India is famed as one of the oldest Asian pioneers of motorsport. From Formula Manipal to the Indian National Rally Championship, Indians have always had an ancestral knack for racing.
This has seen India produce some of the most elite car racers the Asian continent can boast of. These elite drivers have gone on to dominate the global motorsport scene, with some of their fixtures featured on the best crypto bookmaker sites.
In this article, we will discuss six combat car racers that have made India proud.
1. Narain Karthikeyan
Kumar Nam Narain Karthikeyan was born in Tamil Nadu, India. His childhood dream was to become India’s first F1 driver, which is understandable because his father was a seven-time India South India rally champion.
His first-ever race was at the Formula Maruti, where he finished on the podium. This success motivated him to travel to Europe (France) to gain more experience in the sport.
As of 1997, he was already the first Indian to win any Championship in Europe and the first Asin to win the Formula Asia International series.
The most significant part of his career for India was when he signed a deal with the Jordan F1 team for the 2005 season. He became the club’s driver and the first Indian Formula one driver in history.
He had many other successes, but his achievements in Formula 1 would set the pace for other drivers in the country. He remains just one of the only two F1 drivers India has ever produced.
2. Karun Chandok
Karun Chandok didn’t have many choices than to become a driver himself. His father was a multiple-time Indian champion and has served as the chairman of the Federation of Motorclub Sports in India twice (2003-2005, 2010-2013).
Suhail Chandok, his brother, was a renowned sports commentator in India.
Karun was India’s National racing Champion in 2000, winning seven out of ten possible races. He won the Formula Asian 2000 Championship in 2001, representing Team India Racing, becoming the youngest Asian to win the championship.
Chandok won the first edition of the Formula Asian V6 by Renault in 2006.
His journey into the F1 World began in 2008 when he signed to Force India Team. He was almost the team’s head driver after Giancarlo Fischichella left to join Ferrari. Chamdok drove for HRT and Lotus before he left the F1.
He’s currently a sports cmmentator and FIA Drivers Commission member.
3. Gaurav Gill
Gaurav Gill’s career took place mainly in India and the Asian continent, but he made the most use of it. He’s the driver that has won the most Indian Championship titles for four-wheelers with seven wins.
Gaurav was the first Indian driver to win the Asian Pacific Rally Championship when he did so in 2013.
He contested in motorsport before his sojourn into car racing, and he rode at the 1999 National Motorcross Championship.
Gaurav is the only Indian to have driven at the World Rally Championship when he did so as an untested driver in 2018 for MRF Tires. He’s unarguably one of India’s very best drivers.
4. Arman Ebraheem
Arman Ebraheem is one of the most popular drivers in India. He’s driven at different motorsport tournaments and won many championships.
However, one of his most notable achievements was creating the X1 Racing League, which he co-founded with Aditya Patel.
The X1 Racing League is the first professional franchised-based motorsport racing league globally.
He was a phenomenal driver and won the 2015 and 2016 Lanmbourgini Super Trofeo Asia Series. Earlier in his career, he was a Formula LGB Champion in 2004 and drove for teams like A1 Team India and Formula BMW.
Arman competed at the 2008 GP2 Asia Series, placing 26th overall with a best-race finish of 9th.
5. Aditya Patel
Adiya Pael’s early exposure made him a reputable driver in the Indian driving scene. He started to go-kart at the tender age of four, and at 13 years old, he won the JK Junior Karting Championship.
He made his international debut at the Formula BMW Pacific Championship in 2008 and finished third. His next stint at the Volkswagen Polo Club in Germany contributed to his experience.
Aditya raced in Germany at the ADAC GT Masters with Team MS Racing.
He won the 24 hours of Nurburgring under the SP4T category in 2012. 2014 was one of the best years of his career as he finished at the podium five times with teammate Cesar Campanico in the International GT Series. Both drivers race for Team Novarider at the time.
6. Sailesh Bolisetti
Sailesh Bolisetti was another Indian driver who made immense contributions to the growth of the sport in the country.
His first race was the 2008 JK Tyre National Championship. Bolisetti tasted glory for the first time in 2010 when he won the Volkswagen Polo Cup India and the MRF Racing Challenge.
He was the first Indian to compete in the British GT Championship when he did so in 2012. Sailesh is also the first Indian to come out victorious at the championship. He’s also been on the podium at Oulton Park for Lotus.
Indeed, motorsport is a popular sport in India, and many drivers partake in countrywide championships. Some of these drivers have toured the world and had significant achievements in the sport. The players on this list are the best six drivers the country has ever produced, and they inspire India’s next generation of drivers.
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