From Circus to Circuit, a different lane..
(The above copy was published in Indian Express on June 12, 2012) It shouldn’t surprise anyone that he cannot do without his adrenaline rush. That more than anywhere else, he feels at home within the confines of his speedy four-wheelers. That Ameya Walwalkar’s idea of a routine day out mainly involves him notching up supersonic speeds in his race-cars. Setting breakneck paces and then trying his best to outdo them. After all very few would have gotten an opportunity to dabble with their wild side—quite literally—like Walwalkar did almost from the time he learned to walk. While his peers spent their youth indulging in the otherwise routine and mundane activities of youth, the 31-year-old Mumbaikar grew up feeding lions, running around with exotic and rare birds and riding atop elephants. All just for kicks. The Walwalkars, starting with the late Narayan Rao Walwalkar—Ameya’s grandfather—have owned and run The Great Royal Circus (GRC) for close to 50 years now. It’s no ordinary ...