A few days ago, the world of sport got a new pin-up when Max Verstappen from The Netherlands became Formula One's youngest race winner at age 18. For every boy in Jamshedpur dreaming to be the next Max, here's good news.

Two entrepreneurs, Amar Nath Singh Chouhan from Jamshedpur, and Ashish Baidyanathan from Saharsa in Bihar, have teamed up to create D46, a go-karting and racing academy in Dimna.

Right now, the academy trains its members in go-karting with two karts in its sprawling 12,000sqft campus. But, it is trying to acquire affiliation from Federation of Motor Sports of India which would enable them to train members in Formula events.

In go-karting, the fledgling school with 15 members at present is already going great guns. One of its members, Reetwik Mishra from Chaibasa, has recently qualified for the national-level of IndiKarting, a prestigious all-India go-karting series launched by JK Tyre and Tata Motors.

Both Chouhan and Baidyanathan said their aim behind the academy was to introduce youngsters in India's smaller cities to the excitement of motorsport disciplines like racing and go-karting.

"India has professional tracks in Chennai, Bangalore and recently the much-hyped Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, but there were no tracks or training academies in Jharkhand, Bengal or Odisha. The concept behind this academy is to develop the motorsport culture in the eastern part of the country and bridge the existing gap in the motorsport hierarchy by providing the best infrastructure in Jamshedpur," said Chouhan.

"We're also very serious about what we teach. Ashish (Baidyanathan) has about eight years of experience in motorsport and has worked in Formula 3 and 4 projects," Chouhan added.

If someone is interested in joining, D46 gives them a daylong orientation which costs Rs 2,500. Then, the enthusiast can enrol for membership wherein they can practise seven laps for Rs 150. It is mandatory for drivers to wear safety gear such as helmets, gloves, elbow caps and knee caps.

Motor sports in Jamshedpur can have a bright future because of the novelty factor, D46 members feel.

"The new generation is interested in newer forms of sports. It's not always cricket for everybody, you know. New-age sports are very popular in western countries and there is rising demand in India too. That's why an academy like D46, where we can practise and then take part in national competitions, is a great idea," said Chintan Parikh, an restaurateur and now a kart racer at D46.

The academy is also racing ahead with big plans. From Dimna, D46 is trying to shift towards the heart to the city to gain more motorsport lovers. They are also in talks with city clubs for space. "In the near future, we also intend to organise something like a go-karting league in Jamshedpur," Chouhan smiled.