KOCHI: Go Kart racer Hari K Baiju has had a hectic schedule, competing in as many as eight races in the first four months of this year. The 20-year-old racer from the city, who is currently pursuing a mechanical engineering course, rues the fact that there aren't enough avenues to showcase one's racing talent in Kerala.
"There's Race Away Motorsport in Bengaluru, Runway 9 in Hyderabad and F9 Go Karting in Delhi-NCR, but what about similar venues in Kerala?" he asks. Despite winning laurels in many races, he is yet to find a proper sponsor from the state.
In addition to various races held in Dubai, Hari has also participated in Red Bull Kart Fight in Bengaluru which gave him a chance to rub shoulders with the best racers in the country.
Hari says most of the emerging racers are from south India, especially Kerala and Tamil Nadu. However, they have to depend on tracks located in other states for practice, he says. This turns away many budding racers from taking up Go Karting as a full-time passion.
For those unfamiliar with Go Karting, it is a race conducted on scaled-down Formula1 racing circuits. However, some professional kart races are also held in full-size motorsports circuits. Karting is commonly perceived as the stepping stone to the higher ranks of motor-sports.
Former F1 champions such as Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Aryton Senna, Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have all begun their careers in karting. "There are many youths out there with the same passion but are unable to pursue it because there is no initiative or events organised by the state. At present, many teenagers with a passion for speed end up dying in road accidents due to non-availability of proper race tracks," he says.
Hari was born and brought up in Sharjah, UAE. He trained under Shibin Yusuf, winner of GCC Radical Cup 2019, and Mohamed Irfan, based in Dubai. "When my trainers, who are top notch racers, are unable to get sponsors, what will be my future?" asks Hari.
According to him, there is a misconception among people that karting as a fatal race. "Instead of dubbing everything associated with speed as dangerous or fatal, those who are truly passionate about the sport should be encouraged," he says.