"I wear a Farohar round my neck and even have one on my go-kart and helmet to protect me when I’m racing,” says Krish, son of Karin (née Birdy) and Nikhil Gupta. After earning first place in the senior overall championship at the FMSCI (The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India) Pro Karting Race in Ahmedabad, Krish is now readying for The National Rotax Karting championship to be held in Bangalore from July to October 2023, noted an email from his proud maasi (maternal aunt) Camellia Birdy enclosing a copy of his "lookbook” that has recorded his year long journey in Indian and international karting.
The 16-year-old student of Ascend International School in Bombay who has appeared for his Grade X examination states in his lookbook that after the Covid 19 lockdown, "the Ajmera IndiKarting Track at Wadala offered me one of the few opportunities to be outdoors. I, who used to enjoy karting as a pastime with my friends, began spending more time at the track honing my skills. The coaches at the track recognized my enthusiasm and passion for the sport and… asked me to participate in the National Rotax Max Karting Championship over five weekends in Bangalore. This is the highest level of karting in the country… This participation was to purely gain experience on a different track and against more seasoned drivers.”
Clockwise from above: Krish Gupta at the IndiKarting event; sporting a helmet with Om and asho farohar symbols;
Rutty and Camellia Birdy, Krish and Karin Gupta
Simultaneously he also participated in the IndiKarting event at the Wadala track conducted by FMSCI where he achieved "a podium finish in each race except for one senior race…and overall third place in the championship.” Subsequently he was fortunate to participate in the IMAE Series R7 and thereafter at the Rotax Max Challenge Asia Festival, both events in Malaysia last year.
Currently he trains under Steve Hodges and Saurav Bandyopadhyay of Rayo Racing. He was able to impress Bandyopadhyay with his "intelligent approach towards the sport. Whether it’s about kart set-up or analyzing his mistakes or learning how to work with the technical team efficiently, he is always thinking, analyzing and finding ways to get better. In his first season in the National Championship, he was able to outperform many racers in the country who have been in the sport much longer. We are excited to see what he does in the 2023 season.”
"Racing has become my passion and has changed me as a person. I am more focused both mentally and physically. My free time is spent testing at the track, strategizing with my coach before an event, traveling for races in India and abroad, and striving to perfect my skills as a driver,” stated Krish.
Responding to Parsiana’s query about the Parsi influences in his life, Krish acknowledged, "My only living grandparent is my Parsi granny (Rutty Birdy), ‘Nana,’ whose stories and anecdotes during my growing up years have taught me a lot about Parsis and their outlook in life. I love the Parsi values, spirit and enthusiasm.”