Tijil Rao Gives Clubfoot The Foot To Become National Racer

“Where there is a will, there's a way” is not a saying to be taken lightly in young racer Tijil Rao’s case. Tijil has had to overcome his clubfoot condition through years of medical attention, multiple surgeries and excruciating pain to pursue his dream of becoming a professional racing driver.

Come June 22, Tijil will become one of the youngest drivers to have participated in the Formula LGB 1300 championship. He will make his debut with the successful Momentum Motorsport team that won all three categories - National Open, National Rookie and Student Open - of the 2017 Formula LGB 1300 championship.

Here’s wishing Tijil all the best. You can read what him and his team had to say below:

Press Release

14-year-old Tijil overcomes clubfoot, will become one of the youngest racers in Formula LGB 1300

Chennai: Young Tijil Rao will make a heroic debut in the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship 2018 from June 22 to 24, having overcome a rare handicap that had made even the simple act of walking extremely excruciating, if not impossible, for him.

Born with clubfoot, a condition in which one’s feet are rotated inwards, Tijil had to undergo two surgeries in each of his legs, first when he was just 3 months old and then again when he was 4 years old to assume a normal life.

That, however, didn’t stop him from pursuing his passion for racing. Tijil will now have the distinction of being one of the youngest racers on the Formula LGB 1300 Grid, which is part of the MRF Indian National Racing Championship 2018.

Still, just 14, the Bangalore boy, studying in Class X at the Mirambika School for New Age, will be racing for Momentum Motorsports.

“We are delighted to have Tijil Rao in our Formula LGB 1300 driver line up”, Rasheed Khan, Momentum Motorsport’s team principal, said. “He has shown promising speed in his pre-season testing with us, and we believe that he can consistently score points through the season,” he added.

Tijil had a solid 2017, competing in the National Rotax Karting Championship and honing his driving. He underwent pre-season testing with Momentum School of Advance Racing in April and May and impressed enough to bag a seat.

“I’m happy to be part of the championship-winning Momentum Motorsport team. They managed to get the best out of me during testing and I am now confident of displaying my skills,” Tijil Rao said.