Chennai: The motorsport fraternity bid a tearful adieu to former national racing champion Ashwin Sundar, who was killed in car crash in the city on Saturday along with his wife Niveditha. Fellow racers, mechanics and team owners joined his friends and relatives in the funeral procession on Sunday morning. The last rites were performed at a crematorium in Porur.
Rasheed Khan, a team official, said motorsport fraternity was yet come to terms with the tragedy. “His parents are inconsolable. His father has been a fixture at the paddock. Not only did he support his son’s racing career, he also encouraged others,” said Rasheed.
Rasheed said racers from Chennai would be organising a condolence meeting to pay tribute to the racing champ. “Ashwin was a role model for many young drivers. He dominated the domestic racing for about a decade. He also groomed racers, sharing his expertise. We are waiting for the president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs, Akbar Ebrahim, to return from an overseas meeting. We will decide the date once he reaches. Big names of Indian motorsport would speak in the meeting,” he said.Nirmal, a close friend of Ashwin, sai d the family was waiting for Niveditha’s brother who had to come all the way from the USA.
“The mortal remains were cremated based on Hindu tradition,” he said. Meanwhile, pedestrians and two-wheeler riders were spotted paying homage to the couple at accident spot in DGS Dhinakaran road.
