Two Indian riders all set to race in Chennai during Round Five of ARRC

Two Indian riders, Sarath Kumar and Rajiv Sethu, are all set to race in India during round five of the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) from September 22nd - 24th at the Madras Motor Racing Track, Chennai.

Sarath and Rajiv are representing team RAMA Honda by NTS T.Pro Ten 10 and will be participating in the Super Sport 600CC class and the Asia Production 250cc class respectively.

Speaking on Indian rider's skilling up and going global, Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President, Customer Service, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India said, "As a part of Honda's rider development program, two young talented Indian riders Sarath and Rajiv will be seen in action in Asia Road Racing Championship this year. Both the riders have had a remarkable season so far we are delighted that they are representing India in the race."

"We want them to be an inspiration for other riders who aspire to reach such pedestals. With the ARRC returning to India, this is another great opportunity for the riders as well as the motorsport fans in India to experience live action," he added.

Talking about the state of motorsports in India Prabhu said, "In the last 7 to 8 years the visibility of two wheeler motorsports has improved. Track racing in particular is concentrated in southern India as there are only two tracks in India which are affordable (Madras Motor Race Track and Kari Motor Speedway) and the Formula one track in Greater Noida is not affordable. Since it is concentrated in southern part of India, majority of the people who have access live in the south. One is the constraint of the track and secondly no structured academies were available."

The situation has improved as academies have come up and now it is mandatory for every rider to join an academy to be able to race on the track, added Prabhu.

Sarath is a two-time Honda One Make Race champion (2014 and 2013) and is the first-Indian rider to participate in 125GP and Moto-3 CEV Championship and the first to finish on the podium in 2014 season of Asia Dream Cup. Honda has sponsored him to the Asia Road Racing Championship 2017.

Looking forward to race on home soil, Sarath said, "I have been training very hard for the championship and I am so happy to be able to ride for India this season. Personally for me, this season, the Championship has been very fruitful and rewarding as compared to the last season which was full of injuries."

Racers in India get very less track time which hurts their chances on the international level, feels Prabhu.

Rajiv, the second Indian racer, has performed well in the national and Honda One Make Race Championship and has now received a chance to participate in ARRC and Thai talent cup.

Excited for his first championship race in Chennai, Rajiv said, "While this Championship is important for all the riders, it holds a special importance for me, as I am going to perform on my home ground. It is both a source of confidence and motivation for me. I have always been very comfortable on the Chennai track, and there is nothing like racing here.