Passion for motorsport taking Arya Singh to greater heights

Despite not having full seasons in the last two years, things are looking up for the Kolkata youngster.

In the recently-held MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship round in Chennai, he won the Student Cup and also bagged a podium spot in the MRF F1600 races.

Singh began with karting but the results were far from encouraging. “I did karting for less than half a season in the rookie championship in 2015, but I was not doing well,” he said.

“I drove three rounds and gave up. I did not want to be racer after that.”

The lure of racing was too strong and, luckily, things went better this time.

“I was better in cars. The pace was there and I got confidence. Many people said I could not do well in 1600 as I did not do well in karting,” he explained.

“Last year, I drove in 1300. I came second in the rookie cup JK Tyre.

“In the MMSC races, I finished fourth in the championship but I started 7 out of 10 races.

“It was scary going against National champion Raghul (Rangasamy). I learnt so much and it was the first time I was competitive. I used to be in the top 2 or 3, but went on to win later,” he added. “Fourth in the championship was pretty good.”

For Singh, motorsport is passion. He tried other disciplines but always felt motorsport is the one for him.

“It is the most different sport, especially in India. It is special,” he explained.

“I loved cars even as a kid. My father used to follow (Michael) Schumacher and I used to watch too. I wanted to be a race car driver from then.

“My mind went to cricket and other sports but in the sixth standard, I decided to go to motorsport. But at that time, I had no knowledge of motorsport.

“By the end of the 8^th standard, my sister found out about Meco Motorsports. Things began to move from there.

“The passion is there and this is the only discipline I am good at apart from martial arts. I tried cricket and football but was never good nor did I like them as much as motorsport,” he added.

Most importantly, motorsport is a stress buster for Singh. “People say a race weekend is work. But this is the time for happiness and this is the time I am free. I away from all stress, exam pressure or any kind of pressure,” he said.

“While driving, I just focus on getting faster.”

In India, society is such that studies are placed very high on the priority list. Forutnately, Singh is able to manage thing well. “My parents have worked hard to put me in the races. I think I owe it to them to do well in studies,” he stated.

Luckily, his parents are backing him up well. “”My father said if you want to be good you have to make sacrifices. You can have fun in school with friends,” he remarked.

“That is one type of fun but racing here is another type of fun. You have to balance both. If you are getting both, it is the best.”

Singh dreams of going the distance in racing. He has shown maturity and talent, and is prepared to work hard for it. Only time will tell.