We are half-way through 2015, and have already witnessed some great motorcycle racing. Be it MotoGP or WSBK, each race weekend has been better than the previous. The most recent excitement being the absolutely stunning 3-in-a-row victory for No 99, Jorge Lorenzo in MotoGP, which has now left “the Doctor” Valentino Rossi leading the championship by only a slender lead of 6 points. Amidst this drama in the MotoGP world, our Indian National Championship for Motorcycle Racing is just around the corner and all the teams are busy with the final preparations for the first round which is being held at the Kari Motorsports Speedway in Coimbatore on the 5th, 6th, and 7th of June.
Many teams are doing their team launches so that the public is aware of them and their riders. Apex Racing Academy, Bangalore, is one such team. It is backed by Anil Kumar S – the team principal, Sameer Venugopalan – Chief Instructor of the academy and racing team, Jeeva Reddy – coach to the racing team, and a highly dedicated and hardworking team of young bloods, namely, Vivek Abraham and Sughosha R, who handle the team’s operations.
This year, Apex is introducing two brilliant riders who will represent the team in Group D Upto 165cc – stock category.
Kishore, 21, who hails from Coimbatore, is a Mechanical Engineering student, who had his first track riding training with Apex Racing Academy one and a half years ago. He has been practicing since then for the Nationals. A fitness freak and a true devotee of motorsports, he is all set for his first race on Saturday, 6th June.
Amarnath Menon, 19, from Kerala (yes a 19-year-old kid) is the other warrior representing team Apex Racing Academy. When asked about Amar, as he is known in the pits, Sameer had just one thing to say, “He is a natural”. The first time Amar went out on the track, he was fast and smooth, which many riders struggle greatly to master. But this kid had it since day one. Under the guidance of Sameer and Jeeva, he has now become a much better rider and a strong contender for the National Championship 2015.
Anil Kumar S
“In our continuous effort to produce National Championship riders, this year we are happy to have Kishore and Amar as part of our team. Both riders are very hardworking and zealous about racing. Both of them have been groomed by our instructors personally. We are very confident that our boys will put up a strong fight on the road to the Championship and they have been equipped with the right set of skills needed to do that.
Sparks Racing, our technical partner, taking care of our race machines with utmost care, has been extending their full support to us whenever we go for practice. Last year, their race bikes were able to snatch the podium from other contenders in many races and we are confident that they are the right team for the job.”
Anil has been running the academy for the past four years and every year the academy produces skilled riders who have been bringing laurels to themselves, to the academy and to the country. Sameer Venugopalan – Chief Instructor, takes a more holistic approach and moulds the entire team and riders based on his vast experience of racing and winning in India and abroad while assistant coach, Jeeva Reddy, a mechanical engineer and an ex-National Championship rider, is responsible for training of both riders on and off the track.
“We spend a lot of time focusing on the basics of racing, which is to be smooth. Once the riders have mastered this skill, they become fast and confident and this is clearly evident when we look at their lap timings.” says Jeeva, who himself is a fitness freak He believes that a strong performance on the race track depends a lot on the fitness levels of the riders. “Both Chennai and Coimbatore tracks are very demanding and riders need to be in good shape to conquer the fast chicanes and never-ending corners. Fitness will also be one of the deciding factors to determine who crosses the start/finish line ahead of others when temperature becomes high. For example it was 42 degrees in Chennai last week.” Jeeva personally keeps track of the rider’s fitness regime so that they have the same high energy level from the first lap until the chequered flag.
The energy levels are high and the stage is set. Now it’s time to put those skills into action and aim for the win, which looks very promising for the two riders of Apex Racing Academy. The team is also supported by Zersys technologies, Bangalore. We wish Apex Racing Academy all the very best and hope they come up on top every race!
