India 20 November 2016: Nayan endured a nightmare Sunday that threw him out of contention of the Euro JK16 championship in the finale at the Buddh International Circuit. He completed the championship in third place.
Nayan had a promising start to the weekend, qualifying second on Friday and following up with two podium finishes on Saturday, with the results of Race 2 where he finished 2nd lifting him to second in the title battle.
But his hopes were punctured in Race 3 after one of his tyres suffered what appeared to be disintegration. He consequently fell down the order and eventually retired. This wiped out his hopes to fight for the title. As a result he had to start Race 4 from near the back of the grid, making up two places to finish eighth.
In Nayan's own words 'Sunday summed up the second half of the Euro JK16 series really. Had a lot of hope when I went to bed on Saturday but it went nowhere in the last 2 races. I had some issues with the tyres but that's a part of motorsport. I felt luck wasn't on my side at all. I had three DNFs this season so I finished 3rd in the championship Think that tells a story. Special thanks to JK Tyre for the opportunity, Mr Akbar Ebrahim (of Meco Motorsports) for guiding me all the way, my family, and my crew who have been with me through the grind.''
Despite these obstacles, Nayan can take some satisfaction from the four wins he picked up during the championship. He ends 2016 having had a good season where he won second position overall at the KRS KKS Asia Max Challenge in just his rookie year. The win solidified his position as one of the best kart racers in Asia. Additionally, Nayan qualified for the final race of the prestigious Rok Cup International Final, and was the only Indian to participate in the Senior category! Nayan is also due to take part in at least one round of the newly launched F4 South East Asia Championship.