Feature: KTM RC Cup Media Race – Orange Alert

Race Competition – it’s in the name itself. Ever since its introduction, KTM’s RC line of sportbikes has been synonymous with racing. With its high-strung single-cylinder engine, race-y ergonomics and host of electronic rider aids, the RC 390 is the go-to if you want affordable, explosive performance for the track.

With an aim to cultivate racing talent in the country and give the best a chance to train with renowned experts abroad, KTM launched the inaugural RC Cup in India. And alongside the final qualifier round, which saw 80 riders from eight different cities take part, it was kind enough to invite us media folk to experience what it’s like to take part in a one-make racing series.

The day before the race weekend at the Madras International Circuit gave me a chance to get familiar with my competition, and as expected, many of them were far more experienced than I was. The pressure was on then.

Our first day on the track gave me a chance to get comfortable with the new RC 390. These were near-stock RC GP Edition bikes we would be racing, with only minor adjustments allowed to the rear suspension and tyre pressures. No cause for concern though, as the new RC honestly feels ‘ready to race’ right out of the box.

After a small briefing from seven-time Indian National Motorcycle Racing Champion Emmanuel Jebaraj and Grand Prix race winner Jeremy McWilliams, we were sent out for a practice session with the aforementioned experts. And they quickly showed what level they were at, as both of them lapped me in that 15-minute session onboard their Pro Stock 301-400cc-spec RC 390s.

Even the stock bike feels seriously fast on track. It took me a good few laps to get used to just how quickly I was approaching corners. The immense brakes gave me confidence that I could get it stopped in time no matter how late I braked. Maybe too much confidence, but more on that later. The only limitation I found was the grip from the Metzeler M5 rear tyre, as the bike stepped out on me a few times while accelerating.

After being humbled by Jeremy and Jebba (as he’s called in the paddock), it was time to close out the day by watching the participants of the RC Cup duke it out (pun intended) in their superpole qualifying session. It was close, exciting and thankfully, largely event free.

Race day started with a free practice session early in the morning, where the cooler conditions and the learnings from the previous day allowed me to go a few seconds faster. Qualifying came soon after and I was able to make inroads on my timing yet again, with my fastest being a 2:09.254, which was 5 seconds off the pole position in the media category and around 10 seconds off the quickest RC Cup racer.

Invariably, you always get the feeling that you could have gone faster, but nonetheless, I was quite content with starting P5 on a grid of 15 fairly experienced riders.

Once the final races of the RC Cup were done, it was our turn in the final race of the day. I lined up with the sole focus of getting a great launch to try and gain as many positions on the opening lap as possible, given that I was one of the lightest riders of the bunch.

But things rarely go to plan, right? My start was decent and I held fifth going into the first corner, but I was on the outside line without much room, which allowed two fellow racers to pass me. And in an effort to claw back lost ground, I braked way too late for turn 4 (remember my confidence with the brakes?) and went straight onto the grass, undoing all the hard work I’d done in practice and qualifying.

I rejoined a lowly 14th, and with the race being just 5 laps long, I decided to ride flat out and see what position I could recover to. And this was the most fun I’ve ever had on track. As if the feeling of riding without pressure – given I was second last now – and pushing every lap isn’t exciting enough, I also made some daring overtakes which was a pure adrenaline rush.

In the end, I managed to recover to 6th – that’s 8 overtakes in four and a bit laps – which I’m proud about. Looking back, I had the pace to be on the podium, but, in a way, this was a far more enjoyable race and a bigger learning experience. I just have to remember to not be so overconfident in my abilities the next time around and hopefully, I’ll be higher up amongst my faster peers.

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