Any sport in any country needs to be cultivated. It is not easy to find the best sports persons to represent your country on the world stage. It is an arduous process that takes time, work, patience, and a conducive environment. The same goes for motorsports. If you take the example of MotoGP, Italy and Spain are far ahead. Other countries are catching up but for now, these two are the nations to look up to.
A lot of it can be attributed to the structured approach to nurturing talent from a young age. Unfortunately, the reach of motorsports in India remains limited even today and because of it being an expensive sport, a lot of the talent that resides in our great nation never even makes it to the fore. Due to the consistent efforts of some people and entities though, things are starting to change. One such entity is Castrol POWER1.
After spending more than a century revolutionizing motorsports with their Castrol POWER1 lubricants, the brand has also been actively involved in cultivating and nurturing motorcycle racing and motorcycle racers. Staying true to their commitment, Castrol POWER1 partnered with Castrol Honda LCR MotoGP Team, Viacom18, and RACR to organize Castrol POWER1 presents India’s Ultimate Motostar on MTV, a nationwide talent hunt to bring the best racing talent in the country to the forefront, with the winners getting the opportunity to be trained by the Castrol Honda LCR MotoGP Team in Europe!
While Castrol POWER1 remains the stalwart of cutting-edge motorcycle lubricants in some of the most prestigious motorcycle racing championships, their partners for this talent hunt hold a lot of clout as well. We all know Lucio Cecchinello’s Castrol Honda LCR MotoGP Team already. Then there’s Viacom18, one of India’s leading and fastest-growing entertainment networks. Finally, RACR or Rajni Academy for Competitive Racing, India’s leading motorcycle racing academy.
Castrol POWER1 presents India’s Ultimate Motostar on MTV, hosted by Karan Kundra, was launched to an overwhelming response in December 2023. First-of-its-kind, the grand event had over 50,000 riders participating hailing not only from metros but Tier II and Tier III cities as well. The event had participants from various walks of life; engineers, students, mechanics, businessmen, and so on. After the initial registration, what followed was a meticulous selection process.
Out of the 50,000 plus riders that registered, 240 were selected for the city auditions held in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai. During these city auditions, the riders went through intense scrutiny and a series of challenges to shortlist the ULTIMATE 18, 18 finalists set to compete for the title of India’s ULTIMATE MotoStar. The finalists received advanced training at the Kari Motor Speedway. The training was spearheaded by RACR and Rajini Krishnan himself, who is a multiple national champion title holder.
The event was then concluded with the Grand Finale taking place at the Kari Motor Speedway. Having been supported by Castrol for close to two decades, we also got the opportunity to attend the event which was a smashing affair! The 18 finalists, after having taken part in rigorous training by RACR, competed for the title of India’s Ultimate Motostar in a three-race event which also had Lucio Cecchinello in attendance.
Prevailing fierce competition, we had three winners; Pillarisetty Sai Rahil from Hyderabad, Jagadeesh Nagaraj from Bengaluru, and Padhmini Mohan Nair Soorya from Chennai. In addition to a prestigious podium ceremony and trophies, these three now have with them a golden opportunity to undergo training at the Castrol Honda LCR MotoGP Team’s racing facility in Europe. The whole series also aired as a 1-hour special on MTV and as a 3-episode series on JioCinema.
xBhp extends a hearty congratulations to the winners but more than anything, a big kudos to Castrol POWER1. One of the primary reasons why motorsports still has a long way to go in our country is the expense. Very few people can afford motorcycle racing and even in that case, some have to give up midway. Thanks to Castrol POWER1 though, these participants got an opportunity to flex their racing muscles in a big way.
The event was wholly sponsored by Castrol POWER1 and all the racers got everything they needed, from motorcycles to riding gears, thanks to Castrol POWER1 providing the racers with an opportunity to focus on racing without worrying about the expense. We’d like to thank Castrol POWER1 for taking up such an initiative which we are sure will mark one of India’s biggest steps towards representation on the motorsports world stage!
