Narain Karthikeyan takes to NASCAR this season

Narain Karthikeyan is gearing up to debut in NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) Camping World Truck Series in the United States of America. The first race is at Artinsville in a couple of weeks time. Narain will drive for newly-formed Starbeast Motorsports this season starting March 27. Artinsville is also the smallest ovals which makes for a good start as Narain has very little experience in American Motorsports. He has got some experience in the now defunct Speedcar series though. Narain has previously competed in Le Mans series and tested for Starbeast in December 2009.

The trucking series, unlike normal cars are based on big American pickup trucks with naturally aspirated 5800cc pushrod V8s churning out 650-700bhp. They are carburetted and power is transferred via a 4-speed manua transmissionl. “The opportunity to compete in a NASCAR series is a dream come true for me,” Narain said. “I have raced all over the world, but this is a different kind of challenge for me and I look forward to learning everything I can about racing in this environment. NASCAR is known for its passionate fans. I am excited to be introducing India to this sport and hope to help develop an equally passionate fan base there.”

Narain holds several firsts including India’s first F1 driver, India’s first Le Mans driver and now the first in NASCAR. Starbeast Motorsports will field truck #60 for Narain prepared by Wyler Racing. The car has been driven by experienced Stacey Compton in the first two races of the year, finishing seventh at Daytona and 19th at Atlanta. The team is focused on international drivers to take NASCAR to the international community with Narain helping its growth in India. “After his success in Formula 1, Narain has become one of India’s most popular athletes and the obvious choice to introduce NASCAR to the subcontinent,” said team founder Miguel Abaroa. “His story is that of a motorsports pioneer, and this next chapter will be his most compelling.” Compton will serve as a driver coach to assist Narain as he makes the transition from open-wheel racing to NASCAR.

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