 He
is the first Indian and only the second Asian to participate in the
Formula 3 Championships and to be on the winning list. This
young motor sports man has roped in companies like Opel, Mobil
and Kingfisher and recently, Ford to sponsor him.
Recently participating in the Ford IKON launch in Bangalore,
he spoke to bangalorebest.com. "Cricket has taken all sponsors.
Kingfisher & JK Tyres - they are my long time sponsors. Now, Ford
is the official sponsor for two races to be held in Macau and Seoul,"
he says with a smile.
But Narain is not just another youngster out for a ride. Driving is
both his passion and his profession. "My performance as well as
my car's is steadily improving. Yes, performance in every circuit
is improving. It counts, as the rankings depend on it."
Born on 14 January 1977, he started racing at the age of 16, an age
at which you can't legitimately get a driving license. But you're
perfectly eligible for a racing license!
Initiated by his father G R Karthikeyan who for years was the
Indian National Rally Champion, Narain's interest was
stimulated from a very early age. Though Narain is only twenty-three
years old, he has already achieved a considerable reputation in the
sport. When he was 16 he attended the Elf-Winfield Racing School
in France, showing an immediate talent for the sport; he
was among the semi-finalists in the Pilote Elf Competition in
Formula Renault cars. He was very successful at the Spa Fracorchamps
Formula Three Championship in Belgium. He has improved
a lot over the years and is all geared up to achieve the F1 racing
driver distinction.
In 1994 he returned to the UK and drove in Formula Ford
Zetec for Foundation Racing as the number two works Vector
Driver. He took part in the British Formula Ford Winter Series
and by winning this became the first Indian to win a championship
in Europe. In 1995, he participated in the Formula Asia Championship
for four races. He feels that Formula Asia is an essential
step in pursuit of his racing ambitions. " The European circuits
are very challenging. In India, there is far less cutthroat competition
compared to the European circuits. UK, England is the home for F1
circuit. It is an honour to compete in Britain because apart from
Japanese drivers and myself, no one has made it to that level. "
 1997
was one of his best years. He competed in the Formula Vauxhall
Opel and won the prestigious Donington Park Race with a
lead from start to finish. This amazing victory prompted the much-acclaimed
Autosport magazine to declare in bold headlines - "The Indian
Prince rules in the rain".
Recently, Ford India Limited had announced its sponsorship
of Narain Karthikeyan in two races being held on November 21
in the Macau World Cup, and November 28 in Seoul, Korea.
"The Macau World Cup is the Wimbledon of racing. It's going to be
very hard and there's going to be stiff competition…"
Under the agreement, Narain Karthikeyan will race with Stewart
Racing, gaining the expert guidance of Jackie Stewart,
one of the top Formula One drivers of all time. Ford's active
participation in sponsoring Narain Karthikeyan reinforces the need
to further encourage Indian motor sports.
He studied Business Administration in London. His hobbies
include skeet shooting, tennis, wildlife photography and philanthropy.
Narain is not only interested in motor racing, but also in tennis.
He is all admiration for Boris Becker. He does yoga and meditation
and keeps fit through jogging and weight training. His idol is Michael
Schumacher and his only ambition is to be the first Indian Formula
One Driver.
Narain's events in 2000:
Date Circuit
September 2/3 - Snetterton
September 23/24 - Spa Francorchamps (Belgium)
October 7/8 - Silverstone Grand Prix
November 19 - Macau World Cup
November 26 - Changwon (Korea Grand Prix)
Click here for his interview
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10:14:50 PM 
