Mumbai: "I’ve cracked a rib once and have had petrol burns,” she said. Women of her age are either cooped up inside an office or busy shopping for their bridal wear. But Sneha Sharma — a 25-year-old from Mumbai — spends her time with gears, accelerators, tyres and on the cockpit. Currently on the wheels for Rayo Racing in the National Karting Championship, the racer (also a commercial pilot) clocked a 40 second-lap at the 11th JK Tyre-FMSC National Karting Championship (2014) and secured a berth in the Volkswagen Vento Cup (2015) — is a rebel on the track.
So, how did the journey start? “During my stay in Mumbai, I used to go to Powai for go-karting. One day, I saw two fast drivers on the race track and I found something different about them. When I enquired, I found out they participate in National Championships. I was excited and I also wanted to participate. I waited till I finished my 10th standard. I tried to look for coaching but nothing was available. I told one of the ‘Marshall’ (mechanic) at the track to train me. He taught me different braking techniques and I paid him with whatever pocket money I had,” asserted Sneha, who is an ardent fan of British racer Lewis Hamilton.
Having started racing at the age of 16, she did not have the support of her family. “When I started racing in the National Karting Championship, I was in the 12th standard, so I used to carry my books on track because it was quite tough, I was a science student,” added Sneha, also earned the tag of ‘India’s Fastest Lady’ in Mercedes Young Star Driver programme. “My family didn’t understand why I developed the sudden craze for racing. I was going through my ground studies to become a pilot. Many times, I used to have exams but then I also had to go for a racing qualifying session before.
Sneha Sharma during one of her races. (Photo: DC)
I would say I’m going for the exam and I would have to hide my helmet and my gear outside the other door of my house and then jump across the wall.
Initially, there was a lot of friction at home, they didn’t like me racing, they thought it’s a dangerous sport and a distraction from studies, but eventually they did come around,” added Sneha, who is now in the Formula Four category having driven in the JK Championship, Rotax Championship, Volkswagen Cup to name a few.
What’s interesting to note is that Sneha is the only woman on the track with 20 other men. How did the men deal with it? “People don’t like a girl on track, they hate losing to one and they don’t like your presence there. If there are two or three racers involved in a crash, then other racers would pass sexist comments and discourage you,” she said, adding: “When somebody tells me you cannot do something, it pushes me to do it even more.”
The racer — who also flies four flights a day — had to deal with chauvinist comments on air as well. “At times, when two women are flying, people will pass comments like, ‘Oh! two women are allowed to fly the plane alone?”’ she said. “Once I arrived a little late into Cochin, and I was greeting passengers on their way out of the aircraft, when a man came up and said, ‘By the amount of time you took to land, I could tell it’s a lady plot.”’
Nonetheless, Sneha became the only woman to qualify into the final round of the KCT of the MAI National Karting Championship. Currently, in the top seven in the National Karting Championship, she has ably beaten the odds that are highly against her. “Once the helmet is on, I’m nothing else but a racing driver and it doesn’t matter who is next to me. I don’t get intimidated and people get surprised when they see the helmet come off,” she declared.
But why does the world see few women on track? “It’s very difficult to survive and one needs to be strong headed, not let people put you down. One needs to be really fit to drive a racing car. I’ve lost 30kgs. Money is also a problem as it’s an expensive sport. Initially I wasn’t sponsored,” Sneha, whose fitness regime includes push ups, skipping, swimming, power yoga, strength training, added.
However, talking about the bullies on the track, Sneha said: “I feel sorry for these people (men), sadly they are not brought up around women who were respected. I wouldn’t say those women were incapable, they just weren’t respected by the men they were around. With time hopefully the perception would change. My aim is to race and to inspire people to follow their passion — women, men, every individual. I’m not a feminist, I’m an individualist, it doesn’t matter what sex you are.” Sneha’s dream is to kiss the Formula One circuit with her tyres.
