NEW DELHI, April 24: India's premier motor race driver Narain Kartikeyan is currently tied at the 11th spot in driver's standings in the Autosport British Formula-3 Championships, according to reports received here.Kartikeyan, who is supported by General Motors and Kingfisher, encountered mixed fortunes in rounds two and three. His best race so far was at Thruxton, where he finished ninth.
Qualifying in the 12th spot out of a grid of 23 cars with a time of 1:09.440, Kartikeyan, driving a Dallara F398 Spiess-Opel, slowly inched his way past Paula Cook of DC Cook Motorsport on Lap four and then passed Adam Wilcox on Lap six into the ninth place, and hung on there.
Later, in the third round race at Silverstone, Narain had to retire on the 10th lap due to a shunt by David Cook in the opening lap of the race. "I was inside the `copse' and David shut the door on me and took my front lining, bending my front wishbone in the process," a dejected Kartikeyan said.
His next round is in Brand's Hatch on April26.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
