2017 TVS Media Racer Program - Race 1 & 2 Report

Race 1 - Sweet Scent Of Success 

The first round of the TVS Young Media Racer Program was washed by rains in Coimbatore, to my utter disappointment. And I had a good reason for it as I had qualified third for the race and was feeling positive, but it wasn’t my day and I had to leave the track dejected. The second race saw me head to MMRT in Chennai, where the training session was held before the racing series commenced (Also Read - 2017 TVS Media Racer Program - The Beginning). In the qualifying session I tried to employ all the learnings given by Emanuel Jebraj and the TVS riders. I managed to qualify second and was feeling positive as I lined up my TVS Apache RTR 200 on the starting grid behind Rishaad Mody. I knew a good start was critical for me to improve my prospects in the race and that’s exactly what I did.

A brilliant start saw me grab the race lead as we entered the first corner of the race. But there was a problem. As I tipped my motorcycle on the right to enter the first corner, the bike felt twitchy and it felt even worse as I entered the second corner which was also a right hander. I went a bit wide off the corner and it was enough for Rishaad to pass me and regain the race lead. My situation kept on worsening as the race progressed and I was losing more than 0.5 seconds every lap, while Rishaad’s lead magnified with every passing lap despite me pushing to the limit. I crossed the finish line in second place but I wasn’t happy as I felt my pace was enough for a win. 

Later, I found out that my race bike had been crashed in the open category race prior to the media race and because of this the bike wasn’t feeling stable while taking right hand corners. I was feeling glum but then again you can’t complaint in racing as you have to adapt yourself to different conditions. I didn’t and paid the price. My mood was much better as I stood on the podium to receive the trophy. I had always seen MotoGP riders celebrate on the podium and I was feeling ecstatic to do the same (sadly without the large bottle of champagne) and it has to be among the most cherished moments of my life. The second place trophy also motivated me to work harder and improve my performance in round 2. 

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Race 2 - Sliding Away

It was a wait of more than one month for the second race of the season and I wasn’t complaining as it gave me enough time to work on my fitness as I trained hard in gym. It was yet another sweltering race weekend at the MMRT and I felt exhausted even before venturing out on the track for the practice session. It is at moments like these that you start admiring the hardships the racers endure just for the passion of racing. I was out on the track to see the riders in action and learn from them, and I was left amazed when I saw the TVS lady racers in action. The lady riders were fast, smooth on the racing lines and most importantly fearless. After watching the racers’ practice session, it was time for me to gear up and head to the track. 

We were racing the short loop format as waterlogging had deteriorated the track surface and once again I managed to qualify second on the grid. I was feeling more confident this time around and there were lesser butterflies in my tummy as I dumped the clutch and wrung open the throttle when the lights went off. A perfect start saw me grab the race lead from Rishaad and luckily the bike was feeling fine, unlike the last race. Underneath my smoked visor, I was constantly talking to myself to keep calm and stay focussed.

I was leading the race until lap 2 when I missed my braking mark entering the bowl (corner 5) and ran wide for Rishaad to take the race lead. I was swift to counter and regained the race lead but was struggling on the last two corners of the track. I was losing time as the rear tyre started sliding badly on every right hand corner and was committing silly mistakes, which allowed Ashok George to pass me and this pushed me to third. 

I was trying my level best to regain my lost positions but I was slowing down further every lap and crossed the finish line in third place. Again, it was the right hand corners that turned out to be my bane and it wasn’t the bike or the tyres at fault but me. I saw the race footage and figured out that my body position was incorrect; I wasn’t leaning my upper body into the corner and was rather “sitting” on the bike. This meant I wasn’t smooth in the corners and this unsettled the rear, which resulted in the rear tyre sliding. The result could have been better but I was content with the podium finish and now I knew what mistakes I was making. The next race will be all about redemption and grabbing that elusive victory. 

Photography - Murali Rama Krishnan