Shreyas Hareesh, 13, has tragically passed away after a crash while racing at the Madras International Circuit. The youngster was competing in Round 3 of the Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship (INMRC), and the remainder of the round has been cancelled in the wake of the incident.

Hareesh was an emerging star in the Indian two-wheeler racing scene. Recently, he even took a step closer to his MotoGP aspirations after winning the Indian leg of the MiniGP championship and representing India at the world finals. He was also set to compete in the Malaysia Superbike Championship later this year.

1. Hareesh was racing in the TVS Rookie class in the INMRC
2. Last year. he’d won the first-ever MiniGP India title
3. Represented India at the MiniGP world finals

The crash occurred soon after the start of the TVS Rookie race, with Hareesh on pole position. An official statement released by the organisers confirms that he fell while exiting Turn 1 and suffered a fatal head injury. The 13-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

MMSC president Ajit Thomas said, “It is tragic to have lost a rider so young and talented. Shreyas, who was making waves with his prodigious racing talent, was provided medical assistance on the spot immediately after the incident and taken to the hospital.  Under the circumstances, we have decided to cancel the rest of this weekend’s programme. The MMSC offers heartfelt condolences and our thoughts are with his family.” 

After competing in several local races, Hareesh earned his big break when he made his INMRC debut in 2021. The age limit was reduced from 13 years to 11 years (Hareesh’ age at the time), just so he could participate, which made him the youngest-ever Indian to compete and win races in the championship.

Last year, he won the inaugural edition of the FIM MiniGP World Series India, which is a crucial platform for young riders looking to make it to MotoGP or international motorcycle racing in general.

More recently, Hareesh had been competing in the Rookie (RTR 200) class of the TVS One-Make Championship (which is a part of the INMRC), and had even scored four consecutive wins.