Avdumber Hede and Donovan Vaz are the first two professional racers from Goa to participate in the coveted Polo Cup
Avdumber Hede and Donovan Vaz are livingthe dream of many youngsters who wish to race at a professional level. The duoparticipated in the Volkswagen Polo R Cup that concluded recently and are nowin Goa with their race car. Donovan says, “Motorsport is expensive, hence it isvery important to get sponsors. The reason we brought our car here was to showfellow Goans what the Polo Cup is all about. The car is different from anordinary car and has been altered for racing.”
Racing is not about driving fast. Accordingto Avdumber, patience is one of the key qualities that a good driver shouldpossess. He says “A lot of good drivers tend to get little desperate under pressure.That is when mistakes are committed.” Donovan agrees and adds, “I was leadingthe race from the first corner. I then dropped pace in order to conserve mytyres. The guy behind me, in the desperation to overtake crashed into my car. Ilost eight places and he won the race, but following my protest, he received a20 second-penalty that dropped him to 12th place. If you lose yourcool, you don’t gain anything.”
The absence of infrastructure formotorsport in Goa makes it difficult for the duo to practice here. Theypractice on the race track only on the day prior to the race – with twosessions of 30 minutes each. Donovan adds, “Even during practice, we have toconserve our tyres, as we are provided only six tyres for the entire weekend.We have to strategise on how to make the best use of them. Apart from theactual practice, the race cameras mounted on the cars helps us analyse ourperformance by watching our videos.”
The ace drivers hope to see some moreawareness about motorsport in Goa. Before signing off the duo feels that thenext batch of participants from Goa will have it relatively easy getting sponsorsbecause of the work that they are doing. But to be counted amongst the best 20drivers in India currently is a feat they both enjoy.
