Racing is still a male-dominated sport around the globe. So when a story of women vrooming together on the rough tracks pops up, we gotta blow our trumpets, right?
Recently, 60 women from different states across India gathered at Tamil Nadu’s Kari Motor Speedway to prepare themselves for an upcoming racing competition. This sports trial was conducted to choose six female racers who will be taking part in the Coimbatore’s JK Tyre National Racing Championship that will also see male participants.
The chosen participants will now be trained for the Formula LGB category of the National Racing Championship. Isn’t this exciting? This one of its kind events will take place on July 6th, 7th, and 8th.
Sarosh Hataria, the founder of Ahura Racing banner, told TOI, “I’ve been racing for the past 20 years and I’m a three-time racing champion. I am inspired by my mother who was interested in racing and even participated in a racing show at the Sholavaram track in Chennai, somewhere in 1980s. After winning my last championship in 2013, I decided to give back to the sport In 2004, during the inaugural race at the motor speedway, here, a woman racing champion Kieko Ihara from Japan took part in the race and won it beating all of us. That made me think if a woman from some other country can do it, why can’t our women. As of now, we hardly have a few women in the circuit racing like Mira Erda and Sneha Sharma.”
That’s when Hataria decided to invite Indian women to participate at Coimbatore’s JK Tyre National Racing Championship, for which he received more than 180 entries. Sita Raina, Chairperson, Women in Motorsports, Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India, said, “This is the first time in India we are having an exclusive women’s racing team and it feels great. This is a talent hunt and women can use this platform to show what they have got to the entire country. This is probably the only sport that lets both men and women take part together.”
Wonder what’s the reaction of the participants?
Roshni Lelinwalla from Coimbatore said, “I have done a few laps before in race track, but I have never raced, which I always wanted to do.” Lelinwalla clocked the fastest time of all participants at the trial and was a natural pick for the team.
Dr Ritika Oberoi, a 28-year-old veteran motorist from Pune, said, “I loved the experience of training with these ladies. I am passionate about the sport. This is the first opportunity for us and we have done well.”
We wish these talented women all the best!
H/t: Times of India