The Hindu Business Line : On a fast track

Like any youngster just out of high school, 18-year-old Ashwin Sundar is also raring to go. The only thing that sets him apart from the rest of the freshmen is that this Chennai-based lad chooses to ‘go’ at a pretty dizzying speed; in the vicinity of 300 km per hour and more, to be precise, putting him on the fast lane — quite literally.

There have been plenty of exciting and innumerable adrenaline-rush moments in the life of this diminutive motorsport enthusiast, who first sat behind the wheel of a go-kart when he was still a pre-teen, and made a name for himself in this circuit. After graduating to formula racing in India, he continues to hog the limelight by bagging national championships in two categories in the last couple of years.

Exciting times

However, it is the last few months that have been particularly exciting.

Auto maker Volkswagen (VW), which sponsors motorsport events across Germany and recently entered the US and China, decided to promote a race driver from India. A nationwide hunt was launch and Ashwin emerged the first beneficiary of the initiative.

Thanks to VW, he now has a five-year contract under which he will live in Germany, undergo rigorous training at a motorsports academy near Frankfurt and participate in Formula races. The closely monitored regimen includes attention to diet and physical training to improve fitness and stamina. For the first time, Ashwin competed at the 2008 German racing season, taking part in an ADAC (the local motorsport body) formula race. Says Marian Hamprecht, owner of the Ma-Con team, who is not only footing the cost for the entire exercise, but is also Ashwin’s mentor in this unique experiment, “I think he has a lot of potential. This year, while he fared well (finishing in the top ten in most races), it was mainly a learning experience. I think, next year he will do much better.”

Of his ward, Hamprecht observes, “His earlier ‘careful’ driving style has become aggressive. He will have to work on strengthening his neck and wrist muscles, and practise to improve his reaction time.”

Though nobody is willing to reveal the exact value of the offer, at an informed estimate, Ma-Con may end up spending about Rs 2 crore on its protégé.

That’s in cash terms alone. The worth of the extras thrown in — instruction, guidance, tips, and advice from Hamprecht (a former formula driver for over a decade) and VW Motor Sports Director Kris Nissen are priceless.

His performance in each race is closely observed, and the black-box data analysed and compared to aid improvement. “At the end of three years we will decide whether Ashwin will go touring or formula racing,” Hamprecht says. For Ashwin, the experience has been like being pole-vaulting from “kindergarten to university.” Alongside, he has to grapple with significant cultural, climatic and diet differences. “The first lessons I learnt were punctuality and discipline,” he confesses with a grin.

At the same time, he is aware that this opportunity is a dream come true, and he is determined to maximise it.