CHENNAI: A 13-year-old rider from Bengaluru, Copparam Shreyas Hareesh, succumbed to injuries following a crash in the third round of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the Madras International Circuit on Saturday.
The incident occurred soon after the start of the Rookie race, for which he had secured pole position in the morning. Shreyas skidded while negotiating a turn on the first lap, after which his helmet fell off. The rider who was behind the teenager could not prevent a crash and ran over him, causing a head injury.
The race was red-flagged immediately and Shreyas was rushed to a nearby hospital in a trauma care ambulance stationed at the track. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. His father, Copparam Hareesh, was by his side at that time.
Following the incident, the promoter of the championship, Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC), cancelled the remaining races scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “It is tragic to have lost a rider so young and talented. Shreyas was making waves with his prodigious racing talent. MMSC offers heartfelt condolences and our thoughts are with his family.”
Shreyas, a class VIII student who celebrated his 13th birthday last month, had won several races at the national level, including four in a row while competing in the Rookie category.
Shreyas, who made his motorsport debut in 2021, participated in MiniGP races in Spain in May, after clinching the MiniGP India crown. He was scheduled to represent CRA Motorsports in the MSBK Championship (250cc category) in Malaysia in August.
“The FMSCI issues competition licences to riders aged 12 and above, who are allowed to ride in a controlled environment of a race track. The licence does not give them permission to ride on the road,” a source told
TOI, when queried about the logic behind allowing under-18 riders to take part in such high-adrenaline events.