Formula One racer Narain Karthikeyan graces the finals of ‘Catch me if you can tournament’

~45 days of competition between the racers enthusiastsin SMAAASH Delhi & Mumbai~

~ The tournament saw participation from 6000+ racing enthusiast~

New Delhi, Sunday, 9th April 2019: India’s first Formula One racer Narain Karthikeyan honored the winners of ‘Catch Me If You Can’ -a one-of-its-kind amateur go-kart tournament for adults. The two months long open tournament was held from February- March at SMAAASH Gurgaon, Mumbai, and Delhi. The finals of 45 days of competition took place at SMAAASH Sky Karting at Sector 29 Gurgaon where Shourya Paul was announced the winner of the tournament. Shourya Paul became the first National Winner of 'Catch me if you can’ Tournament and also bagged a cash prize of Rs 50,000. Justin Singh was the 1st runner up and George B Jacob was the 2nd runner up for the tournament.

Shourya Paul, the winner of the tournament said, “I am elated after winning the tournament and on being awarded by the racing cognoscente Narain Karthikeyan himself. It is dreams come true for which I would like to thank SMAAASH for giving us this kind of platform. Hope to see and participate in many such tournaments in future as well”

Expressing his excitement and sharing his experience at SMAAASH Sky Karting, Narain Karthikeyan, the first Indian Formula One driver said,” I am happy to see the increasing interest towards motor-sports in India. Events like these are a great platform to encourage racing as a sport among youth. I wish the best for the winners, participants, and SMAAASH”.

Commenting on the success of the first Sky Karting Tournament at SMAAASH, Kaizad Bajina, Chief Technical Officer, SMAAASH,” We are thankful to Narain Karthikeyan for all his support to SMAAASH and the tournament. It is really encouraging to receive such a great response for the event at Delhi as well as Mumbai. This has motivated us to organize more such events in the future. We are glad that we are able to provide a great platform for competitive racing in India”.

‘Catch Me If You Can’ Tournament was designed to find the fastest amateur kart racer in India, who got a chance to experience the pro side of karting, and a competitive but fun experience on the track. The tournament was based on the fastest lap timings in the qualifying rounds, the top 20 timings qualified for the National finals. The total number of participated for the tournament were 6000+. The semi-finals were held on 31st March 2019 in Gurgaon & Mumbai and Top 20 racers competed for the finals in Gurgaon

About SMAAASH Sky Karting Sector 29 Gurgaon

Taking the level of racing to a whole new level, SMAAASH Sky Karting offers a world-class racing track by a Spain & Germany based firm Protex Karting, the renowned creators of protective barrier suitable for indoor and outdoor Karting circuits. The Karting tracks come packed with high technology based spring barrier system. These spring barriers have been nominated as the best technology for the safety they provide to the driver and karts. Another highlight of the arena is its electric karts that provide much superior acceleration compared to engine powered karts. Featuring dramatic elevations and multi-level Karting arena, Sky Karting is the most advanced and fascinating Karting facility in India. All the go-karts are equipped with exclusive speed control to give track operators an extra degree of ensuring safe fun.

The minimum height required to enjoy Sky Karting is 4 feet & above.

KNOW YOUR TRACK: Track Length: 500 Mtr (300 Mts bottom and 130 mts top) Track Width: 5 Mtr Left Corners: 11 Right Corners: 12 Zig Zag: 2 Track Surface: Concrete Barriers: Protex Automated Spring Barriers KNOW YOUR KART Brand: Sodi Fuel: Electric Battery: Li-Ion Body Material: Fiber Steering Column: Height Adjustabe Accelerator & Brake Pedals: Length Adjustable Seat: Length Adjustable Dimensions: 6ft. Length x 4ft Width Weight: Tyres: Dura Air Pressure: -Front: 25psi - Rear: 28psi Motor: Gear Motor – Noncombustible with E.C.U. RPM: -LRX: Up to 1000 (Kiddie Kart) -RTX: Up to 1500 (Adult Kart) Movement: Forward and Reverse without Human Intervention

About Karting

Karting is often hailed as the stepping stone for a motorsport hopeful. It offers a chance for them to test whether they are ready to take up racing as a professional career. While it isn’t yet on par with international competitions, karting in the country has grown over the last few decades. Karting in India began in 1999 with a few local level events, eventually leading to the launch of the National Championship. JK Tyres initiated the championship with four-stroke karts on tracks in Faridabad, Delhi and Hiranandani Gardens in Mumbai. The format saw winners and second-placed drivers of the local events competing in a National Championship Finals. The JK Tyre National Championship ran for five years between 2000 and 2004 before Rotax karts came to India. Now the championship is known as the National Rotax Max Karting Championship and is sanctioned by the Federation of Motor Sport Clubs of India (FMSCI). Along with the premier championship, an amateur-level karting programme named IndiKarting National Series is also being run to give young racers an affordable chance to compete in a safe environment.