Date:18/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/18/stories/2008031850952100.htm

Sport - Racing : Motor

Narain takes ninth spot

Coimbatore: India’s Narain Karthikeyan battled all odds to finish a creditable ninth in the feature race of the A1GP in Mexico on Sunday.

The Coimbatore-based driver, who started from the back of the pack, collected two points from the race.

“It was a difficult yet exciting race for me. We managed to pick up quite a few positions, and the team pulled off some very good pit stops.

“Despite not qualifying well, we did work well as a team to bring home two points,” Narain said.

In fact, A1 Team India turned out to be the only team to make progress during the race. Starting 20th, Narain worked his way up smartly, thanks to two efficient pit stops.

Despite strong pressure from China, Switzerland and Pakistan, the Indian refused to yield and finished ninth.

Narain, however, could not do much in the sprint format. He drove steadily, keeping out of the midfield traffic and chaos to complete the race just out the points and in 13th place.