knees were jelly and I attempted to smile as I was handed my trophy and certificate by Varghese M Thomas, Vice President – Corporate Communications at TVS Racing, and Arvind Pangaonkar, a certified legend at Team TVS Racing. I would like to thank them and their team for arranging this experience for us media persons, to clearly understand the challenges faced by our young racers out on the racetrack. Also deserving a mention is Karthik S A Gowda and his team at Buxus Media, who did a great job managing the event, arranging gear for us, and even getting me a competition licence. I’m already looking forward to my next outing on the track.