Ashwin Sundar
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The champion
Krishnakanta Chakraborty, ,March 19, 2017: The Times of India
When behind the wheels, speed came naturally to Ashwin Sundar. There wasn't any reckless streak in the way Ashwin handled it, he was just a pro, doing it on various tracks across India even before he turned 18.
The baby-faced champion started off as a biker making a mark in the 2005 racing championship.But he stunned everyone next year bagging his maiden national title in 115cc 4-stroke and 150cc 4-stroke class for TVS Racing. The racer made his overseas debut the same year and became first runner-up in FIM Asia Road racing championship in Underbone class (U-21). But there was always the love for cars and even when he was winning medals on the bike, Ashwin harboured hopes of making it big in formula car racing.
“Ashwin was a very talented driver, who tried his hand in everything. He was a born racer and was equally at ease with karting, bike racing and formula cars. It's a huge loss for the racing fraternity and it would be impossible to get another versatile racer like Ashwin,“ Sanjay Sharma, JK motorsports head, told TOI.
“I always enjoy driving cars but bike is my passion. When it comes to competition, I'm good at both and confident of winning more titles,“ Ashwin once told this correspondent, while driving his first car -an orange Maruti Swift -way back in 2007. After making the transition to car racing, Ashwin finished second runner up in Formula LGB Hyundai and Formula LGB categories in Indian Championship in 2006 and went on to win the maiden national title in in Formula LGB Hyundai and Formula LGB Swift categories next year. Though, it was a bit of a roller-coaster ride for him for about a year, the Chennai racer bounced back in style to win the national championship in Formula Rolon Chevrolet (1600cc) category in 2009.
His talent was recognized by the motorsports experts at an early stage and it was a given that the Chennai boy would go on to rule the track. “I have known Ashwin since he was kid and have seen how rose to the top. He was an exceptional talent,“ Vicky Chandhok, former FMSCI president and father of former Formula One driver Karun, said.
Ashwin represented various teams like NK Racing, Rams Racing, MRF Racing and TVS Racing at the national-level championships. He was even groomed by former F1 driver Narain Kartikeyan during his days with NK Racing.
