CHENNAI (India), July 7: Sachin Tendulkar and three other leading cricketers went high-speed racing Michael Schumacher-style over the weekend and emerged with honours shared — thanks to the Indian superstar.

Tendulkar, Test captains Steve Waugh of Australia and Brian Lara of the West Indies, and former Australian fast bowling great Dennis Lillee took part in a go-karting race here on Sunday.

The event, which preceded the national go-karting championship, was organised by the tyre company which sponsors the bats of the three current cricketers and Lillee’s fast bowling academy.

Dressed in racing suits and helmets, the four cricketers raced around the track in 800cc engine-propelled cars to the delight of some 5,000 fans and a horde of photographers.

As Waugh’s car developed snags and Lara and Lillee crashed into each other, Tendulkar was headed for an easy win when he stopped close to the finish line to allow the others to join him and finish the race together.

“Steve was unlucky, otherwise he could have proved to be as tough on the track as he is on a cricket ground,” a beaming Tendulkar said.

Go-karting, a poor cousin of Formula One, is run on 800cc engines and has become a craze across India.

Waugh took time off from preparing for the short series against Bangladesh, and Lara jetted in from the West Indies after competing against Sri Lanka to join Tendulkar for the event.

“More than the love for racing, it was the love for one another that brought us together,” Lara said.

Tendulkar, a racing fan, was gifted a Ferrari by Schumacher when they met in England last year during India’s Test tour.—AFP