CHENNAI: Karthik Tharani has seen a fair bit of life on the fast lane. From being a witness to a car crash in his second race to clinching the 2018 Euro JK Series crown, the city-based racer’s career graph has steadily headed north. His stock is set to grow when he takes part in the inaugural X1 Racing League starting today.
Motorsport attracted Karthik at a young age and he attributes this love affair to his father, who exposed him to the wonders of Formula 1. But despite his deep-seated disposition for the sport, his middle-class background rendered him powerless when it came to following his passion. With the onus on education, his foray into racing began at the ripe age of 17. “My brother was into modifying his motorcycle and through that, we met people in the Indian motorsport fraternity,” he says of his entry into the arena.
Karthik’s involvement in the X1 Racing League sees him add another star to his CV. A brainchild of Armaan Ebrahim and Aditya Patel, the league comprises six teams which will field four drivers each. Karthik will be behind the wheel for the franchise called Mumbai Falcons. “It (the league) is quite revolutionary and one of its kind. I am super proud to be a part of it,” he says.
The landscape of motorsport in India is set to undergo a drastic change and Karthik can’t agree more. There is no dearth of big names in the league, including the likes of Freddie Hunt and Mathias Lauda. The winner of four national titles will be lining up also with the likes of Kush Maini, brother of Formula 2 driver Arjun Maini, Indycar racer Pippa Mann and Mikkel Jensen. “There is no better platform to showcase my talent and no better way to learn than from such experienced drivers,” he says with palpable excitement. The goal is to win the league for his team and he hopes to give it his all in order to achieve it.
Karthik’s preparation has seen him follow a high-intensity workout regime. “It’s not that I hit the gym before an event. It’s a year-long process,” he says. Simulations and go-karts are of major help when it comes to ironing out flaws and honing his craft. Karting, according to the 2015 MRF FF winner, aids him physically and mentally. The bodily strains that racing imposes are replicated by go-karts and it helps him build match sharpness. Simulating difficult situations and working out the solutions also plays a part in his preparations.
Karthik has been through a lot in his eight-year career in motorsport. Having familiarised himself with the potholes along the road, the 25-year-old hopes to navigate the younger generation through them. “Being the fastest is not the only facet to racing,” he states.
Familiarising oneself with the financial and business aspects is as important. Sponsorship issues have acted as a deterrent to many aspiring racers and without appropriate funding, their chances of making it are “close to zero”. “I approached almost a hundred companies in a three-and-a-half-year span and all my efforts yielded nothing,” he says, highlighting some of the difficulties upcoming racers face in India.