Nepali Athletes on Chennai Racing Track

Kathmandu: The first program of 2026 under Explore the Track, a highly anticipated initiative of the Nepal Automobiles’ Association (NASA Nepal), has begun today at the Madras International Racing Circuit in Chennai.

To showcase their skills and creativity on the world-class racing circuit of the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC), a dozen Nepali riders reached Chennai on Thursday evening. 

According to NASA Nepal, the team includes winners and the top 11 riders from the Nepal Road Racing Championship, along with two officials. The Motor Sports Nepal Club is handling the overall management of the team.

The team comprises winners and outstanding riders from all categories of the Nepal Road Racing Championship, which concluded on December 20 in Dhulikhel. The riders are receiving financial and technical support from the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) and the Madras Motor Sports Club.

National and novice category winners, including Shree Hari Paudel, Rajkumar Karki, Dilip Danuwar, Sayal Gajmer, Prashant Sutihar, Simon Chaulagain, and Abhinav Raj Malla, are part of the team. 

Also included are Dipesh Jaiswal, Abhi Risal, Barsha Basnet, and Nitika Gajurel, making a total of 11 riders. Motor Sports Nepal Club Director Binod Tandukar is serving as team manager, while Mina Thapa, a member of the Bagmati Province Automobile Association, is accompanying the team as an official.

The Nepali riders will demonstrate their racing and safety-related skills, knowledge, and practice, while also competing in the races. The results will be announced on Sunday.

The Explore the Track program, which began several years ago, has received high praise from international federations. Despite the absence of a proper racing track in Nepal, the initiative has played a significant role in enhancing the skills and confidence of Nepali athletes.

The event is being held at the racing track of the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC), established in 1952 in Madras (now Chennai), as part of the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship. As part of the event, an orientation program is scheduled for Friday, practice sessions on Saturday, and the final races on Sunday.

The 11th General Assembly of NASA Nepal, held on January 10 in Chitwan, also approved a plan to send three teams to compete on world-class tracks this year under the Explore the Track program.

Under the FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship, events including the Honda India Talent Cup and Petronas TVS India One-Make Championship are being held from January 8 to 11, alongside the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship.

As Nepal lacks racing events that meet international standards, NASA Nepal has granted national competition status to the ongoing event in Chennai.

During the FIA Asia-Pacific Congress held on October 9 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, an agreement was reached between Vicky Chandhok, Board Member of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) and Director of MMSC, and Govinda Bhattarai, Executive Director of NASA Nepal, to facilitate racing opportunities for Nepali riders in Chennai.

NASA Nepal is affiliated with three international federations—the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), and the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM)—and has also entered aerial racing through drone and robotic sports.