A crazy cross-country race to be on top

Motor sports are the in thing today and youngsters seem to be crazy about the adventure game. While some enjoy dirt bike rides in tough terrains braving many craters and pitfalls, others vroom past to come first in motocross in the countryside.

However, without proper training and infrastructure, some youth indulge in unauthorised bike races, causing disturbance in the neighbourhood. Sometimes they meet with freak accidents also. In fact, motor racing is a sport, recognised across the world. Bike racers have a chance to become Formula-1 drivers in due course. It needs expensive motors and coaching and even standard infrastructure.

And young Prashant Kumar who hails from Karimnagar city knows it better than anyone else. He is all of 16, but has already made his mark in this sport in national level. He could achieve this feat without any facilities including a racing bike! He never tried dangerous feats on roads nor exceeding the speed limits. He is pretty clear about his ambition to become a racer. Prashant’s brother Praveen kumar also had similar aspiration but owing to his financial standards, he could not fulfil his dream. Now, he wants to turn his enthusiastic brother a world-renowned racer.

Their family lives in Rampur of Karimnagar city. Their father Ramayya works as an attendant in a government office. His earning is not enough even to make their both ends meet. Fulfilling the needs of a budding racer is, of course, not within his reach. Even then, he bought a normal motor bike which is not at all suitable for races. But he could not afford anything else.

Praveen took the charge and started training his younger brother with the available infrastructure. With great zeal to become a professional racer, Prashant started learning the ABC of racing. His hard work reaped fruit when he stood first in a national level racing, which was held at Irangottu Kottayam track in Chennai recently.

Top motor manufacturers sponsored the race, organised by Madras Sports Club. The racer needed to drive the bike with a speed between 160 and 180 kmph. But Prashant had no such bike to compete with others. Fortunately, the organisers provided him with a racing bike and he made it. Prashant, while sharing his victory, said he was into racing with the help and cooperation from his brother. “My desire made me to come to this track, though I had no trainer. I failed in tenth class. But my family encouraged me to do well in this sport,” he said.

Without having a race bike of his own, he performed at the champion level. No professional trainer to teach and no proper track to practice, yet his hard work showed him the path for victory. Now all he needs is encouragement from philanthropic circles. He needs financial support to acquire necessary things. The track suit, which should be put on for the race alone costs about Rs 90,000.

Talking to The Hans India, his brother Praveen said he could not fulfil his dream of becoming a racer. “I had to choose a job for my living. But my brother is doing well at national level. If anyone extends monetary help and with the government’s encouragement, he would excel further,” he said.

By Ch Gopalakrishna