After surviving a shootout, Mehrotra, 35, emerged victorious in a very competitive field. He eventually defeated Vedenev Alexey of Kyrgyzstan by a margin of two lengths.

Tarushi Vikram from Chikmagaluru made her international debut for India with a silver medal finish in the Asian Auto Gymkhana Championship, which was held at the Bandaragama sports complex on Saturday in conjunction with the FIA Asia-Pacific Motorsport Championship 2025. Meanwhile, Achintya Mehrotra, India’s motorsport star, had a memorable outing in his promising career as he ended up winning a gold medal.

After surviving a shootout, Mehrotra, 35, emerged victorious in a very competitive field. He eventually defeated Vedenev Alexey of Kyrgyzstan by a margin of two lengths.

also read ; Abhishek Sharma Sets Asia Cup Record With 309 Runs

“I improved to 1:05 in the shootout after completing the circuit in 1:10 on the last trip. But I knew I would get a two-second penalty since I knocked down a cone in the process. I concentrated on keeping my tempo and flow and didn’t slow down. It ultimately enabled me to defeat Vedenev by a slim margin. “I’m overjoyed to have won a gold medal,” Mehrotra remarked, while her countryman Prateek Dalal of Bahadurgarh, Haryana, placed 13th.

Despite early setbacks, 21-year-old Tarushi Vikram remained composed to finish second in the women’s division and earn her first medal in an international tournament. “This is my first Gymkhana event abroad. Since it’s a factory automatic Hyundai i10, I simply needed some time to adjust to the track conditions and the vehicle. Holding the Indian flag on the podium made me feel proud, and this silver medal means the world to me,” Tarushi remarked.

Mehrotra and Tarushi Vikram will compete for medals in the APMC portion of the Gymkhana event on Sunday, which will add to the action.

Karting Sprint: Leading up to Sunday’s Pre-Final and Finals, Indians excelled in the Karting Sprint event as well, putting up steady performances in all three classes: Cadet, Junior, and Senior. The three Indian competitors in the Cadet class—12-year-old Rehan Khan Rasheed from Chennai, 8-year-old Arshi Gupta from Faridabad, and B Rayan Gouda from Bengaluru—all finished in the top 10 in every session, while Mumbai’s Kiaan Shah was outstanding in winning Heat 1.

“Seeing our kids perform well in the karting sprint and get in the top ten is encouraging. Tomorrow’s medal count for India looks promising, according to Karting Team Manager Prabha Shankar.

Autocross: The top Indian performer in the Autocross (Crosscar) was Chetan Shivram (Bengaluru), a former National Rally champion who finished third overall to earn a spot in the round of 16. His countryman Phillippos Matthai (New Delhi) came in fifth, and Pragathi Gowda (Bengaluru) has not yet been confirmed.

E-Sports: Sahil Khanna from Gurugram, India’s only competitor in the Assetto Corsa category, fought hard but was unable to advance to the final round.