Bangalore boy C S Santhosh, who is the first Indian to rank fourth in Asian Motocross Championship, explains why he's fascinated by speed and stunts
Bangalore boy C S Santhosh, who is the first Indian to rank fourth in Asian Motocross Championship, explains why he's fascinated by speed and stuntsu00a0u00a0 
"Biking has been my passion ever since I was a kid," claims CS Santhosh, who has been racing since the age of 19. A dream to conquer the racing circuit has won him many accolades in national and international racing circuits.
First wheelie
He got his first motorbike when he was in college. "I started hanging around at workshops, and garages and learnt a lot," he grins. But his parents weren't amused.u00a0
"I had to face a lot of opposition from my family when I started racing. My parents were not comfortable with the risk factor. They've gradually come to understand that the sport means a lot to me. In fact, they attend some of my races now. I feel lucky because racing as a sport needs plenty of encouragement," he says.
Some bikers love speed while others prefer to master the skills. Santhosh is a happy combination of both extremes. "When I was in school, I used to ride a bicycle and I enjoyed practicing wheelies, jumps and other stunts. I figured out that racing was what I wanted to. By the time I got my first motorbike, I was itching to start testing out my skills," he adds.
Santhosh's first dirt rally race was at Hyderabad and he won it. He was chosen by the TVS Group and has been representing them in national and international competitions over the last six years.u00a0
Scroll of honour
He has won over 25 first place finishes (race wins) in national motocross and dirt track races, and almost twice as many podium finishes. Santhosh has been national champion in various classes, which include Foreign Open Champion Supercross 2005, Dirt Track Champion 2005, Indian Experts Champion 2007, 2008 National Dirt Track Champion and Gulf Clash of Titans.u00a0
He also won the MRF Supercross Challenge (Indian expert and foreign open). He currently leads in the Gulf Dirt Track championship and MRF Supercross Championship.
"My best race so far was at the Asian Motocross Championship last year. I finished the race in the fourth position. I am the first Indian to be in the top five positions in the championship, and that meant a lot to me," he says.
Riding is liberating
"While racing, the adrenalin rush is great, but what keeps me going is the fact that I enjoy what I am doing. I find riding very liberating. I also love competition. Challenges excite me," he confesses.
The sport comes with it fair share of accidents. "I broke my collarbone while racing in Dubai. I had to fly back to India the next day, in that condition. It was certainly not comfortable," he says.
Santhosh practises thrice a week in an open field, and spends three days concentrating on fitness training. He makes frequent trips to Australia, where his training buddy Daniel McCoy of Team Honda, helps him fine tune his skills.u00a0
When he finds time, Santhosh plays soccer. " I get together with old pals and we have a great time on the field chasing the ball," he says.u00a0
Aiming high
His sights are fixed on the Asian Motocross Championship next year. "I love the stunts involved in this sport. I'm hoping to master one of the classics like Kiss of Death. I also hope to be the first Indian to jump 200ft above buses and cars," he says, earnestly.
Explaining that recession has taken a toll on the sport as sponsorships have dried up, he says, "There are usually 10 races a yearu20135 dirt track races and 5 super cross races in India. But last year due to the financial meltdown, we didn't have a single race. We are not sure if we'll have any this year too."
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