When he was a ninth grader, he took part in his first professional race. What was supposed to be an exciting debut turned into a horror story as his car crashed and he ended up with a broken back. Since then, Bengaluru huduga Sufyan Ahmed has come a long way. Having won the National Drag Racing Championship held recently in Chennai, Sufyan says, “My tryst with professional drag racing happened last year at a local championship. Drag was back to Bengaluru after 10 years and everybody was excited. That’s when the National Motorsport Federation decided to have a national championship. The first round was held in August and I came first in both the categories. I was riding a 160 cc motorcycle in 225cc and 360 cc categories as I was confident that my bike was fast.” The second round of the championship was held last month in which Sufyan came first in one category and second in the other. However, he managed to clinch the overall championship.
Taking us through his journey, he reveals, “At my first car race in Coorg, I was driving a gypsy and my uncle was the navigator. In the middle of the night, we encountered a reindeer on the road. To avoid that, I went off the road and rolled into the forest. I was stuck in the car for nearly three hours.” Post that incident, Sufyan’s parents asked him to concentrate on his studies and take up racing later. For someone who wanted to be an automobile engineer, life had other plans for him as he ended up doing business management at Christ College. After graduating, the zealous racer took to professional racing with FRK. “But it was too expensive. In 2013, I heard about a championship where they’d provide bikes and riding gear and the riders had to pay a nominal amount. My first-ever bike race was in Budh in Delhi,” he shares, adding, “I’ve bought a Triumph Daytona and want to build that bike up.”
A passionate rider who spends every penny of his day job’s salary on his bike, Sufyan says, “I paid a lakh to set my bike up. Over the year, I had to spend Rs 3 lakh for its running. It would be great if we could find sponsors.” Ruing about how motorsport is not supported in India, he says, “If you’re a racer, people assume you’re doing wheelies on the road or doing illegal stuff. Some cops will stop our bikes and try to take money from us thinking we’re rich kids. It’s about time they’re enlightened. The Government should provide us with proper facilities.” As for his future plans, the speedster wants to concentrate on circuit racing. “I want to race in the national championship. Once I improve myself, I plan to go for the Malaysian Championship. I’ve crossed that age where I can dream of taking part in the world championship,” he says.
