WATCH: When Former F1 Driver Narain Karthikeyan Raced in the NASCAR Truck Series

For those unaware of the fact, Narain Karthikeyan took part in a solitary season in the NASCAR Camping Truck Series. The 2010 campaign started off well, and it was ultimately a tremendous learning experience for the Indian-origin racing driver.

Driving for Wyler Racing nearly a decade back, he made a good start to the season with a solid 13th-placed finish in Martinsville. But in the very next race at the Kansas Speedway, Karthikeyan was forced to retire following a crash.

It was unfortunate, to say the least, as he was attempting to build momentum and gain places up the grid. But that Lap 7 accident saw both him and Wes Burton retire from the race, after damage to their respective trucks.

Karthikeyan won the NASCAR Truck Series’ Most Popular Driver award

It was actually a mistake from Burton’s end as he attempted to go for the pass. A suspected loose tire issue saw him make contact with Karthikeyan. And almost instantly, the Indian driver went hurtling into the wall, which ended his race.

Despite the incident at Kansas, he went on to drive in seven more races. He also picked up the ‘Most Popular Driver’ accolade in the division that year. Karthikeyan earlier revealed that his first exposure to NASCAR was courtesy of former F1 driver, Juan Pablo Montoya.

He had previously said, “You hear about NASCAR, obviously. Juan Pablo (Montoya) came here and we were racing together, so I followed him and knew it was big. But you don’t realize just how big it is, the enormity of the whole thing until you get here and see the thing for yourself.”

Narain Karthikeyan also fulfilled his Formula 1 dream

Narain’s primary dream was to race in F1 and he even got the chance to race with the likes of Jordan GP and the HRT Formula 1 Team. He was also signed on as a test driver for the Williams F1 team.

His most significant result came in the 2005 US Grand Prix. He secured a mighty impressive P4 in the race. More importantly though, many believe that Karthikeyan led the way in terms of inspiring young aspiring drivers from India.

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