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Marvel on a miniature
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Karoon Murthy’s just five, yet his dare-devilry on the race track is remarkable
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When Karoon Murthy was born on February 1, 2003, everyone close to the Murthys knew motor racing would some day become part of this boy’s life. But they did not know that ‘this some day’ was near. Smitten with racing and engaged in
coaching youngsters in bike stunts, Kaushik Murthy could not wait to get his son started. When he was two-and-a-half-years-old, Karoon was initiated into go-karting.
It did not take long for Karoon to graduate to pocket bikes. In quick succession, his father bought him two of them as well as a motor-cross bike (all three are fitted with 40cc engines). As his father races bikes and drives open-seater cars, and is a frequent visitor to the Irrungatukottai racing track, Karoon, now five years old, gets to practise regularly in a proper racing atmosphere. The boy easily clocks close to 70 kph, the maximum that can be coaxed out of these pocket bikes. The self-assured manner in which he rides his miniature bikes gives credence to his father’s theory that genes decide a person’s destiny. “On the track, he is absolutely free of fear,” says Kaushik, whose hand is heavily bandaged thanks to a recent fall on the tarmac.
Element of risk
Kaushik agrees motor racing comes with a big element of risk, but believes proper precautions can prevent “collateral damage”. Having inherited his father’s dare-devilry, Karoon attempts wheelies on his motor-cross bike. Kaushik does not object to such initiatives and would be glad to have his son in his stunts-cum-racing team, “Gutsy Roadies Racing”, but, for now, he wants the boy to focus on pocket-bike racing. The only problem is that Karoon does not have other young pocket bike racers to compete with. This is never as apparent as when the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) sets aside some time for kid racers to try out their pocket bikes on the racing track. Invariably, Karoon alone shows up!
Given this, Kaushik plans to put Karoon in a racing school in Japan. As this country is the birthplace of pocket-bike racing, the boy will have many opportunities to test his skills.
PRINCE FREDERICK
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