Kavin Quintal’s Remarkable Start in the 2024 FIM JuniorGP Stk Championship

Riding in the Stk European class, ace Indian racer Kavin Quintal had a remarkable start in the 2024 FIM JuniorGP World Championship at the Circuito do Estoril, Portugal, finishing in the top ten. Due to an accident during the qualifying session’s out-lap, Kavin had to start from the thirty-first spot. Rain during the second lap caused the stock race to be red-flagged, but Kavin had already advanced to P19. Beginning at P30, Kavin handled the rainy weather and tough competition with skill. He easily navigated the hazardous circumstances, passing bike after bike to finish in an incredible ninth place out of 32 riders. The FIM Moto3 World Championship is fed from the Moto2 and JuniorGP World Championships, with the Stock event serving as a stepping stone.

The 18-year-old from Chennai, who was racing for the Fifty Motorsport team, completed the 11 laps in 23:19.001, which was only 34.866 seconds slower than the Spanish winner Adrian Rodriguez and only 16.092 seconds slower than fifth-place finisher Lorenzo Della Porta, who is now leading the title and the 2019 Moto3 Champion. Kavin showed sufficient skill in the rain, covering 46 km in 11 laps and reaching a peak speed of 219.4 kph. In 2018, Kavin, who started riding at the age of 13, became the youngest rider to earn points in the FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Championship. When Honda introduced the NSF250, a Moto3 spec bike, to India in 2019, he switched to the Talent Cup and placed among the top eight riders for the NSF250 Talent Cup. In 2021 and 2023, he won the Idemitsu Honda Talent Cup after being inducted into the elite club. In both 2019 and 2020, he finished second.

In the Asia Talent Cup in 2020, Kavin made his debut on the international scene. He later competed for India again in the Asian Road Racing Championships, placing him in the top 10 in 2023. He scored a pole and a win in Round 3 of the Sunday Suzuak Road Racing Championship 2023 while piloting a 600cc monster. Riding here in Europe is a completely different ballgame. I am enjoying it and it is a big learning experience. I am happy with my ride and the way I managed to make it to P9 from P30. When I race, it is only me, my bike and the track. Everything else fades out,” Kavin explained.

Kavin’s next race is scheduled for May 16–19, at Barcelona for Round 3. (ANI)