BENGALURU: Despite hailing from a family of professional racers, Kush Maini calls racing a risky career. You never know which one could be your last race, he says, since every event affects your position on the table. The 18-year-old racer from Bengaluru is currently riding high after helping his team – Mumbai Falcon – win the inaugural edition of the X1 Racing League, a franchise-based motorsport competition that took place at Buddh International Circuit at Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday. The race will be happening next on December 7-8 at Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai.
The league features teams from six cities. Though he hails from Bengaluru, Maini is a part of Team Mumbai, and was pitted against his brother, Arjun, a Team Bengaluru member. The Mumbai team also included Mikkel Jensen, Pippa Mann, Sohil Shah and Karthik Tharani.
“It felt great, helping my team win,” Maini, who idolises F1 champions Ayrton Senna and Kimi Raikkonen, told CE. “I was a part of a fantastic team. We should be leading the table. I hope we can build on it in Chennai,” he added.
Maini began karting when he was five years old, taking inspiration from his father, Gautam Maini, who raced in the National Racing Championship in the late 1990s.
Maini moved to London at the age of 13. Now, he has been living out of a suitcase due to the busy racing calender. His elder brother’s frequent visits, however, keep him from feeling homesick. “Arjun has been a huge support in my life. He is my home away from home. This sport is so competitive that you really need help to calm the nerves,” says Maini, who has been coached by Shree Advani, a sport psychologist and brother of snooker player Pankaj Advani. This year, he stood out on his own when he finished third in the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) F3 championship.
Bengaluru holds a special space for him since he has spent most of his formative years here. “If I call a place home, then it has always been Bengaluru. I have fond memories of the place, from going to Wonderla with cousins for go-karting to cycle racing with my brother at my old house on MG Road,” he says.