How did the Indian runner Yuven Sunday break the stereotypes to make the story of Indycar? – Firstpost

American-Indian raceur Youven sundaramoory Make waves on the American motorsport scene, where he recently became the first Indian original race driver to obtain a podium in the Indy NXT series. The 21 -year -old is currently a full -time driver for Abel Motorsports and aims to climb to the next stage, the Indycar series.

In an exclusive conversation with First postYuven shared information on his trip, the challenges of being a pilot of Indian origin in the United States and his aspirations in the race world. Yuven shared his desire to appear in Formula 1 in the future and also chose his runner and his favorite team.

Here are the maintenance extracts …

FP: Can you tell us about your family’s trip to the United States and has there been a connection with motorsport? How Do they support you in your career?

Yuven: My family was certainly the most favorable part of my entire racing career. Obviously, I could not have done all of this without them, and it is a blessing for sure. We moved a lot at the start, but I was born here in the United States. My parents, however, came from India, in particular from southern India.

We never knew a race, it was never something that was in mind. It was something we discovered by chance while we lived in China. From there, I started to run simply because I loved sport, and my passion for that has increased over time. Even during the difficult times, my parents, both, were still there, as well as the rest of my family. It was definitely the best part because having their support facilitated the pursuit of my dreams.

FP: Many American-Indian families prioritize more conventional career paths. What made you choose the race instead?

Yuven: It happened naturally. I am a very outdoor athletic person, I like to be active. Growing up, I played all kinds of sports, but the race was what remained. It was what I fascinated the most and what I felt that I was the best, which helped. There were times when I planned to continue football or the butt more seriously, but the race has always been what I felt most in confidence. I love sport.

FP: What were the biggest challenges to do it as an Indian-American pilot in the American motorsport scene? Do you think there are stereotypes or obstacles to drivers of Indian origin?

Yuven: Yeah, definitely. Much of this is confidence because there is not much representation. It is much easier to believe in you when you see other people of your history doing it. It was one of the initial challenges.

However, once I started, I was on this path. The biggest problem is that I do not want others to fear the race simply because they do not see others like them in sport. These are not necessarily hard barriers; These are more stereotypes that give the impression to people that they must follow a certain path because of their history.

And that comes to your question on support groups, right? It’s you, you also need this family to push yourself to do what you want to do, and not necessarily what you think you have to do according to the stereotypes, which is a great thing.

FP: Securing an Indy podium is an important step. Can you make us spend this moment and what it meant for you? How do you see your trip progress?

Yuven: This moment was really special. When you asked earlier why I stayed with the race, it was one of the main reasons. This podium finish gave me the confidence necessary to believe that I could go further. It was my first victory, and the first is always important for any driver. It was also on such a large scene, which made him even more significant. It really motivated me to keep moving forward.

FP: Have you had discussions with Indian sponsors or automotive sports entities on potential support?

Yuven: Yes, this is one of the most difficult parts of the race. Unfortunately, motor sport is expensive. In other sports, you just buy a cricket bat or a football ball and start playing, but in the race, you need significant financial support, especially in the junior series. This is how sport works, which is an unfortunate reality.

Finding funding and sponsorship were one of the biggest challenges. Over the years, I have improved, it is networking, to be pleasant and to prove what you can do and to have the ability to do so. So I think that over time, I certainly improved.

And it will always be the most difficult part, right? And this is where to have contacts and know people is the greatest thing and to be able to have a support group, once again, as you said, my parents were so useful on This sponsorship front all the time. And it is certainly one of the greatest things.

FP: Do you see you running in India or playing a role in the development of motorsport in the country?

Yuven: I really hope that the race scene in India resumes. I did a race in India, a few races in India a few years ago in Madras. And that was incredible the number of people who came out, everyone was super favorable. And I think it can be a much bigger thing. India had some Formula 1 drivers in the past. But I hope it resumes because I think the country is always super passionate about their sports and athletes and just like that. So I think if it resumes, it would be really, really cool. Hopefully this happens earlier than late.

FP: Do you have any aspirations to move to Europe and continue F1, or is Indycar your long-term goal? Which F1 team is your favorite?

Yuven: Of course, Formula 1 is still there, it is the dream of each child. But at this point, if the opportunity arises, I would take it. That said, it is much more difficult to enter F1. It is much more expensive, and you must generally invest massively in the international race scale at an early stage. However, anything can happen. If I continue to perform well in Indycar, an opportunity could arise.

But honestly, I am a big, very big fan of the Indycar scale and I really like what they did with the series. And I really think it’s a good series and, and has a lot of opportunities to develop. And I really hope that in the future.

At this point, I would say any team (F1) who wants me. I was a big fan of Nico Rosberg, so Mercedes would be pretty cool. But at this stage, anyone would take.

FP: What advice would you give to young Indian children dreaming of a career in the race?

Yuven: My advice would be to follow your dreams and not let anyone tell you what you should or should not do. The most important thing is to believe in you. If you really think you can do it, you have to start fully and work hard. And the more you work, the more results you get. And it is the most important.