Straight drives of a different kind

It was a shutterbug’s delight as three of the greatest cricketers of the modern era shared dais for a sport they are not celebrated for...

It was a shutterbug’s delight as three of the greatest cricketers of the modern era shared dais for a sport they are not celebrated for. Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Waugh, in bright red MRF racing gear set the pace in an address to the media on Saturday, before launching the MRF-MAI Formule Mondiale Championship 2003 tomorrow.

Adding to the galaxy will be former Australian paceman Dennis Lillee, who’ll be doing the honours along with the three superstars at the MRF Danny’s Karting Track at Navalur in the outskirts of the city.

‘‘I’ve been a keen race watcher since childhood, and I’m a Formula One fan,’’ said Tendulkar about his affinity to fast cars. About his expertise and practice on the track, he said ‘‘So far, I’ve just made the mental preparations.’’

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Reminiscing his meeting with F1 ace Michael Schumacher, Tendulkar said, ‘‘Well, he gave me some tips on cricket, and I gave him some on racing.’’

While Lara echoed Tendulkar’s liking for Schumacher, he said he was quite thrilled about tomorrow’s celebrity race (of eight laps) which features the three stars, along with Lillee. ‘‘Sachin and Steve are pretty good at this. But when I see Dennis, I hope to finish third,’’ he jibed.

Waugh said he had fun during this morning’s practice session. ‘‘It’s a new challenge for me and I’m looking forward to it.’’

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