Once the fastest Indian, where is Narain Karthikeyan now?

One often wonders what athletes/sportsmen do after they retire or come to the end of their careers. Many enter coaching or mentorship programs or become involved in some way with the sport they have played. Some continue playing or engaging in the sport at a lower level of competition. The age barrier depends on the sport that is being considered. When it comes to racing, there is no age barrier as such and a prime example of an individual who has defied all odds is Narain Karthikeyan.

He has created history and has given a credible name to the Indian racing diaspora across the world by continuing a passion that he has had since a very young age.

After finishing his formula 1 career, he switched over to motorcar racing and was heavily involved in the sports car circuit in Japan. He has competed in the AutoCar Gp, Europe in 2013 and in the Japanese Super Formula between 2014-18. The year 2019 was a landmark year for Karthikeyan when he took part in the Japanese Super Gt Championship, where he even managed to finish the season by winning the prestigious Super Gt DTM x JGST race at the Fuji Circuit in Japan. A truly remarkable feat for a remarkable racer.

He decided to pursue new challenges in 2020 and took a step back by resigning from Nakajima Racing. However, for those fans who believe that he had gone missing from the racing circuit, ‘the fastest Indian on Earth’ is very much alive and kicking in the racing circuit and continues to enthrall different race-crazy nations across the world with his skills.

As of now, the plan for February 2021 is that Narain Kathikeyan will lead a three-man team to compete in the prestigious Le Mans Series in Abhu Dhabi. The Indian team will be using an ORECA O7 car. Narain was quoted saying “I have been dreaming of going back to Le Mans for a few years now”. If all goes well, he will add another feather to his cap by not just competing in the competition but also winning it and taking Indian racing a notch higher.

Also read: Jagat and Anita Nanjappa: Meet the champion couple of Indian motorsports