What is it about June?

Juan Manuel Fangio was born on the 24th of June, 1911. He was nicknamed ‘El Maestro’ (‘The Master’). He won five Formula One World Driver's Championships - a record which stood for 46 years eventually beaten by Michael Schumacher - with four different teams (Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati), a feat that has not been repeated since. He is considered by many to be the greatest driver of all time.


Sir John Young ‘Jackie’ Stewart was born on the 11th of June 1939. He is better known as Jackie, and nicknamed ‘The Flying Scot’. He won the F1 World Championship thrice.


Kevin Schwantz, former Motorcycle Grand Prix World Champion, was born on the 19th of June, in Houston, Texas. He was renowned for his aggressive, all-or-nothing riding style.


Giacomo Agostini was born on the 16th of June, 1942 in Brescia, Lombardy. He’s an Italian multi-time Motorcycle Grand Prix World Champion. Nicknamed ‘Ago’, he is the all-time leader in victories in motorcycle Grand Prix history.


Michael ‘Mick’ Sydney Doohan was born on the 4th of June 1965 in Brisbane, Australia. He’s a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion, who won five consecutive 500 cc World Championships, second only to Giacomo Agostini. He’s considered to be one of the greatest exponents of motorcycling racing of all time.


‘Turbo’ Tommi Antero Mäkinen was born in Puuppola, Finland near Jyväskylä on the 26th of June 1964. Mäkinen is one of the most successful WRC drivers of all time, having been a 4-time World Rally Champion.


Raunaq ‘Hopeless’ Sahu was born on the 22nd of June in Raniganj, West Bengal to Oriya parents. He writes this shady blog and likes to believe that he is a hard-core motor-racing fan. He hasn’t achieved much in real life, though. He has driven a Toyota Landcruiser and was quite intimidated by it. Sadly, it was an automatic, so he couldn’t pretend to be a proper driver (“Only yummy mummies drive automatics” - Jeremy Clarkson). He had once driven a Maruti 800 3 years back when he’d driven into a hedge as he was standing on the clutch and wondering why the darn car wasn’t stopping.


At least he was born in June.

The Return of the King

Sometimes, good is just not good enough.

Awww….you cringe. Now what? Is this post going to be another incessant, boring ramble about my never-ending misfortunes?

Far from it. This is a celebration. Of the successful ‘me’. Finally.

The previous post did give many the impression that the death knell had sounded for me, but I’ve bounced back reincarnated, reinvented and reloaded!

Victory is always sweet. But when it comes after aeons, and comes in this manner, it deserves to be savoured. This is the kind of feeling you get when the sun beams down after a July thundershower, something you want to last for a lifetime. Since that can’t happen, one has to enjoy the moment as long as it endures.

And I will be extremely selfish in saying that this is MY victory, my triumph, my euphoria and my ecstasy(don't think otherwise). And no one else, other than me and my close pals deserve to savour this success. This victory belongs to Raunaq, his friends like Shubhra, Guru, Neelay, Manish, Ronodweep, Nilankur and some more who I’m not mentioning here (I apologize for that). Some cousins of mine make the grade as well. And how can I forget Mrs. Paul ? Her wishes clinched it for me!! The omission here pertains to my parents(Mom, to be specific).

This one was a long time coming. I had never been without success for such a long period as this one: from April 06 to May 08. I’ve had to face too many hard situations, which had all but broken me. I’m no rock-of-Gibraltar that can weather severe storms. No. I’m not that strong. So, I badly needed this shot-in-the-arm to jump-start my stuttering career. And what a jump-start this has been!

But I can still see how my mother screws up her nose when she tells others that I’m, going to study English and Economics for the next 5 years. It’s almost as if she is ashamed.He’s not at all interested in going for that despite getting a half-decent AIEEE result. I can see that she still wants that to happen. Heck, my school’s Principal was infinitely more happy on hearing the news of my future plans. My mom’s smile seems faked.

But, much as I love her, ‘Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn’.

SHOCKING? Maybe so. I really don’t care. What matters is the fact that I’ve never been happier. Other people and their feelings can go for a toss.

“Kabhi kabhi kuch jeetne ke liye kuch haarna padta hai. Aur haar kar jeetne waalon ko Baazigar kehte hain.”

At the risk of sounding repetitive and unimaginative, I thank whoever-it-is for reaffirming my faith that these cheesy fily lines do hold a lot of water.

Speed thrills. Or, does it?

Each and every human being on this planet must accept that there is a limit to our reflexes. A machine that can accelerate from 0 to 200 in 7 seconds without doubt means a race victory, but on normal roads, it is a serious hazard..both for the moron behind the wheel, and the other road users.


I'm a hardcore motorhead myself, but, since I have a triple-figured IQ, I have figured out that speed exhilarates, but only upto a limit. Smashing your Ferrari ( OK, Lamborghini ) into an electric pole while blinking can never be a good idea.


They may all say that 'a third of all those injured and killed on the roads are young men, aged in a startlingly narrow band from 17 and 19. Dripping with testosterone, and filled with a youthful sense of immortality, being 17 is dangerous. It always has been. The fact is, you simply can’t make a 17-year-old see sense .' But I've just done exactly that!


But administrators and officials are getting it all wrong when they go about setting speed limits on public roads... Imagine...the speed limit on one of the busiest roads is 20 kmph. So you think this is a fabulous idea...No more big accidents, no more car pile-ups, no more deaths...great! But I, being the eternal sadist, shall stick my smelly foot into your rosy dreams. Suppose there is a 90 degree bend, and two cars are coming at 20 kmph, but in OPPOSITE directions. And then they collide. You tell me, 'Raunaq, you jackass, how can anyone get killed at 20 kmph? As usual, you're talking bullshit. Eff off.' Hold on a second. If you've ever made the mistake of studying Grade 6 Mathematics (or Physics), you will know that this means a resultant impact of 40 kmph. So, to get a feel of the experience, try running at full speed wearing only your underwear head-on into a closed door. And then ring me up to tell me how you 'enjoyed' it.


The point is, you cannot be killed just by travelling fast. You will be killed only if you suddenly come to a standstill. Accidents and deaths can only be avoided if drivers try to drive sensibly, no matter how dumb they might be. Rash driving is the root cause of all road evils.


Another reason is that people use their vehicles to show off, as well as carry out other clandestine activities. Due to rising property prices and lack of privacy, cars have truly become the place for things more than just driving. Couples hankering for a few 'close' moments, youngsters who --unprintable-- and those who drive after being loaded with liquor like an oil tanker...all these are only a few examples.


Have we already forgotten the pavement dwellers mowed down in the recent past by speedsters, both as celebrities and common men?? Think about it.