Introduction
The unpredictability that 2024 has held so far for me has been likeable. From spending a week riding over 2,500km from Mumbai to Rann of Kutch to squeezing a race school session in between at the Kari Motor Speedway, there have been quite some unexpected opportunities. And just before I thought, there came another one, the TVS ARE GP aka TVS Apache Racing Experience. This is TVS’ effort to introduce its customers to motorcycle racing under the guidance of its factory racers.
In this, there were two categories for the media – the Apache RTR 200 4V and the Apache RTR 310. We rode in the 200cc class and here is how it went.
Before The Race
I did a track day back in February but that was on a 650cc bike with fat race tyres. Moreover, we had one full day of training and getting acclimatised to the bike before we could let the clips unload. On the contrary, the TVS ARE GP scenario was slightly different. Our first encounter with the Apache RTR 200 only happened on the race day during the practice session followed by qualifiers before the two races.
I had mixed feelings about this because the last time I raced an Apache RTR 200, it was at the TVS YMRP back in 2022 where the bike stalled midway in the final race and that was it for me. Plus, the bikes we were racing for the ARE GP had skinny tyres, were extremely lightweight (the way a race bike is supposed to be), and felt small for my 5’10 frame. But regardless, we hoped for the best and went Gung-ho.
However, by the end of the practice and qualifiers, we realised quite a few things. One, the bike was too compact and I had to place my bottom on the rear seat for a full tuck. Two, it felt like a furnace in the leather race suit when the heat was at its peak, and lastly, this race was going to be fun because the bike felt dialled in for the track in every manner. By the end of the qualifying session, we were in the second spot on the grid and that was the position for the start of the first race.
During The Race
The first race was held during peak afternoon with the sun right at the top of our heads. But that didn’t matter because starting second on the grid had given me a boost of confidence which overshadowed any other inconvenience that was there. The race began, I was on bike number 4, with my fellow racers Mandar and Prabhdeep on bike number 13 and 12, respectively. After a hard-fought battle with the two, I managed to secure the third spot, which felt decent.
However, there were a few areas where I couldn’t get ahead of either for unknown reasons and that sort of bothered me a little. But once we were back in the pits, I re-watched the footage and had a hint of what needed to be done if I wanted to secure the first or second spot.
About an hour later, we were back on the grid, for race two, ready to launch the Apache RTR 200 as the lights went off. This time, to my surprise I managed to stay first until C1 of the track only to be overtaken by bike number 12. But that was alright because we knew where to make the adjustments in the next few corners. Right when we crossed C3 and approached the C4, I made sure to shift in the fifth gear way before the latter corner approached so my bike had enough drive whereas I noticed my opponent shifting up mid-way. This helped me overtake him at the same spot, twice, followed by a fast entry and exit speed in the long right-hander that was C5.
But the fun was short-lived since things didn’t go as planned. After my overtake before the C4, unfortunately, my fellow rider lost control of his bike and rear-ended my bike mid-way through the C5 in the second lap. And that was it, we both crashed and the race was red-flagged. However, I don’t fault him for that. There’s always a possibility of these incidents occurring on a racetrack. Thankfully, the KYT NZ Race helmet provided by TVS, their leather race suit, my Viaterra Grid gloves and the riding boots helped me come out unscathed from the crash.
Post Race
Like anyone else, I too wanted to pick my bike up and get back to the track. But the low-side crash compromised the Apache’s fuel tank and it started leaking from crack. So, there it was, the end of my podium run.
In a few minutes, the ambulance arrived and we were taken to the medical centre where I was cleared and declared fit but TVS took the other rider to the hospital for further treatment. Once back in the pit area, I saw my timing, which was 2:20:350. This was neck-to-neck competition for the first position. While the crash left me disappointed, seeing my timings improve cheered me up a little. And, we live to race another day.
