I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the KTM Cup Season 2 in the media category, and it was an absolutely epic experience. The race weekend was a thrilling event for all of us involved. While I was part of the media category, there were other categories such as the pros, amateurs, and women, all competing for the chance to train with Jeremy McWilliams at KTMs Academy of Speed in Austria. It was inspiring to see the passion and determination of the 15 racers in the amateur and pro categories, as well as the 8 women who were selected from a pool of over 800 applicants. Each of them was eager to turn their racing dreams into reality.
As a first-timer in this exhilarating environment, I made it a point to absorb as much advice and knowledge as possible. The experienced racers and fellow journalists were incredibly supportive, sharing their insights and expertise with me and other rookies in the media group. I am truly grateful for their generosity and encouragement. Throughout the weekend, I felt my confidence growing, and by the time of the final warm-up before the race, I was achieving a pace of around p4-p5. However, despite qualifying 7th the previous day, I found myself starting from the 7th position on the grid.
Nerves got the best of me as I missed the first turn, causing me to fall to the back of the grid. It took me three intense laps to catch up, and by the fourth lap, I had fought my way back to p8, contending with a line of traffic. As we approached the Mickey Mouse corner, I summoned my courage to overtake the pack. Unfortunately, in my eagerness, I misjudged the situation and entered the corner too aggressively. This led to a collision with Mandar from Evo Magazine, who had stayed on his line and was unaware of my attempt to overtake. I take full responsibility for the incident, as it is the overtaker’s mistake if they cause a collision while overtaking. Both of us went down, but fortunately, we emerged unharmed. I want to express my sincerest hope that Mandar is doing well.
I also want to commend KTM for their efforts in democratizing racing in India. Their commitment to making racing more accessible is truly admirable, and it was an honor to be part of such a groundbreaking event.
