Anish, who represents Idemitsu Honda Racing India team at the Asia Road Racing Championship, is an artist now while his bike is his brush. He managed to pick up a couple of points in Australia, which hosted the second round of the championship. “I first learnt to drive a car and then started riding a bike when I was about 10 years old. I visited a garage in Hubli to resolve an issue. I met a few professionals out there,” said Anish. 

 

“I was excited about the sound the bikes created and the way they were modified. I went to watch a few practice sessions later,” he added. The 23-year-old has only marked his debut in the ARRC season but is positive about unleashing his best in his home track at Sriperumbudur. “Your bonding with the bike is very important. I am pretty confident and am going into the contest with a strong mindset. Target is not just to earn some points but to finish as high as possible. Things are going good but not as expected. Hopefully, we will get there,” he sounded confident. 

“Every time they wave the flag, I focus on making it to the podium. But, only good home work can take us there,” added the Indian rider. After competing in tricky tracks in Thailand, Japan and Australia for the initial three rounds, the Hubli-born lad will finally be on familiar territory come Saturday. Speaking about the edge he has here, he stated, “It’s very advantageous. In other rounds, I will have to prepare a lot and when I get on to the track, I will have to study each and every corner. But here, we are pretty much sure of what is up next. We are aware of where to apply the break and when to accelerate.”  

Anish, who happens to be a software engineer and a freelance fitness instructor, felt only small margins separate the best from the rest. “The competition is neck to neck (in the ARRC). For example, in practice two, one second differentiated eight riders. We are trying to progress with every passing round,” opined Anish.  

Talking about his journey from the initial days, he said, “It has been difficult. There are no tracks back home. I had to travel to Bangalore to practice. But once I joined Ten10 (Racing Academy), I got good support.”