While Southern India can boast of a few organised motorcycle racing teams, Delhi NCR hasn't quite had one until 'Speed Angels' came into being in 2015. A senior executive in an American MNC and a practising Dentist, Shakti Raj Singh and Dr. Aman Ahlawat came together last year. Over the next few months, they brought in Pranav Malik, a law student and a track enthusiast and Prince Khanna, a promising rookie, to complete the quartet.
"Motorcycling is my anchor into life, it's my oxygen, my spirituality and racing is my childhood dream coming true. Balancing motorcycle racing, my work and personal life is actually quite easy for me. That's because I carry the philosophy of being true from the heart to each of the above, strive for excellence and ensure one doesn't interfere with the other. My loved ones and well-wishers around me accept me for that and give me the space to pursue my true happiness," says Shakti Raj Singh.
And now they're all set to put their dreams to the track, at the 19th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship to be held at Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida from 18th November-20th November, 2016.
(Pranav Malik practising his track craft on the Suzuki GSX R1000)Shakti, Aman and Prince will be riding Triumph Daytona 675R motorcycles while Pranav will be piloting a Suzuki GSX R1000. The motorcycles have been setup for the racetrack by Speed Monks, a motorcycle performance parts outfit and tuner based out of Gurgaon.
(Prince Khanna on his Triumph Daytona 675R)The process of setting up a stock motorcycle for a race is quite an intricate one. Firstly, all the excess weight is taken off the motorcycle such as rear-view mirrors, indicators, bike stand, and unnecessary panels if any. Then, the motorcycle gets some modifications which enhance the performance, such as an ECU re-map, custom exhausts, racing air filters and so on. Once that is done, the suspension of the motorcycle is setup taking into account the weight of the rider and the compression and the rebound is adjusted, keeping it as stiff as possible. Lastly, if required, the motorcycle gets custom crash protectors, which protect the vital parts in case of a crash or keep the damage to a minimum. These are just the basics of setting up a motorcycle for a competitive race.
(Dr. Aman Ahlawat on his Triumph Dayton 675R)Shakti and Aman participated in last year's JK Tyre Racing Championship and were placed in the top 10 despite starting from the back of the grid. So this will be their second outing at BIC and in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship. Pranav and Prince will be making their debuts this year.
"For me, motorcycling is the bombardment of my senses and the speed is my head rush. I am eagerly looking at smoking some straights and elbow sliding my way to the top of the charts of my first superbike race, the 19th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship 2016," says Pranav Malik, who has set himself a target to finish in the top 5 for the race.
