The format was straightforward. We had to qualify in the selection round and then earn a spot on the grid for Round 1 of the championship. But before we could head out on track, TVS made sure we were properly trained. We went through classroom sessions that explained the nuances of racing, followed by on-track practice focused on improving our lines, throttle control, and race starts. It was a masterclass in unlearning our street habits and replacing them with race-ready skills. Out of the 46 participating auto journalists and influencers, only 16 qualified. I was proud to be one of them. The first stint on the track made me realise how different racing is compared to track riding. There’s so much more involved: precision, commitment, consistency. I had plenty to work on, especially in terms of body position and corner entry. But the fire was lit. Soon, the mail for Round-1 hit my inbox. The excitement was unreal. I spent the whole week visualising every turn, every braking point, preparing myself mentally. A month after the qualifiers, I was back at the Madras International Circuit, ready to chase lap times and personal progress.

The day began with a short but productive practice session. Despite the month-long gap, I felt far more confident than before. This was also the first time I truly appreciated the TVS Eurogrip tyres. These race-spec tyres played a pivotal role in giving me the confidence to push harder into corners. Their grip levels were fantastic, even under aggressive braking and lean angles. I managed to drop my best lap time from 2:31.600 to 2:26.081 minutes. That’s a massive gain on a short track and a testament to how much the right tyres can impact your confidence and performance. The tyres not only provided ample grip but also allowed for mid-corner corrections, which is a big deal for amateur racers like me still working on perfecting their lines. The aggressive profile made the motorcycle feel agile yet stable, and helped smoothen transitions from side to side. Combined with the sharp handling of the Apache RTR 200, it felt like the machine was just waiting to dive into every corner.

After the session, I spent time watching the professional racers competing in the TVS One Make Championship, which was being held alongside the YMRP. Seeing the pros take on the track aboard their race-prepped Apache RR 310s and RTEs was incredibly insightful. I focused particularly on how they tackled Turn 1, learning how race lines differ from practice lines. In a real race scenario, you constantly adapt based on who’s ahead, who’s behind, and where the overtaking opportunities lie. I learned the importance of offensive lines, taken to pass others, and defensive lines, used to block passing attempts. Armed with those observations, I was ready for the qualifiers that would determine our race grid positions for the final race. I applied the techniques I’d just learned, focused on being aggressive where needed and composed where it counted. It paid off. I managed to shave another 2.5 seconds, bringing my best time down to 2:24.372 minutes, which put me in 10th place on the grid.

The next morning was Race Day, and the nerves kicked in. I was the first one suited up, pacing around the pits, running through mental checklists. It was finally happening, my first ever motorcycle race-start. As we lined up on the grid, I focused on keeping calm. I gripped the front brake, pulled in the clutch, and dialled in the right amount of throttle. As the lights came on and then went off, everything else faded into the background. I released the clutch and gunned it towards Turn 1. The first lap was chaos. Bikes all around me, everyone fighting for clean lines and clear air. I loved every bit of it. This was no longer about lap times but racecraft, strategy, and instincts. I managed to work my way up to 6th position, feeling more composed with every corner. Unfortunately, at the start of Lap 3, my motorcycle suffered a mechanical issue. I couldn’t engage 4th and 5th gears, which seriously limited my pace on the faster sections. I tried to hold on in 3rd gear, but eventually, I was swallowed by the pack. I crossed the chequered flag in 9th position.

Disappointed? A bit, yes. But not disheartened. I had clocked a new personal best of 2:24.017 minutes before the issue hit. And that’s what mattered most. I was improving with every session, becoming a more confident and competent rider. Racing, I’ve learned, is as much about setbacks as it is about progress. Mechanical failures, mental lapses, missed lines, they’re all part of the game. The key is to take it all in, learn from it, and come back stronger.

Thanks to TVS and the YMRP, I now have two more rounds to go. Two more chances to get better, go faster, and grow as a racer. This experience has opened a whole new chapter in my motorcycling journey. It’s one thing to watch racing from the sidelines, but to be out there on the grid, heart pounding and throttle pinned, is something else entirely. And this is just the beginning.

The post TVS Young Media Racer Program: Round 1 first appeared on Turbocharged.

Words: Abhishek Pandey | Photography: Aditya Bedre

The joy of riding at a racetrack is one that’s been a rare opportunity for me, even though I’ve been riding motorcycles for a very long time now. And for the matter, going fast around a racetrack calls for a skill you can only develop with lots of practice. Shaving off even a few seconds from laptimes—a seemingly insignificant amount of time otherwise—calls for serious effort and commitment. 

So when Abhay asked if I would like to attend California Superbike School, touted as the best riding school on the planet, at the Madras International Circuit, I wasn’t thinking of saying no, even remotely. As luck would have it, I landed in Chennai bleary-eyed, with barely any sleep, but the prospect of getting to ride on track for three days straight, while getting trained by some of the world’s best coaches, had me raring to get into my leather race suit. 

To the uninitiated, California Superbike School or CSS as it is popularly called, was founded by renowned American racer, motorcycle coach and author Keith Code over 40 years ago, and since then not only has CSS taught people the art of going faster but also trained racers who have gone on to compete in the top echelons of motorcycle racing like MotoGP and WSBK. CSS came to India courtesy of passionate bikers and father-son duo, TT Varadarajan and TT Siddharth. In fact it’s now a decade and half since Sid (Siddharth) and his father have been running the school in India, and over the years they’ve helped hundreds of bikers ride faster on track and effectively, safer on the road, and also coached several racers who have gone on to become national champions. 

So if you like motorcycles and riding on track, particularly, CSS is a school you need to go back to. KTM India stepped in to offer me the KTM RC390, a motorcycle I’m well-versed with and one that I was looking forward to riding on track. CSS has a simple format: a classroom session explaining the one specific drill to follow for that particular session, followed by a track session to let you put the theory into practice. Before the first session, I found myself reiterating the line “Empty the Cup”. Levels 1, 2 and 3 were split across three days, starting with basics like throttle control and riding without braking at all on day 1. We progressed to the importance of vision and training the brain to focus on the right things, followed by correcting our body position, and those three days made me realise that going fast around a racetrack is not a piece of cake!

Each track session was followed by a debrief with your coach (the ever-friendly and helpful TT Siddharth in my case!). He helped me understand where I was going wrong, where I could be better and even complimented me on things I was getting right after each session. Of course, maintaining restraint and not giving in to the temptations of riding as fast as I could was important to be able to focus on the drills better. By the third morning, I could feel aches and sores in pretty every muscle in my body, but the resolve to get quicker was helping me rise above the pain. Heck, CSS also made me acutely aware as to how terribly unfit I am! 

I also realised the format used by CSS allows you to learn to ride better without you even realising it—and it’s not rocket science! Our final session on the third day was one without restrictions and would see us stitch the learnings from the three days together. And boy, the difference in my riding, as compared to the first day, was immense! I was feeling a lot more relaxed on the motorcycle, not stiffening up and was able to focus far better by merely stitching the learnings from all three days together around the very corners I now knew like the back of my hand. And the result was a laptime that was way quicker than I could have even imagined just three days ago! My cup was not empty anymore! 

The post Special Feature: Emptying The Cup – California Superbike School first appeared on Turbocharged.