Chennai: When Vikash Anand was crowned the youngest national racing champion in 2009, at the age of 15, the motorsport fraternity hailed him as one of the brightest prospects in the country.
His precocious talent even drew the attention of India’s first F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan who worked with Vikash for a brief time in the national championship.
Now at 22, Vikash’s career is all but over after being booked under various sections for ramming a Porsche into a fleet of autorickshaws, leaving one killed. It could be an unceremonious end to Vikash’s racing journey that had received a fillip only recently.
Last month, Vikash was presented with an opportunity of career-defining
scholarship shootout in the US for winning the 2016 MRF Formula 1600 Championship.
He had spent 18 months away from the track before making a comeback at the nationals. “I worked hard to win the championship and I really can’t explain how I am feeling right now. The shootout at Indy is a great opportunity to go abroad and explore new opportunities and learn. I will give my best to be competitive,” Vikash had said after getting the opportunity to race in the US.
Vicky Chandhok, former racer and current vice-president of the Madras Motor Sport Club, said many from the fraternity were in “disbelief” after reading the news on social media.
“I have known Vikash for really long, from his karting days as a young kid. I would really be disappointed if he is found to have neglected the rule. It’s highly unfortunate because, in motorsport, we have been strongly advocating road safety. We want our drivers to be role models for the people on the street,” added Chandhok.
Vikash’s fellow competitor Ashwin Sundar, who was his championship rival for many years, said: “Vikash’s father has dedicated quality time for his son’s racing career amidst his busy schedule as a lawyer. It’s sad that it has happened at a critical juncture when he got the biggest breakthrough of his career.”
