Actress Nivetha Pethuraj turns a car racer!

Actress Nivetha Pethuraj has completed Level 1 of the Formula Race Car Training Program hosted by Momentum – School of Advance Racing.

Confirming the news, actress Nivetha Pethuraj says, “My interest in cars started during my school days. It happened when I was studying in the eighth standard when an aunt in my neighbourhood purchased a sports car. It got me curious about sports cars, and that interest kept growning in me for years.

“In 2015, I purchased a Dodge Challenger sports car, and I was the second girl in UAE to get it. In fact, my father wasn’t happy as he was concerned about the V6 Engine, which has a powerful race engine. Nevertheless, I was confident of driving it. That apart, I have worked in several Dubai Motor shows and these got me interested in brands like Lexus, Rolls Royce, and Chevrolet.

“When I came down to Chennai, I visited a few motor tracks, but never imagined that one day I would be there steering my way. My passion for cars got reignited when BMW approached me to test drive their car for a week.

“When my brother Nishanth and I visited Momentum School in Coimbatore, I was scared if I could make it through. I had to enroll three months earlier for the programme, and each session would have only eight people, and I was the only girl among them.

“As I got used to the tracks, I started feeling more confident, and by the end, my Lap timings were almost on par with the other guys. This has propelled in me a huge lease of self-confidence that Motorsports aren’t just for the men, but women as well. Even now, there aren’t Formula 1 and Formula 2 championships for women, and I hope, it becomes a reality soon.”

Ask Nivetha Pethuraj, if she would be taking part in championships soon. She says, “I have already been approached for many championships. But it requires time and dedication. You need to invest time and effort on track practice. Besides, it’s easy for me to get sponsors as I have become a familiar face in the industry. It’s a costly sport as every race will cost around Rs.15 Lakh. So, I will be getting on with it only if I am interested. For now, my interest and desire are all about completing different levels.”