At the RMC (Rotax Max Challenge) International Trophy Asia in Thailand, "the second biggest event in the international karting calendar,” 18-year-old Krish Gupta, son of Karin (née Birdy) and Nikhil, secured the third place, reported his aunt Camellia Birdy. The event on January 18 and 19, 2025 drew 130 drivers "from a total of 21 nations stretching from Canada to Europe, India and Australasia…at the Bira Kart Circuit in Pattaya,” noted the website rotax-racing.com.
Top: Krish Gupta, 3rd from l, with family at Coimbatore, 2024;
above: Krish at the grand finals in Sarno, Italy
"Krish has progressed dramatically in the past year,” according to his aunt giving the highlights of his performance in 2024. At the Dubai Kartdrome Endurance Championship in February 2024, a team challenge that involved 12 hours of non-stop racing, Krish and his team earned the Best Newcomers Team Trophy. He then went on to secure two podium finishes in Round 2 and 5 at the RMC Asia Trophy towards the middle of the year. His second place finish at the newly opened COASTT Karting Circuit in Coimbatore in Round 3 of the FMSCI (Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India) nationals in India came on the eve of his 18th birthday on July 30. "We don’t know who was happier with the result, Krish, or his maternal grandmother Rutty Birdy who specially flew to Coimbatore to watch him race and to celebrate his birthday,” stated Camellia. To see him cross the finish line with the asho farohar and om symbols prominently emblazoned on his helmet and kart invariably brings joy to the family.
Yet another honor was the opportunity to race at the RMC Grand Finals at Circuito Internazionale Napoli in Sarno, Italy, in October which is "the biggest karting event in the world and participation is by invitation only. Krish was invited to race amongst the best in the DD2 (shifter kart class using a two-speed gearbox and a chainless drive system) category based on his performance in the Asia Trophy Championship.
Karting being an expensive sport, plans for the upcoming season are to participate in the FMSCI Nationals 2025 to be held over five rounds in India and/or the RMC Asia Trophy 2025 with a view to earning the invitation once again to race in the Grand Finals to be held in Bahrain this year. The family is hopeful that Krish will find sponsors to enable him to participate in both championships.