Chennai, Nov 26 (IANS) Karun Chandhok has become the first Indian to be invited to join the prestigious British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC). The BRDC is world’s most elite club and its membership includes only a select few International drivers from outside of Britain.

Club Secretary of the BRDC Stuart Pringle said: “The BRDC is a club for the very best racing drivers from Great Britain and the Commonwealth. Karun is the first Indian driver to meet the exacting entry requirements of success in international motor sport, but I am quite sure he just the first of many of his countrymen and women.

“Karun does not just meet the entry criteria for the club, he surpasses them by someway and we are delighted to welcome him as a member of the Club.”

In a press release, Chandhok said he was delighted to join the exclusive club.

“To be a member of the BRDC is our racing equivalent of becoming a member of the MCC at Lord’s in Cricket or the All England Lawn Tennis club at Wimbledon. I feel very proud to be the first person from my country to join the BRDC.”

“Racing in the UK has been a huge part of my life and my career and it’s a great feeling to be recognized by the people over here. The BRDC is based at Silverstone which is pretty much my home circuit until we get the Indian Grand Prix in 2011. I used to work here at the racing school during my F3 days and got to know more about the BRDC and appreciate how important and exclusive membership to the club is.”

The story of the BRDC started way back in the days of the famous Bentley team that so effectively, and romantically, dominated the racing scene - Le Mans in particular - during the late 1920s.

The current president of the BRDC is the 1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill.

The entry criteria to the club remains very strict with full membership offered only to those men and women who have attained international success over a number of seasons.