Table of content
- Chetan Korada: Introduction
- Move beyond your boundaries
- Early days
- His inspiration
- Summer Cup 2008 and 2009
- The national championship experiences
- Role of QNET in Chetan Korada’s successful journey
- Related
Introduction
Chetan Korada is Asia’s only differently-abled successful car racing diver.
10 years ago, Chetan aspired to be a DJ. Eventually, his other passion for cars and car racing developed strongly as he had been inclined towards it since his teenage years.
But Chetan was different, as he was born without legs.
This was not his choice, but it didn’t stop him. Chetan turned his pain into the power of racing. He chose to pursue his passion for cars and car racing no matter what. He wanted to set an example in his field that would motivate others with time.
When Chetan was told that car racing is a dangerous sport, he replied with a smile, “Let me do it then!”.
This is enough to prove that there was nothing that could stop Chetan from succeeding.
Today Chetan is known for his extraordinary ability to race. His zeal to be on the racing track is spectacular. Chetan Korada uses prosthetic legs and thinks his prosthetic legs are a minor detail of the bigger picture.
Move beyond your boundaries
“Being normal is boring, isn’t it? You get tired of such a life. Who wants to be boring?” Chetan said.
Growing up under the supervision of parents who were athletes led Chetan to participate in a lot of sports activities during his school and college years, including cricket, basketball, and tennis.
Chetan’s family soon realised that Chetan had that sports spirit within him.
Soon, Chetan told his parents that he wanted to be a race car driver. His parents agreed to it and dedicated their support to him. Chetan wanted to finish his education, so he waited until his graduation to start his racing car career.
Thanks to his studies, Chetan also runs a successful business today. He also gives credit to his good time management skills, because of which he was able to achieve this.
“Everybody should learn to move beyond their boundaries. Only when you push yourselves to the maximum, you know how much you are capable of.”
Chetan Korada
Early days
Chetan’s journey began in 2002 when he started to visit various go-karting racetracks and championships across the country to observe the races, take notes, and, most of all, derive inspiration.
He was determined to choose car racing as a full-time career after his graduation. After a while, Chetan proceeded to practice becoming a professional car racer.
- His disability did not stop him. Chetan equipped the best prosthetics from Germany to participate in the 2008 summer cup organized by MMSC. This was his first attempt.
- In 2009, he won the “Summer Cup Champion” when he appeared in the championship for the second time. He secured 5 wins and one-second place from a total of 6 races.
- Then, he went ahead to compete in the JK Tyre Junior Cup.
- He started from 12th on the grid and finished 1st in the JK Tyre national championship in 2011.
- To everyone’s surprise, he eventually secured 16 podium finishes the next year in the Formula Maruti category.
Chetan Korada ‘s Inspiration
Apart from his family and extended family, he drew his inspiration from racing legends such as Nicolas Hamilton and Alex Zanardi.
During his early days, his doctors prohibited him from racing and thought he would not be able to do it. Hearing that, Chetan got shattered for a moment. Later, a few team owners came down to the hospital to see Chetan and convinced the doctors to let him race. The team owners were ready to give him their car for racing. He was supported, and he proved everyone wrong.
The first race was under medical observation, and everyone assumed that Chetan would be lapped at least 3 times in that 15-lap race. In this race, he was using a 1500 cc car. He started 12th on the grid out of 18 cars. Chetan excitedly narrates this incident when in this race, he was pushed back to the 18th spot for a brief moment when the race started. But he did not lose his morale, and he secured his 12th rank again and was not lapped one single time.
The doctors were pleased and allowed him to choose car racing as a career. Witnessing his extraordinary skills, they also told Chetan that they would stand beside him no matter what so that no one could stop Chetan from reaching an international level of racing.
The Summer Cup 2008 and 2009
Later Chetan Korada gave the summer cup 2008 a shot, driving a Formula Maruti, more of an intermediate-level car. Having a hands-on experience with those cars and took 3 podiums in the summer Cup 2008.
In his second performance at the same competition in 2009, he won 5 out of 6 races along with one 2nd place. This made him win the championship.
16 podium finishes in 2 years and was the winner of round 4 in the JK Tyre national championship.
The national championship experiences of Chetan Korada
After all of this, he was even more inspired when he saw and observed the national-level races. He wished to be there someday.
According to Chetan, when he entered the national championship, the first three rounds were more of a learning curve for him that let him adjust to the car.
In the fourth round, which happened in September, Chetan started 12th on the grid among 21 cars and was pushed down to the 15th position. Within 4 laps, and in approximately 5 minutes, he pushed back 14 cars and came to the front securing his win.
This was surreal to him. It was like a dream come true.
In this, he drove the Formula LGB Swift 2011 in this championship. This car was tough to drive. It was made in such a way that any driver who drives this car can drive any car on the international circuit, according to Chetan.
Role of QNET in Chetan Korada’s successful journey
Chetan Korada got sponsored by QNET (then known as QuestNET). QNET stood by his side and supported and inspired Chetan. QNET told Chetan what he was capable of and that he was no different than anybody else. QNET supported him throughout the national championship in 2011.
Until QNET came into Chetan’s life, he really thought he could not figure out a path towards his dream. QNET helped Chetan to manifest his dream. He discovered QNET when his mother became a part of it in 2001. Chetan also wanted to join it back then, but he was too young to be its part. Chetan was waiting to turn 18 so he could then join QNET as a direct seller.
Chetan derives most of his inspiration from his mother. Chetan’s mother became a part of QNET before him in 2001. Now Chetan himself is a part of QNET as a VC.
Chetan credits his positive life transformation to QNET. He believes that QNET has transformed the lives of a lot of other people too.
Being a racing car driver and a networker, both these aspects went hand in hand for him because the elements that he discovered in racing were like the ones in networking. Such as consistency, focus, determination, managing energy levels, and much more.
Most of all, he was able to stick together with his friends, and that changed his life. It changed him as a person. He started looking at transforming other people’s lives as his new goal.
He believed that if he wanted to achieve his dream of becoming a race car champion, it could only happen with the support of QNET.
