Coimbatore to Calcutta, via Albert Park and Sepang. It?s zip, zap, zoom.

Rajarhat might have missed out on India?s first F1 track, but the centenary celebrations of motor racing in the country have been powered by Narain Karthikeyan making it to the world?s fastest lanes, first in Melbourne and then in Kuala Lumpur.

Calcutta is where it all began in 1904, and this city is finally slipping back in the driver?s seat of motorsports.

Case in point: the increase in the number of events and participants at the city?s only go-karting track, at Clown Town. National championships, inter-school competitions, Merchants? Cup ? three of the six major annual events held on the track, targeting everyone, from kids to corporates.

Starting April 2, there will be an endurance race every fortnight. Six to 12 hours, up to 300 laps, pit stops for fuel refill and tyre changes ? it?s as real as it gets.

There?s more in the pipeline, in terms of inter-college and inter-club events. ?Our first Merchant?s Cup in 2003 had 23 teams. Last year, there were 32 teams, with a tremendous improvement in quality and participation. That?s how fast the sport is progressing,? says Clown Town owner Sanjay Maheshwari.

And the reason for the shift in gears goes by the name of Narain Karthikeyan. ?Every sport needs an icon to provide inspiration to the youth. Karthikeyan has done just that. Now, people realise that although it?s expensive, there is a future in motor racing,? observes Maheshwari.

No wonder, go-karting freaks in the city are queuing up to take turns on the fast track.

Says Ifthekar Rehman, an avid F1 follower and a regional finalist in two national-level go-karting races: ?He (Karthikeyan) has gone out there and shown all of us that it?s possible for an Indian to make it to the Formula One circuit.?

Businessman Rajiv Goenka?s son Karan is a go-karting champ. Although he?s in a Bangalore school now, Karan comes back to Calcutta for the major events.

?There used to be about two events a year here. Now, there?s something almost every month. I know of so many people, especially youngsters, who are taking up go-karting now,? says the father.

Parental pat for the pursuit of this sport does not seem too hard to come by ? purse strings permitting. Hear it from Maheshwari: ?A father approached me the other day, saying he wanted his son, just out of Class X, to take up the sport more seriously and asked me how to go about it. My 11-year-old son go-karts as a hobby, but since Karthikeyan entered F1, he follows every major race and can name the top 10 drivers.?

But the city is still in its first lap. ?While interest in motorsport has definitely increased, we would like to see more numbers,? admits Rajiv Kumar, chairman, Calcutta Motor Sports Club.

For those who prefer a ringside view rather than being in the driver?s seat, a new address in town has caught on to the Karthikeyan craze: the giant screen at INOX (City Centre). ?We had introduced the concept of a live telecast with the Australian Grand Prix and it became such a rage that we had to do the same for the Malaysian Grand Prix,? reveals an INOX spokesperson.

But how far is the finishing line for the men on the fast track? ?Even in our small way, we are trying to go faster and then attempting to make it to the next national level ? Formula LGB,? says Rehman. ?Only then can we dream of breaking onto the international scene, straight into Formula Three or to Formula Nissan.?

Even as Karthikeyan revs up for the Bahrain Grand Prix next Sunday, the magic mantra, for hopefuls in Calcutta is to stick to the track ? even Michael Schumacher started with go-karting.