Although
Narain was born with a 'silver spoon'- as his father was already a renowned
name in the world of motorsports- he still had to tactfully master several
rugged tracks and drive against all odds, to earn his title of the
'Fastest
Indian in the World'.
Even at a young age of twenty-five, Narain has already achieved a
considerable reputation in the sport. Discovered by JK Tyre- who patronised
him and supported his participation in various national and international
motorsport events, Narain has done his country proud by frequently steering
himself to victory. On June 13, 2001 Narain became the first Indian ever to
test drive for F1 for Team Jaguar at Silverstone Racing Track, UK. He
followed-up his excellent performance in the Jaguar test drive with two
superb test-drives with team Jordan Honda.
His first exposure to motor racing was through his father GR Karthikeyan
who for years was the Indian National Rally Champion, so Narain's interest
was stimulated from a very early age.
When he was 16 he attended the Elf-Winfield Racing School in France,
showing an immediate talent for the sport; he was among the semi-finalists
in the Pilote Elf Competition in Formula Renault Cars.
He could not wait to build on this success and for 1993 raced in Formula
Maruti in India before moving on to the British Vauxhall Junior Championship
in Europe. Here he gained valuable experience of the European Racing scene
and was keen to return to Britain the following year.
In 1994 he returned to the UK and drove in Formula Ford Zetec for
Foundation Racing as the number two works Vector Driver. He took part in the
British Formula Ford Winter Series and by winning this became the first
Indian to win any championship in Europe. Another highlight of the year was
a podium finish at the Portuguese support race at Estoril!
1995 saw him graduate to the Formula Asia Championship for four races. He
was immediately on the pace and finished second at Shah Alam, Malaysia, in
September.
Narain has followed the sport very closely for several years, and counts
Aryton Senna as his favorite driver. Narain regards Michael Schumacher as
his idol.
Narain is not only interested in motor racing, but also in tennis and
particularly admires Boris Becker. When not racing or working for his
father's yarn company, Narain likes to relax using Yoga and Meditation. He
keeps fit through jogging and weight training... an important consideration
for anyone serious about this sport.
Narain will start his 2002 season with Team Tata RC Motorsport at Formula
Nissan World Series 2002 and some more F1 test-drives.
At the age of 16, Narain attended the famous Elf-Winfield Racing
School in France. This has been the breeding ground of Formula 1
Champion Alain Prost and Grand Prix drivers such as Damon Hill and Jean
Alesi.
1992