2019 TVS Young Media Racer Programme- Race Two

Practice and Qualifier

Like all race weekends, this one started with a practice session to get accustomed to the track, perfect corner entry, and exit and decipher weak points to improve timings. Well, there were a couple of moves that I could improve at MMRT. One was the entry into C1 and the other was the bowl before the backstretch. But having focused on improving none of those, I clocked a time of 2:34:756 during practice. 

Soon it was time for qualifiers which was just an hour apart from the practice session. As luck would have it, our editor Vikrant Singh who was there for the Apache RR 310 Cup offered to help. He suggested noting imaginary turn-in points in my head and look where I needed to go. The voice in my head also suggested that I man up (in a not so polite way) and go flat-out on C1. And so I did, only focusing on my vision, the turn-in points, and C1. The 20-minute qualifying session soon came to an end and seemed to be more fruitful than the practice run wherein I was all over the place. 

While timings did improve by two seconds, it was only enough to position me 11th on the grid out of 12 riders. 

Race Day

And if qualifying nearly last on the grid wasn’t heartbreaking enough, what happened next will have you sending me flowers for consolation. I woke up with a temperature that would put the heat in Chennai to shame. No, not because of my starting position on the grid and the thoughts that I had lost this one already. Or it could be, I’d never tell you. So there were two ways to go about it. One was to back out and the other was to pop paracetamol and get on the track.

So I popped two of those, just in case. Round 2 of the TVS Young Media Racer Programme would be a five-lap race which is three laps lesser than the usual and no formation lap either. So out of the pit lane and on the starting grid, we went. As the three minute and one-minute boards were brought out, all that ran through my head was the head start miracle I managed at Kari. It had to be done here as well given my starting position now. The thirty-second board was out and all the racers had begun revving their engines. Five seconds…four..three..two..one...GO! Well, those five seconds took longer for me as I launched slower than everyone else. While there wasn’t much progress in the first lap, taking advantage of weight and going flat out on C1 worked! I had jumped from 11th to 7th in the second lap itself. It didn’t come easy or stay like that for long as Firoze from Autocar India and Divyank from AutoX were in the battle for position 7 too. After a heated two-lap battle between the three of us, even having to ride outside the track after C3, I managed to break away from the other two racers. 

All was going well until I overshot C8. And by the time I was back on track, Firoze and Divyank who were right behind shot passed leaving me behind in 9th place. And as I pushed and tried to catch up with the others on the main straight, the chequered flag waved in front. It was too late now. 

I might have finished nine places behind but with a time of 2:25.967, the timings as compared to the first time we were at MMRT for the TVS Young Media Programme improved by a whole 10 seconds! The third and last round of the Programme will be also be held at the MMRT and I’m looking forward to clocking faster times and a better finish. Stay tuned!