His sinewy forearms, until a few months ago more of baby-fat, strike you. He attributes it to toilsome hours at the gym.
A racer’s fitness is as paramount as his skills, he specifies, with the usual glint in his jagged eyes. You are also taken aback by the genial huskiness in his tone. Certainly, 19-year-old Ashwin Sundar has come of age.
But his face bears a distinct cherubic innocence, interrupted by springs of giggles, wholly genuine. Meanwhile, Ashwin will continue with German motor sport giant and automobile manufacturer Volkswagen. He is one of two selected from eight candidates drawn from Europe and Asia after a two-day test at the team’s own 2.7-km circuit in Berlin. The eight short-listed drivers were provided with 165 bhp Formula Konig cars running on Volkswagen engines for evaluation.
For this Chennaiite, the JK National Racing Championship was his launch-pad; it is where his expertise behind the wheels was first noticed.
Last season, he finished ninth in the first race of the 5th round of the Formula ADAC Volkswagen Masters held at Sachscnring Moto GP. Considering that it was his maiden season in Germany and that he started at 12th grid, the signs are promising.
Ticking off his career in the go-karting circuit, when he was only 12, Ashwin clasped the 2003 and 2004 editions of the MRF Formula Mondial Championship. In 2004, he made his Formula FISSME (800cc) and Formula LGB (1000cc) debut, besides springing forth in the saloon car category of the JK Tyre National Championship.
Deemed talented by racing experts, he entered the collective conscious of the fraternity in 2006, when he was the second runner-up in the Formula Swift and Formula Hyundai categories of the JK Tyre National Championship. A year later, he was crowned champion in both segments.
On the sidelines, he illustrated his calibre in bike racing as well. He was third in the 150cc four-stroke class of UCAL National Road Racing Championship in 2005. In its 2006 edition, he was adjudged champion of champions in India after he buckled titles in the 115cc four-stroke and 150cc four-stroke class. The same year, he came second in the U-21 segment of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Equally proficient in manoeuvering cars and bikes, Ashwin was beset with the dilemma of choosing between the two. Though he chose the former, he admits that his passion for bikes is intact.
The deal with Volkswagen provided him with ample opportunity and exposure in the German circuit. Already, he is plying his wares in Formula ADAC Volkswagen Maters in Germany, where he is handling 165-bhp, five-speed sequential, F3-Dallara chassis vehicles. “It’s tough and competitive. The grid consists of 28 cars and the championship has eight rounds. But it is exciting as well. In just a few months, I have learned quite a lot from them and will improve with more time at the track,” says Ashwin.
Like most racers in their debut international sojourn, Ashwin too had jitters. He finished just thrice in his first six races. His best finish was 10th while he managed fourth in a qualifying round. With five more rounds to go, he is upbeat about bettering his past performances. “These are my first few months and I’m still getting into the groove. But I’m confident of improving my timing in the coming rounds,” says Ashwin.
Pursuing a degree in business administration by correspondence, Ashwin outlines his future plans. “I will stay in Germany for this whole season. And in 2010, I hope to make my Formula 3 debut,” winds up Ashwin.
sandipgopal@gmail.com
