Narain Karthikeyan was born on January 14th, 1977 in Coimbantore and etched his name in the history of motorsports by becoming the first Formula One Racing driver of India. With Karthikeyan set to turn 47 on Sunday (January 14th, 2023), it's worth looking at his career achievements.
Karthikeyan notably conquered numerous racing events and is best known for his breakneck speed and winning strategy. He has reigned supreme in the Auto GP Series of 2013, headlined by 4 pole positions and 5 victories while participating in the British racing team - Super Nova racing.
Nevertheless, the business of racing wasn't alien to him. Karthikeyan's father Kakarla Karthikeyan Naidu was a whopping seven-time Indian National Rally champion, while S. Karivardhan, one of his close relatives was called as India's track racing king.
Narain Karthikeyan made his racing debut as a teenager:
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At a tender age of 15 in the year 1992, Karthikeyan made his racing debut at Sriperumpudur and eventually finished on a podium. The following year saw the teenage prodigy give good run for money to the other racers in the Formula Vauxhall Junior Championship in Great Britain.
The same year, Karthikeyan emerged victorious in the British Formula Ford Winter Series, becoming the first Indian to clinch a championship in Europe. He went on to win the Formula Asia International Series, becoming the first Asian to win the same.
In 1998, Karthikeyan became the first driver to earn a victory for his team at the British Formula 3 Championship while driving for the team 'Carlin'. The year 2010 saw him earn the title of 'NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Most Popular Driver' and received a Padma Shri 5 years later.
The achievements have made him earn a unique place in the heart of motorsport fanatics.
