Veena Narendran Creates History as First Lady Clerk of the Course in Indian Motorcycle Racing

By B David

Chennai, 9 Sept, 2025: The third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle
Racing Championship 2025 at the Madras International Circuit marked a historic moment in Indian
motorsport when Veena Narendhran took charge as Clerk of the Course (CoC). With this assignment,
she became the first woman in the country to officiate in the crucial role in motorcycle racing,
breaking new ground in a sport traditionally dominated by men.

It is worth noting that Nawaz Bathena, former rally driver, who used to compete on equal footing with
men, earlier created history as the first Indian woman to serve as CoC at an Indian National Rally
Championship round in Chandigarh in 2004 which was won by privateer Lohit Urs (Bonny Thomas)
and she did it again in 2011 at Bhubaneswar where Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif) won. Coming back to
Veena, she now brings pioneering work to the racetrack, as women rise in the leadership space of
circuit racing at the national level. Though she helped fly the 1Women in Motorsports’ flag high, her
rise may be attributed to determination, discipline and dedication, and not just the concept created by
FIA to fund National federations.

Known for its innovative ideas, international standards of infrastructure and strict safety measures, the
Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) continues to attract attention with its many features, whether it
be digital flags, permanent pits, multiple track layouts or the ability to conduct five different fmsci
Nationals—rallying, racing, drag, sprint and autocross. It has also been the stage for the Asian Road
Racing Championship, the FIM Rally Star Cup and many more… It was the venue of the first
FISSME National Championship in the 1990s… that continued the legacy of Sholavaram.

Veena’s appointment is no accident. With more than 15 years of hands-on expertise and over 500
events to her credit, from Asia Pacific Rally Championship rounds to supercar extravaganzas, she
brings unmatched experience to the race control room. She realises that she needs to keep on
improvising. Her international exposure includes officiating at the Formula E World Championship
Hyderabad E Prix 2023, assisting as CoC at the Indian Racing Festival night street circuit in Chennai
in 2024, and key roles in Asia Road Racing Championship, T1 Truck Racing, Rotax Karting
Nationals and national racing championships across formats.

She also holds the rare distinction of being India’s only woman to possess the coveted FIM license for
both international steward and international COC, scoring a centum in official exam, a credential that
underlines her standing in motorsport officiating. Alongside, Veena has entrepreneurial credentials as
Founder of Redline Racing India. Through Redline, she helped MMSC introduce a new category of
racing, the one-make series with Toyota cars, expanding opportunities for young drivers to enter
competitive racing, under the mentorship of Vicky Chandhok, the motorsports legend, who brought
F1 to India. While the guru weaves around his magic with a happy-go-lucky attitude, the sishya walks
on the dotted line with military discipline. Dig out a bit, you can understand the upbringing from a
colonel from EME (Electronics and Mechanical Engineers) who played a crucial role in kindling her
interest in automobiles. But the byproduct is discipline and dedication. This exposure of being from
an Army background helped her survive the rigours of a tough motorsport world. Thanks to father and
Colonel Ramachandran! The unsung HERO!

She married Narendhran, a former Indian national racing champion. An aggressive and attacking
driver in his hey days, and the motorsport bug in him continues, as he still races in saloon cars apart
from his duties as the safety and medical car pilot at the Madras International Circuit. This writer has
even experienced the thrill of the speed maestro’s hot laps around the Chennai track, which he knows
like the back of his hand. But when it comes to rules and regulations, it is Veena who calls the shots.
Her motorsport journey has been steady and organic. Having worked her way up through various official roles, she has built a reputation for accuracy, reliability and mastery of regulations. She is also
an active member of the Women in Motorsports initiative, inspiring a new generation of female
drivers, and pushing officials to step into leadership roles.

Her knowledge of regulations has often made her a reference point for journalists and competitors
alike, much like senior official Shyam Kumar of Coimbatore, who was the Steward during her debut
weekend. Kumar himself has been highly gauged on a scale set by the late Nazir Hussain, revered for
his unmatched memory of rule books. On one occasion in 2020, when this writer approached Kumar
with a difficult query, he responded instantly with the page number and a digital printout of the
relevant General Prescription, in Itanagar where he held a triple role of Chief Steward, Safety Officer
and fmsci Observer. The triple role was a first in fmsci history, so was the Digital Steward, that Zayn
Khan did in guiding Kumar, for that INRC round sitting in Hyderabad… also an innovation.

Veena has impressed many in the fraternity, with her straight-forward no-nonsense approach. This
reporter recalls her commanding presence when she addressed young women riders and drivers during
a Women in Motorsports programme at MMSC. Surrounded by stalwarts, she stood out as a shining
star with her clarity, knowledge and grasp of the realities, including gender bias in motorsport.

Running a national championship round involves micro-managing nearly 20 races along with practice
and qualifying sessions spread over four days, a task that demands not just technical knowledge but
also calm leadership and sharp decision-making under pressure. Veena’s initiation into motorsport
dates back several years, with the South India Rally among the early events where her passion and
professionalism first stood out. Her steady rise has now earned her a role that now requires mastering
tech. Being a generation apart, it is not fair to compare with Nawaz Bathena, long regarded as one of
the finest minds in Indian motorsport. Insiders believe that with her proven track record, international
exposure and the ability to adapt to the complexities of race track politics, dynamics and safety issues,
she is well positioned to go beyond expectations in the years ahead, if she continues to perform to her
potential without distractions.

Speaking about the milestone, Veena Narendhran said, “I am deeply grateful to Mr Vicky Chandhok
and the Madras Motor Sports Club for entrusting me with this responsibility, and to my mentor, Mr
Farhan Vohra, who has guided and nurtured me to handle this role with confidence. His vast
knowledge of race control and regulations has been invaluable in shaping my understanding. This
opportunity is not just a personal achievement but also a reflection of the faith my mentors and the
motorsport community have placed in me.” Vohra has been the first race director of the Indian F1 who
trained scores of officials and marshals. And this writer’s wife, a Welfare Marshal at that F1 race, still
proudly owns a Vohra-autographed Indian F1 t-shirt.

“I also thank Manoj (Dalal) uncle and Prabha (Shankar) sir, but for whose support I would not be here
and not to forget all my colleagues at MMSC,” added Veena.

“At MMSC, we take pride in our equal-opportunity motorsport environment that’s vibrant,
empowering, inclusive and gender-agnostic,” Mr. Prabha Shankar, Honorary Secretary, Madras Motor
Sports Club, felt.

While her debut as CoC in motorcycle racing is a landmark in itself, the bigger challenge lies ahead,
delivering on the demands of safety, precision and fairness that define the role. Her decision to Red
Flag a race where a lady rider crashed, may have come a wee bit late on that debut Sunday, but her
will power to quickly learn and unlearn, should stand her in good stead in future. For Indian
motorsport, however, Veena Narendhran’s historic moment is not just about breaking barriers but also
about building confidence that more women can lead from the front, in one of the most-demanding
sporting arenas.

My story would be incomplete without the tiny toddlers, who are banned on the track without an
accompanying adult, but these two grew up loving cats and dogs and not just race tracks and speed! I
am a fan of animals too, and who else to follow when roaming around race tracks. Sindy and Anand
are two other officials/riders, who were bugged by motorsports. And naturally they are my friends…
their offspring, is my first friend too. Then there is this little girl, a nine-year old vibrant bundle of joy.
Both together, …once enquired if I had a cat at home. By mistake, I said “yes”. They offered to make
my cat feel at home and created a house for my CAT! Before I replied yes or no, they ran away. But it
was deadline time and my boss, Mr. Anand Philar (who was also my sports editor at Indian Express
for over a decade) is eager to know where I disappeared, I murmured something and came down from
C2 (the tower at MMSC), in time to the media centre at C1, to proof read and pass the Press Release.
Military training or no training, my boss is more punctual than any other defence dude. Press Release
has to go on time… Period! I managed to edit and release the final copy… and Bingo the CAT
HOUSE, made with card board cartons by the two kids, was ready. And we had this inimitable
character Srinivaasa Krishnan, the global photo editor of motorsports.com, who shot the pics of the
Cat House, with the TWO CREATORS, Mridini Andal Narendhran and her able, ever-willing
lieutenant, the Jr. Anand.

The sacrifices families and children make, are no mean achievement, and all motorsport stakeholders
should acknowledge them, just like they thank every sponsor, every time!