An emerging star in the two-wheeler racing scene, 13-year-old Hareesh was the first MiniGP India champion.
13-year-old Shreyas Hareesh has tragically passed away after a crash while racing at the Madras International Circuit. The youngster was competing in Round 3 of the Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship (INMRC). The remainder of the round has been cancelled in wake of the incident.
Hareesh was an emerging star in the Indian two-wheeler racing scene. Recently he even took a step closer to his MotoGP aspirations, winning the Indian leg of the MiniGP championship and representing India at the world finals. He was also set to compete the Malaysia Superbike Championship later this year.
- Hareesh was racing in the TVS Rookie class in the INMRC
- Last year he’d won the first-ever MiniGP India title
- Represented India at the MiniGP world finals
The crash occurred soon after the start of the TVS Rookie race, for which Hareesh had qualified on pole. An official statement released by the organisers confirms he fell while exiting Turn 1 and suffered a fatal head injury. The 13-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
MMSC president Ajit Thomas said, “It is tragic to have lost a rider so young and talented. Shreyas, who was making waves with his prodigious racing talent, was provided medical assistance on the spot immediately after the incident and taken to the hospital. Under the circumstances, we have decided to cancel rest of this weekend’s programme. The MMSC offers heart-felt condolences and our thoughts are with his family.”
After competing in several local races, Hareesh earned his big break when his made his INMRC debut in 2021. The age limit was reduced from 13 years to 11 years (Hareesh’ age at the time) just so he could participate and he became the youngest -ever Indian to compete and win races in the championship.
Last year, he won the inaugural edition of the FIM MiniGP World Series India, which is a crucial platform for young riders looking to make it to MotoGP or international motorcycle racing in general. He went on to represent India at the world finals.
More recently, Hareesh had been competing in the Rookie (RTR 200) class of the TVS One-Make Championship (which is part of the INMRC) and had even scored four consecutive wins.
