Racing Ahead

This B’luru teen who fell in love with cars early on is making great headway in the Indian motorsports arena
Racing Ahead

BENGALURU: 15-year-old Ruhaan Alva is gradually making a big name in the Indian motorsports arena. The Bengaluru teen fell in love with cars early on when he was presented with a toy car by his dad at the age of three. He would spend hours driving that around the house. It was just big enough to fit through the kitchen door but that area soon became his drifting zone. His father Umakanth, who was a rallyist himself during his younger days, realised his son’s interest in the sport as well. It was around 2012-13 when his father took him to a karting track in Bengaluru, and Ruhaan has never looked back ever since. He also went to the United Kingdom to test go karts the same year and learned more about it and featured in some races then in the UK too.

Ruhaan Alva (car no. 27) in action
during the Novice Cup recently

“I started when I was around eight years old. My dad used to rally when he was younger. He always had that passion. So when I was a kid, he took me to the karting track in Bengaluru and I loved it. I also went to the UK and learned a lot there, which helped me in my career,” says Ruhaan.

From there on, he has showcased his racing talent all over the world, winning races both in India and abroad. He is also the first Indian to win a race at the Easykart Championship in 2017 in Italy, one of his earliest feathers in his cap. Overall, he finished an impressive overall second in the championship. His first overall championship win came in 2019, winning the X30 Championship title in India.

The Bengaluru youngster also delivered big time in the recently-concluded JK Tyre Federation of Motor Sports Club of India (FMSCI) National Racing Championship, winning the Novice Cup in style, 18 points ahead of second placed Jaden Pariat. He is expected to feature in the LGB 4 Formula category in the same championship. However, his rise to the top has not been easy. His father, who is into construction business, has been a huge support.

“The path that I have chosen has definitely not been easy. It is an expensive sport. Dad really works hard in helping me achieve my dream. It was pretty hard starting off in India as there is not much of a platform in motorsport, but it is growing. It is also great to see many new drivers coming up,” says Ruhaan, who found it tough to balance between motorsports and academics.

One also needs to applaud the dedication of the racer, who opted for home-schooling to dedicate more time to prepare for races and events in the last two years or so. Ruhaan dreams big of racing in the Formula One circuit, which is not an easy climb as racers need major sponsors. “You are not going to make money until you reach Formula One or Formula E. It is pretty hard. That is why you need sponsors as you go along. As you keep climbing up, it gets more and more expensive.”

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