Copparam Shreyas Hareesh (26 July 2010 – 5 August 2023) was an Indian racing rider. He won[1] the inaugural MiniGP India series in September 2022.[2][3] Shreyas made his National debut in 2021 and got a podium and a victory in his very first year.[4] At the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023 in Lucknow, he was felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 10 February 2023.[5]
Shreyas Hareesh was born in Bengaluru to Copparam Parandaman Hareesh and Sandhya Jayanthi S. He was studying Class 7 in Kensri School in Bengaluru.[6]
Shreyas started his professional motorsports career in 2021 after dabbling with Supercross in 2019. In his first appearance, he won a private event at Adichunchanagiri Mutt in Hassan when he was nine.[7] Shreyas made his National debut in the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship in 2021. After a DNF in the first race, Shreyas went on to win two races and bagged third place[8] five times to finish second in the Championship behind Jinendra Kiran Sangave, the winner. In six of the 10 races, he clocked the fastest lap.[9] In 2022, he also entered the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship and won a race. In September 2022, he became the first FIM MiniGP India Champion beating the early leader Jinendra Sangave.[10] Both of them represented India in the FIM MiniGP World Finals at Valencia from 2 to 3 November.[11] In 2023, he won the first four races in the TVS one-make Rookie class.[12] He was scheduled to take part in the Malaysian Superbikes Championship at Sepang in August 2023 for team CRA Motorsports in the 250cc category.[13]
Shreyas Hareesh died on 5 August 2023 after a crash in the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship in the Rookie category of the TVS one-make championship race at the Madras International Circuit.[14][15][16][17] He was cremated at the Hebbal Crematorium in Bengaluru on 7 August 2023 after a ceremony at his residence in Sahakaranagar[18] where family and friends paid their last respects.