Budding motorcycle racer, 21-year-old Kayan Zubin Patel, from Mumbai’s Rustom Baug, continued the Patel family tradition of doing the community and the nation proud, with their prowess in motorbike racing, by bringing home three trophies from the second round of the MRF MMSC, FMSCI Indian Motorcycle Racing National Championship – 2022, which was held in Chennai, from 8th – 10th July, 2022. This is among the highest level of Circuit Racing which takes place in the nation, with a few rounds held in Chennai and a few held on Coimbatore’s race-tracks.
Kayan Patel rides for the professional, Chennai-based, Axor Sparks Racing Team, which manages fifteen riders, with Kayan being the only Parsi in the entire grid, fighting it out with the local racers from the south as well as from across the country. Battling it out fiercely with 45 other competitors from across India, Kayan participated in four races – ‘Stock 165cc Novice Category’: Race 1 and Race 2; and ‘Honda Hornet 2.0’: Race 1 and Race 2.
On 9th July, 2022, Kayan bagged the first place in the ‘Honda Hornet 2.O – Race 1’ and finished second in the ‘Stock 165cc Novice Category – Race 1’. In the Honda Hornet Class, Kayan had to fight against some of the biggest names in Indian racing – but he fought his way from fourth to first place, beating the big guns – indeed a proud moment for the upcoming youngster!
In the races held on the next day, Kayan came in second in the ‘Honda Hornet 2.O – Race 2’ but met with a major crash in the ‘Stock 165cc Novice Category – Race 2’. He fortunately managed to get away with a few injuries and had to leave the race as he needed to get medically examined – a mandatory routine for all riders who meet with accidents. Kayan thus returned home with three glittering trophies and a few injuries and swellings, saying, “This is all part and parcel of racing!”
Kayan started his passionate journey at the young age of four! “I started racing at the age of four on a small bike which my dad got me from Japan as my gift on my 4th birthday. I remember learning to ride it on the Rustom Baug football field!” Elevating the third generation of the ‘Patel Racing family’, Kayan follows in the illustrious footsteps of his uncles, racing champ Rustom and Neville Patel, under the expert guidance and support of his father – Zubin Patel, who collectively run the family-owned business, ‘RNZ Service Station’, which is a boutique service garage for two-wheelers.
“I’d like to thank all my sponsors for their support and the Axor Sparks Racing Team and uncle and coach – Rustom Patel. I especially want to thank my dad Zubin Patel – and my uncles – Neville and Rustom Patel for playing a major role in my life and being my inspiration,” says Kayan.
Sharing fitness as the essence of his success as a racing champ, he adds, “The main aspect of being a rider is being fit – you have to be absolutely fit. Your success depends on your fitness first, and then your dedication towards training. Being successful depends on your core strength and stamina – and these are honed by constantly upping your fitness levels. Mentally too, you need to be strong in terms of focus and discipline. And of course, you need to accept that injuries are a part of the game. But most importantly I’d like to share this message with our youth who are race-enthusiasts – please say NO to street-racing. If you want to race, get on the track, not the streets!”
Having tasted such resounding victory, Kayan is now all charged up to work doubly hard and realise his dream of making it to the ‘Moto GP World Championships’, and continue to keep the Patel name shining bright and bring greater pride onto the Parsi community and the nation, with his achievements in the future.
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