From Road To Track: My Experience At The TVS Apache Racing Experience GP 2026

Until now, I have been as in sync about riding on a race track as water is with oil. My first-gen KTM 390 Adventure and I have ridden across a lot of situations. But I have never been to a track, or at least a full fledged one. I did get to do some laps on a go-kart track but that as I would find out, isn’t the full thing. An opportunity came knocking, courtesy TVS Racing and a chance to not only ride but race at the legendary Madras International Circuit. Here’s how my weekend panned out:

The Unlearning

Before you learn to run, you must crawl. That’s what the mentors at TVS Racing did as they made me realise what I was doing wrong or where I could be better. We were riding the TVS Apache 200 4V, which felt extremely agile. The bike was tipping into the corners without much input. But the more critical thing for me was to get my body posture right. For years, sitting upright on an ADV is all I have known. Hence, tucking in for the straights or hanging off for the bends, was very alien. Glad to have expert trainers to try and make me change my stance, even if for the forthcoming days.

The Qualifiers

While we trained on the RTR 200 4V, it was pleasant to find out that we would be racing the more powerful TVS Apache RTR 310. In comparison, the 310 felt more stable and less twitchy, giving me greater confidence under hard braking and cornering.

While my fastest lap in practice was 2 minutes 49 seconds, my aim was to keep improving and shaving off time. By the end of the day, I had gone 22 seconds quicker, which is a significant improvement. In my category, I had qualified seventh, with the ladies in 4-5-6 quite evenly matched. 

The D-Day

Come race day, I knew that it was going to be some feat for me to end up on the podium. I knew my fight was going to be for the mid-pack. Race 1 was pretty uneventful, with me gaining just one position in the five lap race. 

The next race was where I mixed my minor racing training and ADV riding skills. I got a great start that propelled me into fourth. However, two turns in, I cooked up my braking and ran wide onto the grass. I thankfully managed to keep the bike upright and finish the race in sixth again. I shaved off a few seconds again, but it wasn’t as dramatic as earlier.

The Reflections

In these three days at the event, I learned things that I probably could never have learned on public roads or trails. It was truly something that helped me conquer my fear of going fast around corners. Yes, there’s still more fun to be had but I feel a lot more confident now on the bike. That’s what riding on the track does to you, I guess.