CHENNAI: It really is an indictment of how far behind two-wheeler racing in India is, compared to western countries, that Valentino Rossi was racing his first bike by the time he was five years old. But when Hari Krishnan decided that he wanted to become a racer, he was 18. And his first action was to google ‘how to become a racer.’
He may have had a late start, but the 22-year-old Chennai lad is starting to translate some of his potential into achievements. Krishnan, in his second season in the Asia Dream Cup, finished second in the second race of the season in Thailand — his maiden podium. “It was a great feeling,” Krishnan told Express. “This is my second season in the Asia Dream Cup and the first season was a big learning curve. As a rider will only get two seasons in the Cup, I need to make a mark this year. This is the first step into doing that.”
Krishnan, a mechanical engineering graduate, is only a couple of years into his career but is already facing the same obstacle that every Indian rider has faced — sponsorship issues. “I tried getting sponsorships when I was competing in India, but nothing worked out,” he said. “This Asia Dream Cup run is all because of Honda. But that said, I think things are getting better. When I started out, I did not even know if there was a national racing championship in India. Now I think, a lot more people are aware of the racing scene here.”
His first season in 2012 was unspectacular, but Krishnan had a string of podium finishes a year later in the Honda 110cc category. A year later, he was top of the pile in the Group D 165cc category. It sparked his entry into the Asian championships.
And while he grew up admiring Rossi, Krishnan is pretty pragmatic about his ambitions and doesn’t think he will able to race at the same level as his idol. “These European racers, they start racing when they are four or five and make it to Moto3 by the time they are 15 or 16,” he said.
“In contrast, I rode my first bike when I was 16. I may only be 22, but I think the MotoGP is already out of reach for me. The best I can hope for is a stint in the World Superbike Championships. But for all that, I will have to do extremely well this season. If I finish third, I think I will be able to get enough sponsorship to race at an international level. Right now I am 7th and there are four rounds left, so there is a chance. I’m just preparing for the next round in Japan in June.”
— vishnu.prasad@newindianexpress.com