Sudanand Rajan has been a commercial pilot with Jet Airways for the last nine years, but on a hot Saturday afternoon, he was flying high after winning the Formula LGB Hyundai-Enduro 45-minute race, as the 2009 season of the JK Tyre National Racing Championship got underway at the Sriperumbudur race track.
The 31-year-old completed 22 rounds in the stipulated time span to garner 10 points and be placed two points ahead of Rams Racing Team's Akhil Devraj who garnered eight points.
"Last year I had won the overall title, winning two of the six races. This year too, I think I am on the right track," said the motorsport buff racing for Wallace Sports Club.
"The format of the race this time has been overhauled. Last year, two drivers used to take turns to drive the car for a total of 90 minutes. My brother, Prithveen Kumar, too is a speed freak and together we had won the title last year," he said.
Rajan is now focussed on winning the Saloon Class round on Sunday.
Fifteen-year-old Vishnu Prasad doesn't have a driving license to take his father's car out on the Chennai roads, but the tall youngster drove like a pro on way to winning the first race of the eight-lap Formula LGB-Swift category.
{{/usCountry}}Fifteen-year-old Vishnu Prasad doesn't have a driving license to take his father's car out on the Chennai roads, but the tall youngster drove like a pro on way to winning the first race of the eight-lap Formula LGB-Swift category.
{{/usCountry}}Results
(Formula LGB Hyundai-Enduro 45-minute race) 1. Sudanand Rajan (Wallace Sports) 10; 2. Akhil Devarag (Rams Racing) 8; 3.Vishnu Prasad (Rams Racing) 5. (Formula LGB-Swift) 1. Vishnu Prasad (TVS Girling) 10; Sudharshana Rao (TVS Girling) 8; 3. Prithveen Rajan (Wallace Sports) 6.