Japan likely to be Narain’s destination again

Following a commendable debut season at the Japanese Super GT – where he had won the second Super GT x DTM Dream Race in November 2019 – reports surfaced that Indian motor racing ace Narain Karthikeyan had announced his exit from the championship after just a one-year stint.

But, Narain, who had represented the Honda-backed Nakajima Racing in his first campaign, suggested Japan could be his destination for the upcoming season as well.

“The target was to win a race (in 2019) and I did that. Let’s see what happens this year. I am just waiting for options right now,” Narain, who launched Usha International’s Racer Chrome fans on Saturday, told city reporters.

“For me, Japan is the best. Since coming out of Formula One, I have made a good career there. It suits me really well, I know the format. There are a lot of big manufacturers and the series gets a huge crowd. You have some high-profile racers taking part. It is in a different class when compared to Europe,” opined the 43-year-old. However, the nation’s first F1 driver isn’t even sure if the championship would take place in Japan this year because of the outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus.

“As the virus is spreading to various countries, a lot of events are getting cancelled. There is also a talk of the Tokyo Olympic Games getting postponed. It’s all up in the air right now,” he stated.

Coimbatore-born Narain has been actively involved in the circuit for the past 28 years, with India finding it extremely difficult to spot his successor.

A number of four-wheeler racers have produced brilliant performances in patches but have failed to maintain consistency.

The Go-Karting system has to be strong if India aspires to continually unearth gems, according to the veteran.

“Go-Karting is the grassroot level for motorsport. In two weeks’ time, I will be starting something for the young drivers.

With so many personal experiences, I hope to nurture a lot of young talent. I would like to pass on the knowledge to the next generation,” Narain wants to give back to the sport.

Asked if he has any plans of retiring in the near future, Narain responded, “I don’t know. I am pretty fit. As long as my reflexes are okay, I will continue. I keep testing my reflexes with local fitness trainer Ramji Srinivasan. But when you get old, it takes more time to recover from injuries.”