TVS Young Media Racer Programme
Our newest recruit hits the track for the first time
Started in 2017, the Young Media racer Programme (YMrP) is a commendable initiative by tVS racing that brings a few young professionals in the field of automotive journalism together every year to experience motorcycle racing in its real sense or as close to it as it can get. We have all seen telecasts and videos of races or probably even cheered the racers from the stands, but to be able to ride a race-ready motorcycle on the track is a totally different experience altogether. it puts into perspective the grit and determination racers must possess just to be on the track. By the end of the event, i was in awe of the hard work racers put into the whole process.
the YMrP races are scheduled alongside the indian national Motorcycle racing championship (inMrc) every year. the training and the qualifiers are held a month prior to that at the Madras Motor race track in chennai. this year the races will commence on 19 or 20 august. certain parts of the racetrack were water-logged due to rainfall and, as unfortunately anticipated, it was decided that the training and qualifiers would take place on the short loop, which in effect reduced the track length to half.
Leading the tVS racing’s training programme were harry Sylvester, Jagan Kumar, and the young K Y ahamed, who are among the best motorcycle racers the country has seen. the training session was conducted during the first half of the day and it comprised theoretical and practical aspects of racing. harry explained the theory to the riders while Jagan and ahamed guided us on the track. it was a visual treat to see 15 race-spec tVS apache rtr 200 4V motorcycles lined up for us and three apache
rr 310s which the instructors would ride. the increment in excitement was considerable when we got into the saddle and throttled away.
reiterated time and again by the instructors was the importance of flags while on the racetrack. since flags are the only medium of communication between the racers and the marshals (volunteer workers responsible for the safety of motor racing competitors), we were instructed always to be alert about the nine racing flags that convey different messages. the next most important learning was how to maintain the “racing line”. the racing line is one of the fastest ways around the corner and we were taught how to spot the entry, apex, and exit points. a perfectly executed line allows the rider to carry speed through the corner and maximize drive at the exit. once we had learnt the line, we were taught the ideal position racers should place themselves in to ensure the most stability and clock the best time.
For every corner of the racetrack the coaches recommended a gear and we were asked to tackle the corresponding curve in that fashion. this gave us a reference point to understand the limits of the machine’s capabilities and our own potential; significantly accelerating our learning. a race start is needed for you to pull to the lead on the initial stretch. knowing how to launch your race bike the moment the lights go off is the key and it was individually explained to us by harry. we accelerated down the main stretch only to be checked for our braking technique at the end of it by Jagan. i was corrected for relying predominantly on only the front brake. Jagan instructed me to give it another try, using a combination of engine braking and the front brake to bring the motorcycle to a faster halt.
By lunch, a few hours spent in the racing suit made me admire the level of fitness a race competitor should posses. the exhaustion and heat left no competitor in a state to gobble a lot of food. after calming the immediate hunger and binge-drinking a glucose-topped drink, the racers were called back to the track for a free practice session. the qualifying rounds took place after both the batches of racers completed their free practice. at that moment, i was too ecstatic to have experienced the whole process of racing to bother about what the results would be.
the final segment of the day comprised photo sessions and distribution of certificates of completion of Level 1 training, making all the participants of the YMrP eligible to apply for the Federation of Motor sports Clubs of india’s (FMsCi) road racing licence. adding the cherry on top was the news that i had qualified for the future races and thus would be returning to Chennai from where
Bike India would also bring to you coverage of the inMrC races. stay tuned.