Sandesh Prasannakumar in a league of his own after podium in Thailand Superbike Championship

Bengaluru, July 18: In victory, Indian superbike racer Sandesh Prasannakumar found himself lonely at the top. That much was evident from his message right after finishing second - the first Indian to stand on the podium - in the 1000 cc SB2 category during Round Two of the PTT BRIC Thailand Superbike Championship 2018 at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, on July 15.

The 27-year-old was riding high, tasting triumph after almost one and a half years in circuit racing but his message afterwards was a sombre one - "This podium would have been even more special and close to the heart if everyone who wished me for the win supported me throughout the hard journey we have had to be here. Nevertheless, thank you one and all for the love. I will try to win the next race for sure." There are two more rounds of the Thailand Superbike Championship left - in August and November - and Sandesh finally fancies his chances of clinching the championship.

Yet, it's apparent that Sandesh is lonely at the top. Whatever Sandesh has achieved so far is remarkable considering all the victories - whether in the 2016 JK Tyre Superbike Cup or the third-place at Malaysia Superbike Championship 2015 - are the fruits of solely his hard work and determination. With no Indian company willing to invest in superbike circuit racing, Sandesh has had to fend for himself. And that explains his post after the latest win.

Sandesh eyes a big scalp

"Right from the preparation to getting the bike ready for a race, I have invested my time and money into the sport," Sandesh says on his return to Bengaluru. "Of course, I race in the Thailand Superbike Championship for Chailai Racing, but it was up to me to find the team and not the other way around. They just give me the bike, a Kawasaki ZX-10R and I zoom into the race. But for training and other purposes, I have to look out for myself.

Oboard kawasaki Zx10rr!🇮🇳 #27 #follow

A post shared by Sandesh Prasannakumar (@iamsandesh_27) on Jul 13, 2018 at 10:51pm PDT

"And how do I train? Well, that's another challenge as there is no racing circuit in and around Bangalore. What I do is book a go-karting track for the entire day - and this costs a bomb - and practice various speeds and turns. I also practice at the BigRock Motopark near Kolar but that's a motocross track which is purely meant for fitness. Phew! The situation of this sport in the country is pathetic and it sometimes is depressing to say the least."

Yet, Sandesh soldiers on because of his passion for racing. What started off as a dare to complete the Nandi Hill Climb in 2011, which he ended up winning by the way, has now sparked this amazing transformation in Sandesh. "Many times, I have felt I should leave it all and just concentrate on running my business, which earns me my bread and butter," Sandesh says. "But there's something about the race track that gets me onto the superbike no matter what. This, despite a career-threatening injury I suffered in January 2017 at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. I was trying to set a lap record and with only the front tyre warmed up, I ended up crashing and breaking my collar bone. That's why the podium at the Thailand Superbike Championship feels really special."

After competing in the Malaysian Superbike Championship in 2015 and 2017, Sandesh switched over to Thailand after being put through to his team by a racing enthusiast called Rajiv. The Chailai Racing team welcomed him and Sandesh now feels the move has paid off.

In Round One, Sandesh had come in fourth at the SB3 category. But racing in the SB2 allows Sandesh to make more modifications to his bike, provided he has the right engineers. In Round 2, Wattikorn Sararat of Yamaha Kingseep won the race, while Thierry Perenon of Zeuz Yamaha Racing, also the championship leader, came third. "The bike I ride - Kawasaki ZX-10R - is a stock model, which means I have not made any modifications to improve comfort or speed. This also means that I lose out on straightline speed to others, which is almost 15 kmph. But my strength remains overtaking the others at the corners and that is how I finished second in Round 2. The Thailand Superbike Championship, in my opinion, is more competitive and aggressive than the Malaysian Superbike Championship. This will help me gain more experience for the Asian Superbike Championship next year. They will replace the 600cc category with 1000 cc, which is my speciality, and I hope to compete there."

Before that though, Sandesh still has two rounds left in Thailand. And the next time he finishes on podium, he hopes that he's not alone. He wishes that India celebrates with him.