Karting 101: The basics

As I wriggled out of the ill-fitting seat, sweat pouring down my forehead and arms sore after an energy-sapping 30 tours of the small karting track in Kharadi, two things struck me – even at the grass-root karting level, fitness is something you simply can’t ignore and you need tremendous amounts of concentration to last anything more than five laps in even the most basic karts.

But let’s start at the beginning. Six-time karting champion Rayomand Banajee’s team, Rayo Racing, has, since 2006, been grooming young and promising talent in India. His training camps are revered across the country and the talent he has propelled into the top leagues includes Ameya Bafna, the current national karting champion. So, obviously, we jumped at the opportunity to cover and participate in one of Rayo Racing’s training camps.