Everyone loves the thrill of speed, but not everyone can channelise it to win accolades on a national platform. But 20-year-old N.V. Satyanarayana Raju gave a brilliant performance recently to win the Pro-Stock 301-400cc class race in the second round of the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai.
The MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship is an annual event for two-wheelers. Elaborating on how he ventured into the sport, Satyanarayana says, “I was attracted to bikes right from my childhood. As I grew up, I started watching bike racing videos on YouTube. I was hooked to these videos and learned tricks from them. After seeing my passion for racing, one of my friends asked me to take part in the Pulsar Festival of Speed in 2016. That was my first professional venture on the tracks.” The youngster adds, “Winning my first race gave me a great confidence boost. I started participating in every bike racing event for sheer experience, though winning trophies was an added pleasure.”
But like the racing tracks, his life too has had steep turns and challenges. “My parents didn’t support me initially. They thought what I was doing was akin to racing on city roads! But once they saw my videos and trophies, they made their peace with it. Even now however, when I am participating in the 300-400 cc category, which is the fastest at national level, my parents are scared of injuries and accidents,” says the computer science student of Malla Reddy Engineering College.
Satyanarayana narrates that he too has had his share of accidents. “As we use full body suits, boots, gloves and a helmet which is certified for racing, even after crashing for nearly 50 times, nothing has happened to me. I do not have even a single scratch on my body. But safety gears are very important,” he explains.
Interestingly, Satya-narayana’s entire life revolves around racing and staying fit. “Being fit is very important for us. We have to focus on exercise and diet and maintain a lean body that is high on energy. Each lap lasts for about 20 minutes and is taxing on both the mind and body. Every day after finishing college, I go for my workout, come home, eat and sleep. I don’t go out much,” he says.
It is only on Sunday that the youngster meets his friends to practice together and train other enthusiasts. “At present, I am concentrating on motor sports with the sole motto to promote it. After this National Championship, I am planning to take part in competitions abroad but for that I will require sponsors it’s a very expensive sport with all the gear involved,” he concludes.
