Bhubaneswar: Odisha racer Udipta Kumar is set to compete in the upcoming National Motorcycle Championship scheduled to take place in Chennai in December later this year.
Udipta will be competing in the Pro Stock 301-400cc category with his KTM 390 representing Odisha in the championship. The championship consists of two rounds this year instead of five, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both the rounds will be held at the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai. Round one will commence from December 10th to 13th while round two will take place December 17th and end on 20th. The bikers will race over 12 laps across the 2.9 km circuit.
As an independent rider, Udipta will be racing with the ‘Top 20’ racers across the country in the top most category in the championship i:e, Pro Stock 301-400cc.
Udipta who has had many top ten finishes in the respective category in the last couple of years, aims for a win this year.
“Due to the COVID-19 scenario, the practice has taken a big blow, but we are in good shape to take on the fight,” Udipta said.
The team will have one day’s time for the pre-season testing on December 6th before the championship kicks-off from the following Thursday.
Udipta and his crew will be using the day to set up the bike for the race. “One day is not enough to try something new. We will be running almost on the same bike as last year with some minor changes to the riding geometry and something in the engine,” Udipta’s team manager said.
“Another unpredictable thing is the weather. The track will definitely be cold considering that the race will be held in December. We are also expecting rain over the days. So that’s a very difficult situation because before this the races usually took place in summers (June to October) and it is for the first time that the championship will be held in the month of December. So we have a lot to learn as it seems, and fight with the unknown,” he added.
“We have partnered with Chandrasekharpur KTM as our promotional and host partner. They will be promoting my participation in the national championship through their dealership and we will be organising local events regarding motorsport over there like fan meets, racing training sessions and others,” concluded Udipta.
PNN