Breaking Barriers

Six Indian women are making us proud in the realm of motorsports. We speak to them to find out what drives them.

Alisha Abdullah

Alisha Abdullah is India's Fastest Female Racer and the only one to participate in Superbike Racing and Car Racing.

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Why did you choose racing over other sports?

My father was a racer, and as I was a kid I would go with him to the racing tracks. Watching him race would enthrall me. It piqued my interest in becoming a pro-racer; I wanted to become India’s fastest racer.

Tell us about the hardships and struggles that you faced in your journey.

Racing is a very male dominated sport. Quite often, the male racers take it on their ego when they see a woman on the track, racing with them. Breaking through was tough. I got the best guidance from my father who taught me everything I needed to know about racing.

What is the future of racing for women in India?

Racing is one of the most expensive sports. One must have a sound financial backing for pursuing the same. For women, in general, it is a lot more difficult because their families do not support their choices and most of them do not get the right kind of guidance. I run an academy by the name of ‘Alisha Abdullah Academy’ where I tutor girls and encourage them to take up the sport.

Mira Erda

Mira Erda is 17, and has been racing actively since the last eight years. She is India’s first female racer to race in the JK Tyre National racing championship.

I was eight when my father started a go-kart track in my hometown and having had a strong interest in cars and speed, I learnt how to drive a go-kart. I would race with my brothers for fun. When I turned nine my father asked me if I wanted to get into serious motorsports, and seeing that there weren’t too many women in the sport I decided to get into it and set an example.

Initially it was difficult to race with the boys as they would not approve a girl racing with them. This was back in 2010 and not everyone was okay with a girl doing something unconventional. They would try to push me off track many times and even chided with my father for spending so much on a girl in a sport dominated mostly by men. As a nine year old it was rather difficult to handle the criticism back then, but my parents and my family’s unwavering support was always with me and has made me who I am today.

I am glad to say that from the time I had started, there have been major changes in the sport. Now we have many women bikers who race in the women’s category. Also one of the biggest accomplishments has been India’s first women racing team. Being a part of the Motorsports’ community in India I am always working to involve more women in racing.

Sneha Sharma

Sneha Sharma has been around the Indian racing scene for a while now and has won the Volkswagen D Polo Cup, Toyota Etios Motor Racing, Rotax Rookie Race, JK Tyres Four-Stroke Championship and more. When she's not behind the wheel of race cars, Sneha works as a pilot with Indigo Airlines.

Speed thrilled me since I was young. Quite often I would find bike riders racing with me on the street, and to their surprise I would win. At that point I knew that there was something inside me and I need a platform to express it. Then I heard there was a go-kart ring in my town, and I went and tried it. The first time I sat in the kart, I felt one with it. I also ended up clocking the fastest lap of the day. At that moment I decided, this is how I want to feel for the rest of my life. I picked racing because it is one of the only sports that allows men and women to compete on the same track without any gender bias.

Lack of financial backing was a major struggle. Racing itself is a very expensive sport and coming from a middle class family with an inclination for sports was a greater challenge that I had to deal with. However, I never let it get to me; I always tried to find ways to make things happen.

I once fractured my rib because I could not wear a rib protector since I was not able to afford it. After that I would wrap storage foam around my torso, but I kept going.

In racing we have a lot of categories to race. Due to lack of finances I would drive the cheapest category where the cars would be substandard and cause a breakdown. I actually have raced with cars whose suspension was bent and once with a steering wheel fitted upside down. I believe, it is not the car you drive, but the way you drive it. Hardships are the best catalyst for success.

I feel racing has a great future in India; it has gained a lot of popularity in our country, and I can proudly say that I have played a huge role in that. I am glad to see a lot of women and men alike come forward and participate in the sport. It gives me great pleasure as JK Tyres, FMSCI and I have been working hard on bringing about this change. Next year there are talks of having a racing league in India as well. We have three full fledged FIA (International Automobile Federation) approved race tracks in India - the Buddh International Circuit in Noida, the Kari Motor Speed Way in Coimbatore and the MMS Race Track in Chennai along with multiple go-kart tracks for the youth to take up the sport professionally.​

Neha Dabas

The first half of the Dabas sisters, Neha started her professional racing career in late 2015 with the JK Tyre Rotax Karting Championship and soon after enrolled in the Volkswagen Vento Cup. She also participated in the MRF Formula Ford 1600 series, with her sister, Ria Dabas.

I was a national level basketball player, state level swimmer and an athlete. Driving cars all by myself was never really an option for me till I reached the legal age for driving which is 18. Instantaneously, the car had grabbed my heart as I turned on the ignition and stepped foot on the accelerator. Motorsports wasn’t advertised or promoted on a big scale in India until a few years back. At least my friends or I never really heard about it in Delhi. We later found out that it is a big hit down south and very recently motorsports had started gaining popularity in Delhi. All we heard of was the Formula 1. The adrenaline rush that this sport gives one is something I crave.

Instead of struggle and hardships we got a lot of love and support from everyone around us. Be it friends or family. I remember telling my mother about the championship, the first words that she uttered were “Don’t worry about anything, just go for it.”

Dad being a fighter pilot was also in full support of what we wanted to do. It was all made possible because of the faith that our parents in us.

Apart from that, on the track we had both good, as well as bad times. I only wish I had started younger and sooner.

I do know a lot of amazing female drivers but they lack support from their parents because of which, they do not consider taking up this sport. In a country like ours where there is sufficient talent, if women get encouragement from their families as often as men do, and with proper training, I feel, in the coming years, we would have an equal number of women racing as men in a championship. Efforts are definitely being made by a lot of brands like JK Tyres, Volkswagen to encourage female participation in their racing championships.

Ria Dabas

The second half of the Dabas sisters, Ria too started her professional racing career alongside her sister in 2015 participating in the JK Tyre Rotax Karting championship and later in the Volkswagen Vento Cup. Ria, also holds the distinction of having been one of the youngest superbike riders in the country.

I was always interested in sports. I have been a state champion in throws during my school days besides that I was also immensely fascinated with cars and bikes. The fascination grew with time. My elder sister participated in the Vento cup so I grasped the opportunity as soon as I got it.

By God's grace I have been brought up by strong, and open-minded parents. My father was a fighter pilot, and has always supported me and my sister in our efforts as sportswomen. We were braced to face any hardships that came up during the competition. Since it's a male dominated sport, we did have a difficult time. Still majority of them were helpful and supportive, and felt happy helping me. They shared their experiences and also helped me to correct my flaws as a driver. With such experienced drivers, I got to learn a lot. Overall it has been an overwhelming and wonderful experience for me.

Future of racing in India looks bright and is getting better by the day. There are many new championships and lots of women are interested to take up racing professionally, as more opportunities are being created.

Neharika Yadav

A dentist by profession and a superbike racer by passion, has participated in races held at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia, and the Mugello Circuit, Italy.

Superbike racing was never a conscious decision as I was being trained into becoming a full-time practicing dentist. I never imagined I would venture into bike racing but being a regular rider at the Buddh International Circuit, I witnessed a lot of male riders were filling up entries for the JK Tyre Superbike Championship in 2015. It then occurred to me that I should also participate and see how I perform. The experience was so fulfilling that I never looked back, and have been racing ever since.

My hardships are not related to the track. I lost 50 per cent movement in my right hand after a nearly fatal car accident in 2004. It changed my world but I fight through the challenge and still put in my 100 per cent into the sport.

What is the future of racing in India (talk about women racers)?

The future of racing seems very promising with companies like JK Tyres, MRF and all other biking companies coming together to give riders, especially women a platform to race alongside their male counterparts. Women aren’t just pillion riders anymore, they are taking charge at the steering and throttling out the gender bias and fixated mindsets.