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Racing ahead...and how!
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Ashwin Sundar proves that motorsports requires determination, not just money
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PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR
ON THE FAST LANE Ashwin Sunder
Chennai’s Ashwin Sundar has become the first Indian to race in Germany after bagging a three-year sponsored stint with the German racing team Ma Con Motor Sports. At 17 years, he belongs to the young crop of drivers and racers popularising motorsports in India. With this latest achievement, he is all set to race in the reputed German Volkswagen ADAC Championship 2008.
Ashwin started racing at 13, finishing fourth in the Formula LGB series of the JK Tyre National Racing Championship (2004). He became the youngest circuit racer in India to drive the Formula LGB (1.3 litre). His recent win was the tenth JK Tyre National Racing Championship before selected by Ma Con.
What is remarkable about Ashwin’s success is that he has not benefited from the enormous financial resources required to sustain a career in a sport such as this. Sanjay Sharma, head of Motorsports, JK Tyre and Industries who sponsor Ashwin and Marian Hamprecht, owner of the Ma Con Motor Sport team cite hard work and sheer talent as the reasons behind his success.
Hamprecht, a former racer, short-listed Ashwin after reading up on the teenager over the internet. Impressed by the consistent performance, he invited the racer to try out in the testing sessions in February.
Sharma emphasises that although motorsport has long been perceived as a ‘sport for the elite class’, it is slowly opening up to include even those who cannot afford to spend huge sums to build a career around it. If one is able to show potential at various levels in racing, the going gets relatively easier.
Encouraging signs
The initial entrance fee is Rs.100 to enter the 4-stroke karting championship, which is the starting point for racing. It costs up to Rs.10, 000 to enter the next level of JK Tyre Junior Racing Cup. Sharma feels these rates will encourage many more young Indians to enter motorsports.
Despite this optimistic forecast, Ashwin’s father, T.A.S. Sundar reiterates that it is still considerably difficult to make a mark in this line. The infrastructure available for motorsports in India is not sufficient to replicate the cutting edge technology abroad. But with the arrival of F1 in India by 2010, motorsports is perhaps well on it’s way to becoming the next big thing.
Aditya Patel, Saran Vikram and Akhil Kushlani are the names to watch out for from the JK stables. The organisation has earlier been associated with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karan Chandok.
Ashwin, a little shy at his very first press conference, has his eyes set on the British F3000 Championship and the F3 European series after the ADAC Championship.
BHAMATI SIVAPALAN
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