Selection Round – Fight For The Top 20
For the 2025 season of the Young Media Racer Program, TVS invited over 40 media professionals and influencers. Out of them, only the top 20 were shortlisted, with the final 16 set to compete in the upcoming National Championship. The Young Media Racer Program is a special racing series within the National Championship, curated exclusively for the media.
Coming back to the track after six years felt amazing, though a bit crowded with so many media and influencer friends participating. This selection round was exclusive to TVS, and we received training once again from professional racers and TVS trainers. We were then divided into three batches, got some track time for practice rounds, and wrapped up the day with a time trial.
With decent track experience and having ridden different bikes for reviews on various tracks, I was a little overconfident and thought I’d easily make it to the top five. But when the results came in, I was placed 8th with a fastest lap time of 2:27.556. That was over 10 seconds slower than the fastest rider on the track, which felt a bit embarrassing. That said, I regained my confidence, as finishing 8th out of 42 participants is actually quite good.
The best part about racing with TVS is that safety is always their top priority. Even if a racer doesn’t have specific racing gear, Petronas TVS Racing provides everything required. From FIM-certified helmets to proper race suits, they’ve got it all covered. I’ve been using a Shoei X-14 since 2022, which was manufactured in 2021, but since it isn’t ECE 22.06 certified, I wasn’t allowed to wear it, even for the practice rounds.
A new inclusion introduced last year, and continued this year, is the internal airbag system for racers. We now wear an inner liner beneath the race suit, which houses an Alpinestars impact-reactive airbag for added protection. This means we can push the limits on the racetrack and still stay safe. Safety is paramount, and TVS Racing has been very clear about that. While I’m now a size bigger than I was six years ago (and a bit heavier too), I do have my own suit and complete race gear, apart from the helmet. Everything should be ready and good to go by Round 1!
Round 1 – Practise & Qualifying
For the first round of the 9th season of the Petronas TVS Young Media Racer Program, a few of the top 16 backed out, which brought in the reserve riders. With all 16 of us ready to race, it was time to battle it out and still enjoy the experience! Coming back to the track almost 15 kg heavier than I was in 2019, I thought it wouldn’t be an issue. But I should have realized during the selection round that it might hold me back. In the practice session, my best time was 2:24.641, quite slow and to be honest it gave me a solid reality check!
Coming back to the pits and getting out of the suit felt like a blessing, it was extremely hot, and with the airbag inner layer, it felt even more suffocating. After lunch and a short rest, we prepared for qualifying. Just one session on the track had already been exhausting, as we’d spent over 15 minutes out there. Qualifying was scheduled for the same evening as the final event of the National Championship. Watching the other races, with their blistering pace, got us pumped up. My goal now was simple: to be at least a second faster than in practice.
The last event of the day was qualifying, and we had about 10 minutes, enough for 4–5 laps. Pushing as hard as I could, I managed to catch a draft on the back straight from another rider, which helped me improve slightly. My best lap was now a second faster at 2:23.801. However, everyone else also stepped up their pace, and I ended up 9th on the grid, which felt a bit disappointing. Still, I had another day to improve, and for now, it was time to rest and recharge for the race ahead.
Race Day –
The National Championship is spread across three days – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. For us, however, it was just Saturday and Sunday. Our race was the first event of the day, which meant we had to be ready, checked out, and on the track before 9 a.m.! While most racers stuck to a light breakfast to avoid feeling stuffed, I had other plans, I went for a nice carb-loaded breakfast to ensure I had enough energy to burn through the race. My goal was simple: to gain as many positions as possible and improve my lap times.
Starting from 9th on the grid was a bit concerning as I didn’t want to get stuck with the slower riders. But who was I kidding? I was one of the slow ones, and it played out just as I had imagined. Off the line, I managed to gain three positions immediately. While the top four broke away and had a race of their own, the next four of us put on an incredible battle. One rider kept taking a supermoto line, cutting through mid-corner, while the rest of us fought hard for 5th place. The race was intense, with five DNFs due to various issues, and a few riders even crashed out. At one point, a bike caught fire in the longest loop, which was honestly quite scary.
There was an issue with the live stream as it mostly focused on the top riders. But since the middle pack was having the real fun on track, we ended up getting the most limelight. Those were the best four laps of my life I overtook the others nearly seven times, only to be passed again on the straights as all three of them caught my draft and slipped past. I had the best cornering lines, but my weight turned out to be my biggest disadvantage.
I still managed to finish 8th, with my best lap time down to 2:21.222. I did mess up in the third-last corner as went in too hot and ended up giving way to all three riders. Otherwise, 5th place could have been mine. Still, with that time improvement, I felt things were getting better, and it left me more motivated than ever for the upcoming races. The top three took the podium, but all of us got a chance to step up for a photo-op, a nice reminder that the podium isn’t too far away. With a bit more practice and a little extra effort, winning doesn’t feel out of reach!
