Ashrita’s Latest Record-No Drag!

This past Thursday, 6 March, 2008, I was fortunate and grateful to be part of the crew, along with Homagni and Medur, who helped Ashrita with his latest Guinness World Record. He currently holds 79 records including the record of holding the most records. The record that he was attempting to break today was to push a car more than 12 miles within a 24 hour period. Ashrita had practiced quite a bit in New York and here in New Jersey at a flat and straight car raceway. It was a quarter mile ‘drag strip’ at the Old Bridge Raceway Park in New Jersey where he would attempt to push a small car which had to weigh at least 1600 pounds or 726 Kg. This car weighed a little over 1800 pounds or 817 Kg., almost one ton.

It was our friend Homagni’s birthday that day and he was the designated driver for most of the record. I gladly took over ‘driving’ for him after the first three and a half hours during which Ashrita still had not taken a break. It was a very peaceful, relatively warm and sunny day out at the race track which is usually bustling with activity and noise. The race cars usually travel here at hundreds of miles per hour along this short strip of flat concrete. Ashrita’s car was travelling about 3 miles per hour, but was much more peaceful, quiet, and fuel conserving than the dragsters. You could say that it was an ‘eco-friendly’ record.

He had to push the car along the shoulder of the drag strip because the main part of the track was so sticky from the melted rubber of the tires and the chemicals they spray for traction during the races. Your shoes almost stick to the pavement as you walk along the track, which is not very conducive to pushing cars manually. I started out by walking in front of the car to look for dangerous metal pieces which could cause a flat tire, something that Ashrita could not afford during this very serious world record attempt in which every second counted. I found at least 30 bits of metal including screws and bolts and even pieces of broken gears from some of the race cars.

I did get to steer the car for over an hour, during which he broke the old record of 12 miles. It was very peaceful and thrilling to ‘drive’ a car in this way: nice and slow, with no noise or exhaust fumes or traffic. Ashrita passed the old record of 12 miles only after a little over four hours of pushing. He finally took a little to eat at this time, only having drank water up to that point. Although he started tiring quickly after that and getting a bit sore in the hip and arms, he did not really take any breaks even though he could have stopped as much as he wanted to.

Three different groups of people also came during the six hours and ten minutes that it took him to push the car a total of 17 miles. There were two local newspapers with reporters, photographers and a videographer, all who took sincere interest in Ashrita’s endeavors. They asked very insightful questions and were quite happy and entertained as they followed along with Ashrita. He was also quite pleased with their presence as it inspired him to think of all the reasons that he was expending so much energy, instead of dwelling on his tiredness and soreness.

The third group that came to interview him and photograph him was the Raceway Park’s officials who were with the newspaper which they publish regularly to a wide audience of racing fans. The officials at the Raceway Park have been very kind to Ashrita, allowing him to practice there a few times and not charging him to use the track for the record as well. The reporters were also very kind and considerate as they followed him for a few laps.

Ashrita stopped at 17 miles after six hours and ten minutes of pushing the car, breaking the old record by a full five miles. He could have gone longer as he had a full 24 hours at his disposal, but we wanted to get back to New York for Homagni’s birthday party. I am sure that Ashrita did not mind stopping when he did though, as he was quite tired and sore, but happy and grateful at the same time.

The whole experience was very uplifting to me and all those who came to witness this incredible spiritual athlete push himself and a car to another world record. But he did not do it with the aggressive or egotistic attitude of a self-centered star athlete. His demeanor is always very kind, mild and humble. He strives with much dedication and focus, always considerate of those around him. He makes you feel that you are as important to the record as he is. His perspective on why he is doing such unusual events is never lost in the glory of his incredible achievements.

Ashrita knows and demonstrates quite clearly that his achievements are not merely for self-glorification. Rather they are to achieve a personal self-transcendence inspired by his mentor and Guru Sri Chinmoy who has himself achieved amazing feats of self-transcendence in many fields during his 76 years on earth serving humanity.

I am all gratitude to them both: Sri Chinmoy for bring the best out of those who aspire inwardly and outwardly, and Ashrita for showing us that we can achieve things beyond what we may imagine is possible, as long as we have faith and dedication in our action.

Gratefully,

Arpan