The racing scene in Chennai has come a long way over the years. From racing at Sholavaram, originally a T-shaped air strip that was slowly worked on between the 60s and 80s to support racing, to scorching the tarmac at Madras Motor Race Track Irungattukottai the boys and girls from the metropolis have never failed to give their all to the sport.
Chennaiites can proudly state that the only two people who have represented India in the MotoGP class thus far -- Sarath Kumar and Kadai Yaseen Ahamed aka KY Ahamed (both rode in the Moto3 class) -- are both natives of the city. The fact that KY Ahamed represented the nation at the first-ever MotoGP race held in India at the Buddh International Circuit this year between September 22 and 24, shows how serious racing is in this part of the country.
Abdul Basim, 17
Like those champions, there are several up and coming racers from the city who are showing immense talent. One of them is young Abdul Basim from Triplicane. The 17-year-old racer is the cousin brother of KY Ahamed and currently rides for Gulf Rockers Racing in the Novice (stock 165cc) category in the Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship.
"I started practising on go-kart tracks from when I was 12 years old. By the time I was 14, I was old enough to take part in the 2020 TVS Rookies Cup," says Abdul who was the runner-up in the championship fight the following year.
When asked how he fell in love with racing, Abdul Basim has an interesting story to share with us. "I would see my brother's (KY Ahamed's) racing gear in his room and out of curiosity, I asked him about the suit one day. Instead of explaining about it to me, my brother made me wear the racing suit and gear and then pushed me to the floor. He asked me if I was hurt and when I responded that I was not, he went on to explain that this is the gear which protects him while he is racing. It lit a spark in me and I started to accompany him to his races and thus my passion grew," he smiles.
We then asked Abdul what makes him a winner and his response was direct. "Winning is all about mindset. We race against riders who have more resources, who come from a better background and yet achieve success. That is the difference the mindset I have makes," he said.
And what does the young lad want to do in racing? "I want to win in MotoGP. That is my dream."
Geoffery Emmanuel, 19
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The son of Indian racing star of yesteryears, Emmanuel Jebaraj, Geoffrey Emmanuel is currently racing in the FIM World Championship JuniorGP in Europe. He resides in Spain at present.
Speaking to Indulge, Emmanuel Jebaraj, says Geoffery who is the first born of his two sons, started racing at the age of 14. "He rides for Cuna De Campeones, a team that has produced many champions over the years, including Spanish motorcycle racer Jorge Martin who is currently challenging Francesco Bagnaia for the rider's title in the premier class of the MotoGP championship.
Geoffrey's long-term goal is to ride in MotoGP. But his immediate goal is to represent India in the Moto3 category of the MotoGP championship when the circus comes back to the nation next year.
As for his international travails, the 19-year-old will be racing an up-to-date machine instead of the one-year-old KTM he uses this year. He aims to ride in Moto3 and when there is an opportunity, Geoffrey will also try and race in other championships in Southeast Asia.
Johann Emmanuel, 17
The younger brother of Geoffrey Emmanuel, Johann started riding bikes at the tender age of 6 and started racing right from when he was 13 years old. "In his very first race he had a major accident and broke his femur bone. But, he bounced back strongly and finished second in the NSF250 category riding a Honda," says Jebaraj.
Johann will be moving to Spain, following the footsteps of his brother. He will take part in the British Talent Cup and other series' as well. At present, he is in Qatar, to get in top shape to ace the selection for the Asia Talent Cup set to be held in Malaysia.
As a father and former racer, Emmanuel Jebaraj would like to see them race in the top world championship. "But wherever they go, they should bring laurels to the country," he ends.
Jagan Kumar, 35
Jagan is a name that is known well in the racing community. The TVS Racing rider has won 10 championships at the national level thus far, including seven consecutive titles between 2012 and 2018.
The racer from Triplicane, who had to deliver newpapers and parcels to fund his passion back in the day tells us what the reality is today.
Stating that motorsport is not as famous in India even to this day, Jagan adds, "The fame that YouTubers and vloggers get today is more than what racers get in our country. Sadly, entertainers are given more importance than racers. As a result, there aren't many sponsors who support up and coming racers as well."
"The irony is that India is one of the largest markets for two-wheelers in the world. Yet, most well-known international brands do not have a factory racing team in India. TVS Racing is the only factory team that has been supporting Indian racers. This situation should change," he adds.
Still feeling young at heart, Jagan continues to head to the track with his passion burning red hot. If he is not at the circuit, you will find him cycling along with KY Ahamed on the ECR.
Kadai Yaseen Ahamed, 26
And finally, we come to the star himself. KY Ahamed, who rides for Petronas TVS Racing in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open class of the Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship, is a rather busy man who has many laurels to his name.
And having made the country proud only last month, he went on to win a championship recently, despite suffering a crash in the penultimate race and, in the final round, a gearbox failure.
Asked how he managed to keep the bike running despite its gearbox failing, Ahamed said, "A racer who understands their bike better will be able to make the right decisions no matter the situation. Rider skill-set makes all the difference in a race and that is how I managed to complete the race, despite being stuck in third gear for most part of the race."
It is then clear that he knows how to stand out from the crowd. But Ahamed is not concentrating on his achivements alone, for he also speaks about young riders climbing the ladder.
"If several manufacturers get into racing and establish a factory setup here, racing will boom and riders will also get more opportunities," says Ahamed who believes Indian racers should get more opportunities while they are young.