KTM Orange Day brings radiance to Pune's Downtown Racing

An idea developed by KTM to offer an exclusive racing experience to owners of the tangerine monster, Orange Day brings all the KTM racer boys under one roof giving them a platform to participate and enjoy the thrilling experience of motorcycle racing in a safe environment. However, the idea was to not only get the beginners introduced to racing but also offer a complete experience packed with adrenaline and excitement to KTM owners. 

While the highlight remained on the races, there were service camps by KTM, oil giant Motul was present as well at the do showcasing its products accompanied by automobile and motorcycle maintenance experts 3M. Joining the KTM Orange Day Pune was Go Pro cameras, which officially were a part of the event as well, making it the first ever Go Pro event in the country. The first ever KTM Orange Day witnessed a lot of participation from newbie racer boys from Pune who came to get a taste of racing motorcycles under a controlled environment. The tight and narrow yet technical go-kart circuit at Downtown Racing provided just the right amount of speed for novices to practice and master art of racing.

Race Clinic

The first ever KTM Orange Day witnessed a lot of participation from newbie racer boys from Pune who came to get a taste of racing motorcycles under a controlled environment. New to the concept of motorcycle racing and thrilled to the bone, the lads were given a thorough racing clinic by ZigWheels staffer and motorcycle racer Varad More, explaining them about cornering lines, riding techniques, flags and etiquettes as well as safety measures to be followed while on a race-track.

Enthusiastic and eager to learn, post the clinic and interaction between the participants and the expert – racers were then taken on to the track for a sighting laps giving them a clear view of the proper racing line to take and the correct braking markers. Most of them quickly got to pace by the end of the sighting laps and were ready to proceed for the qualifying session. Out of the forty participants, the fastest twelve riders qualified for the two races, split into six riders per race.

Race 1

The first ever race of the KTM Orange Day India had a mixed bag of participants coming from various walks of life. As the flag dropped, Snehal Chavan who qualified on the pole took the lead followed by fellow Duke-owner Rishi Vairale who started second on the grid. Both the riders then battled on for the lead with Rishi breathing down Snehal’s neck and keeping him on his toes for most part of the race.

On the final lap of the six-lap race, Rishi saw an opportunity on a left hander and tried to make a pass but Snehal was quick to shut the door as a result of which the handlebar of Rishi’s 200 Duke got lodged into Snehal’s arm and sent Rishi crashing down bringing an end to the well fought battle for the lead. With Rishi out of contention, second place went to Nikhil Udaykumar who rode a consistent race facing brief challenge from third place finisher, Kamran Dubash.

Race 2

As the day progressed, the enthusiasm peaked when the second group of riders came onto the track for race two. Starting on pole in second race was ex-Zigwheels man Sopan Sharma astride ‘Bijree’, as he fondly refers to his KTM 200 Duke (Read : KTM 200 Duke Road Test) followed by a spunky young lad Sagar Jain. The two got off to a blistering start heading into the fast sweeping right handed first corner and there onwards a battle continued till the final lap with Sopan maintaining steady pace and carrying a defensive line which played a vital role on the tight and narrow circuit of Downtown Racing.

Sagar stayed close on Sopan’s tail but could not match his pace in order to take lead position and was forced to finish in second.Finishing in third place was Ajinkya Barbole who rode a rather lonely race facing no major challenge from the pack behind him. Both the races witnessed adrenaline pumping action as the battle for lead positions was stretched until the very last lap with a pedigree of racing shown by the race winners.

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Showtime

India’s first ever KTM Orange Day held in Pune culminated with a lot of racing action and giving KTM owners their first taste of the Austrian company’s motto – ‘Ready to Race’. The event also offered a complete service camp wherein the KTM owners got their vehicles checked and their doubts regarding service and maintenance answered by service officials from the company.

And even in the closing stages the adrenaline ran high as one of the finest freestyle motorcycle stunt rider, Rishi Mandke put up a fabulous stunt show leaving the audiences speechless with his heroics astride the KTM 200 Duke (Read : KTM 200 Duke Road Test). The next two rounds were held in Mumbai and Bangalore (read all about them on our website) and there are other cities that will soon be painted in Orange!

Results:

Race One – Group 1

1. Snehal Chavan 

2. Nikhil Udaykumar 

3. Kamran Dubash

Race Two – Group 2

1. Sopan Sharma

2. Sagar Jain

3. Ajinkya Barbole