The Indian F1 driver is in talks with a number of teams to land a position in the American single-seater racing.

The only Indian F1 driver Narian Karthikeyan is understood to have set his sights on IndyCar for the 2013 season, following the demise of the HRT racing team.

The Spanish-based HRT announced last month that the team was up for sale and was looking for a new buyer.

However, the racing team could not find any takers and eventually failed to cough up the entry fees for the 2013 season by the said deadline.

Veteran racer Pedro de la Rosa and Indian Narain Karthikeyan  were HRT’s drivers last season, but both finished in the bottom two of the drivers’ standings.

So, now with F1 plans on hold, the 36-year old Narian Karthikeyan is having preliminary talks with a  number of teams, including Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Autosport to land a position in the American single-seater racing for the 2013 season.

“Up until now, the focus has been on F1, but now is the time to look seriously at alternatives. I want to continue to race single-seaters and, outside of F1, IndyCar is the best option,” Karthikeyan said.

The racing driver has a partial budget to bring from longtime sponsor Tata Motors and said he could strike a deal with an IndyCar team if there’s an opportunity that would provide sufficient preparation.

“Getting a test would be a good first step and a chance to adapt to the car and see where we are. I know there aren’t dozens of paid IndyCar drives, but it’s a big series and it’s growing, so there’s the chance to race professionally after the first year. We’re still just talking for now,” Karthikeyan further added.

Outside of F1, Karthikeyan has previously raced in NASCAR Trucks in 2012, where he made a total of nine appearance and a 11th position at the Texas Texa Motor Speedway went down as his best result.

Though there is big difference in NASCAR and IndyCar, the fastest Indian drives hopes the oval racing experience he has under his belt will do him good.

source: http://www.leadindianews.com  / Home / Monday, January 28th, 2013