Krish Gupta Wins National Rotax Karting Championship Title

Rayo Racing’s Krish Gupta has been crowned National Rotax Karting Champion after securing the title with a podium finish in the Senior Category at the sixth and final round of the FMSCI National Karting Championship. Gupta finished the campaign on 428 points, ahead of Pune’s Arjun Chheda of Crest Motorsport on 415 and Bengaluru’s Akshat Misra on 414.

The title was Gupta’s maiden National Rotax Karting crown and came after a difficult start to the decisive round. He qualified 16th, but recovered through the heats, pre-final and final to protect and extend his championship advantage. The result also earned him the opportunity to officially represent India at the Rotax World Finals in Portimao, Portugal.

Recovery from 16th sets up Gupta’s title-winning day

Gupta began the final round in a challenging position after qualifying well down the order in 16th. He responded strongly in both heats, completing 10 overtakes in each race to finish sixth on both occasions. Those recoveries moved him into a much stronger position for the pre-final, which carried championship points.

Starting sixth in the pre-final, Gupta made a fast start and moved up three places to third. He then advanced into second midway through the race and held that position until the chequered flag. Chennai’s Eshanth Vengatesan of MSport won the pre-final, while Gupta’s second-place finish added valuable points to his championship total.

The pre-final result put Gupta on the front row for the final. He started second but dropped to third at the start. Gupta fought back to regain second before ultimately crossing the line third. Vengatesan won the final, with Bengaluru’s Ruhaan Alva of MSport taking second and Gupta completing the podium.

That third-place finish was enough for Gupta to extend his lead and seal the championship. Chheda finished the season 13 points behind the champion, while Misra was one point further back in third, underlining the close contest for the places behind Gupta.

National crown brings Rotax World Finals opportunity

Gupta’s championship success gives him a place at the Rotax World Finals in Portimao, Portugal. The event will bring together champions from more than 56 countries to compete for the world title, providing the new Indian national champion with an international opportunity following his domestic triumph.

After clinching the title, Gupta thanked the people around him for their support. “It feels great to finally be a National Champion. I really want to thank my parents, my team and mechanics,” he said.

For Gupta, the final round required sustained recovery after the setback in qualifying. His two sixth-place heat results, second place in the points-paying pre-final and third place in the final delivered the consistency required to finish the championship on top. The 428-point total confirmed his first National Rotax Karting Championship title and secured his path to the World Finals.

Vengatesan’s pre-final and final victories and Alva’s second place in the final shaped the closing round, but Gupta’s run across the day ensured the overall championship remained his. The Rayo Racing driver now heads into the next stage of his season as India’s official representative for the Rotax World Finals.