Bhubaneswar, Sept. 7: Motor Racing, which is still in a nascent stage here, has found a hero in three youths who have made the state proud at the ongoing National Motorcycle Racing Championship.
Udipta Kumar Rath and Sidhartha Sankar Panda finished second and ninth, respectively, at the TVS One Make Championship in the novice category. Another biker Dipraj Tripathy is also taking part in the open category of the championship.
The much-touted racing event is held every year under the aegis of the Federation of Motors Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the sports ministry-backed national sports body for motor sports in India. But this is for the first time that youths from the state are taking part in the event.
"We are more concerned about the experience rather than winning the title. Motor racing as a profession is yet to get the attention it deserves in our state and we are trying to break that. If done in the proper manner, it is not dangerous as it often seems," said Udipta.
The trio is preparing for the next round to be held in New Delhi on October 3 and 4. Altogether there are four rounds in the championship and points will be added in each session. The one who gets the maximum points will be the champion.
All the three youths run a stunting group called Club Motoheadz. The group apart from practising stunts promotes the use of safety gears among the young riders in the state.
"Stunt biking involves a lot of adventure and risk as well. So, one should wear the right protective gear," said Dipraj known as Dk Mhz in the group.
They take part in a number of events explaining proper use of safety gears such as knee and elbow pads, biking gloves, shoes and right ways to carry out stunts on the roads and highways. Udipta knows as Piston Mhz in the group feels that lack of infrastructure is one of the major problems faced by riders here in the state. "We need a professional racing track where experts could be invited to impart training. Government and private bodies should also recognise us as sportspersons," he said.
