this is the orignal copy of my article RACER'S EDGE which was published in THE REVIEW under the name THE THRILL OF IT ALL on 5th of october...enjoy
Racer’s Edge
“Wear your helmet, ride slow, be careful on the road, WEAR YOUR HELMET!!!” these are the things I hear everyday from my mom and dad, as they are against me riding a sports bike or which is commonly known as “HEAVY BIKE”(I have no clue why). It is understandable that they worry for my safety but at times it gets very annoying. I’m not careless about bike riding and exactly know what hazards are involved in it. Now you must be wondering that this is just another kid with who is passing through a so-called “phase”, but that is not the case. I’m a racer, a born racer infact who lives to race just to seek the thrill of the sport.
Unfortunately racing is banned in Pakistan and as for me it’s just the road full of traffic, which is more hazardous than a nuclear bomb. Sorry to say but people have no respect for other persons on the road; everyone just muscles their way around the road. The bigger the car the more of a bully a driver will be.
My passion for racing is so great that I was force to join the most dangerous form of racing there is. You guessed it “ILLEGAL STREET RACING”. Yes I know I’m going to be called a spoiled brat but what else can I do?. Bike racers gather from around the city to participate in drag races. These bikes aren’t the bikes usually found in our local scenario but they are “HEAVY BIKES” starting from 400cc to 1000cc. The guys riding them wear safety gear (helmets, jackets, etc) because we don’t let them race without them. It is true that a lot of riders also crash during the races but we do are best to lessen the amount of injuries by forcing the safety measures.
Races are held our usually held on abandoned highways or roads with very little population to avoid any sorry incident. A simple 400-meter drag race is a common form of race followed by 400-meter time trials. Riders gather on Sundays mostly and race for about 3 or 4 hours. They have fun and share racing experiences with other riders who are keen to learn from each other. Riders are more like brothers, always caring for each other and telling that don’t play with the LIMITS of your machine.
People hate us because we are jeopardizing our lives for something we believe in. Let me clear this thing, racing is dangerous but with proper tracks it will more fun than it is now. 90% of the people whom I share this with say its wrong, I fully agree with them! It is wrong but we have nowhere else to go to. The government is too busy fighting each other so who do we call for help?
To conclude what was a rather useless material for most of you. This is more like a plea…PLEASE don’t discourage us. We are just like other sportsmen and deserve some respect. We need tracks and training and that’s possible only with government’s help and if given a chance we will not disappoint Pakistan in the world of Motorbike racing.