Varun Choksey is a 24-year-old racing driver from Atlanta, Georgia in the US. He raced with Crosslink & Kiwi Motorsport in F4 US last season and finished in the Top 10 seven times. He’ll be racing in FR Americas this year with TJ Speed. I had the chance to chat with him.
youngdriversmonthly:
Hi Varun! How you’re doing? And how do you keep yourself busy during the winterbreak?
Varun Choksey:
Doing well thanks for asking. I stayed at home in Atlanta for winter break, spending time with family and playing around on the sim.
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YDM:
When and where did you first come into contact with motorsport?
VC:
I’ve been interested in Motorsports as long as I can remember, but my first time getting involved was when I started racing karts at age 12.
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YDM:
What was your personal highlight in karting?
VC:
A race in the rain during my last season of karting stands out in my mind. My teammate and I brought home a 1-2 which we never pulled off before.
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YDM:
Where did you race cars for the first time?
VC:
My first race in a car was in a Nissan 350z at Mid-Ohio in a endurance event. Our team finished P2 in class. My first race in an open wheel car was in F1600 at Mosport.
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YDM:
What or who inspired you to start racing?
VC:
My grandfather used to compete in rallies in India. He’s gifted me a pair of his trophies which are among my most prized possessions.
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YDM:
Last season you raced in Formula 4 US with Crosslink and Kiwi Motorsport. You’ve achieved seven top-ten finishes. Are you happy with the results in your first full single seaters season?
VC:
I think overall I can be happy with last season. There were certainly mistakes that cost me some good results, but I think that’s part of the learning process and to be expected in a rookie season.
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YDM:
How do you spend your free time?
VC:
My hobbies outside of racing include playing soccer and producing music. I’m not bad at cooking either.
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YDM:
What’s your favorite road car?
VC:
It’s either an E46 M3 or a 964.
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YDM:
This season you‘ll debut in FR Americas with the new formed team TJ Speed. What’s the goal for the rookie year?
VC:
My goal is always to progress. Every time you get in the car you have an opportunity to grow and improve. Aside from that I’m looking forward to working with the team. Tim Neff, the team owner, is a really knowledgeable guy and I’m eager to get the season underway.
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YDM:
Which driver have you learned the most from so far?
VC:
I learned a lot from all of my teammates last year. Being able to compare data with them helped me learn faster than I would’ve been able to do otherwise.
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YDM:
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
VC:
In a racecar ;)
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YDM:
In which racing series would you rather compete. F1 or Indy Car?
VC:
I think every driver would want to compete in F1 if they had the opportunity.
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YDM:
How can fans follow your journey in motorsport?
VC:
Be sure to follow me on Instagram: @varunchokseyracing