KOCHI: From watching visuals of fast-paced sports cars speeding on race-tracks to getting hands-on experiences on the functioning of automobiles, Hisham E K P had developed a passion for car-racing right from his childhood. This businessman, who is also a national-level car racer and the director of Amana Toyota, Kozhikode is on cloud nine for having won the prestigious India Junior Touring Car (IJTC) Championship 2017 conducted by the Federation of Motor Sports Club of India (FMSCI).
The championship trophy was bestowed upon the 29-year-old racing enthusiast in the mid week of March at a function held in Chennai. The event which commenced in February 2017 was conducted in several rounds over the course of the past one year in Chennai and Coimbatore. “A series of races was held during the weekends and the points of the racers were tallied," said Hisham. Based on the overall performance and score, Hisham was selected as the national champion among the 10 racers.
Talking about his experiences behind the wheels and his entry into the racing circuit, Hisham said, “Me and my twin brother Hashim, who is also a car racer, had always dreamt of being part of the car-racing world. However, our entry into this field was merely by chance."
Though the twins had no prior training in car-racing, they were shortlisted from the 8,000 candidates who had applied for the Toyota Etios Motor Racing championship and successfully won the tournament in 2015.
“Over the course of the championship, I received proper training in car-racing such as keeping up with the time, staying within the race track etc, which turned out to be a blessing while participating in the IJTC event," he said.
Hisham, who has definite plans to juggle between his careers in car-racing and business added he is also interested in opening a racing academy soon. “I will continue participating in the upcoming racing tournaments," he said.
In a nutshell
Hisham E K P, a businessman from Kozhikode won India Junior Touring Car 2017
Based on the overall performance and score, Hisham was selected as the national champion among the 10 racers