Without any prior track experience, I went to the famous Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) riding Race-Spec in Chennai last month to compete with 15 other fellow automotive journalists from various publications in the first training and selection round TVS Apache RTR 200,
Prepared from head to toe, we were taught some important riding techniques, from optimal riding posture to how to launch the bike perfectly and then brake efficiently and quickly stop it. A spot in the top 12 guaranteed a ticket for the entire racing season which includes 3 races, and amazingly, I made it through the skin of my teeth.
TVS Young media racer program 6.0 Round 1 – Practice and Aptitude
The first race of the season was scheduled to be held on June 12, 2022 at Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore to coincide with the Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022.
The practice session held a day before Round 1 was to introduce us to the new track. Given my knee injury and my low skill level compared to fellow riders, I was nervous throughout the season and only finished last.
However, I managed to improve my time during the qualifying session held later that day – from 1:43.462 to 1:39.878 for my best lap in practice. Now after riding for about 18-19 laps, I had gained confidence and understood the track better.
Our race instructor, Harry Sylvester, who is also an ex-TVS factory racer, took us for a walk around the track in the evening after the qualifying session to guide us on how to accelerate and reach specific corners during the race. Arrive. Even without riding aboard Kari Motor Speedway’s new track layout, Harry was able to help us with the racing lines as well as the optimal gearing for all areas of the track.
TVS Young Media Racer Program 6.0 Round 1 – Race
One participant pulled out of the race due to an unpleasant incident during qualifying, with 11 of us now on the track. Starting the race from P10, my only agenda was to go out there and have some fun, and given my competitive nature, I also didn’t want to finish last. Unlike the selection rounds, where I dumped the clutch completely, resulting in an embarrassing wheelie, this time I had a decent launch, but unfortunately, the first few laps saw me slipping to the last.
I used the guidance that Harry had showered on us and kept pushing the checkered flag all the way. Staying on the lines helped me regain my position and get ahead of some of the others. A last minute miss from provisional race leader Karan Singh helped everyone take an extra spot on the grid, and also handed the win to Ishan Lee – the wild card entry who was embarrassing everyone with his phenomenal riding prowess. practice session!
With a best lap time of 1:36.381, a massive improvement of over 7 seconds compared to what I managed during the practice session, I finished 7th. Mandar Sawant and Stephen Neil Gershom complete the podium in the first round TVS YMRP 6.0, taking P2 and P3 respectively. Here are the full standings-
The final two rounds of this year’s TVS Young Media Racer program will be held at MMRT, Chennai. With the experience gained during the selection round as well as the time out on the track in Round 1, I believe all of us riders move on to the second round as better riders than us. Round 2 will be conducted next month, followed by the third and final round in August. Stay tuned for more updates about the season and results.