Tarushi Vikram is an Indian motorsport competitor from Chikkamagaluru whose 2025 season quietly marked a turning point, even if she did not fully realise it while living through it. Competing across racing, auto gymkhana, and rallying, she spent the year moving between disciplines that demand different instincts, different rhythms, and a steady mind. That adaptability became her defining trait as she stepped onto an international stage for the first time.
The season’s biggest moment came early, when she was selected to represent India at the Asia Auto Gymkhana Championship and the Asia Pacific Motorsports Championship in Sri Lanka. What followed exceeded even her own expectations. “Getting selected to represent India at the Asia Auto Gymkhana Championship and going for the Asia Pacific Motorsports Championship in Sri Lanka, representing India, and coming second in the AAGC and APMC— I really did not see that coming,” she said. The silver medal marked a strong international debut and placed her second overall in the Asia-Pacific segment of the championship, a result that immediately elevated her profile within Indian motorsport.
Back home, the confidence carried into domestic competition. One race in particular stands out as a snapshot of her growing racecraft. Starting from the back of the grid, she carved through the field with urgency and control. “The last round, where I started from pitlane and finished P1, closing a gap of almost around 10 seconds, I think, within the span of eight laps, overtaking on the eighth lap and coming first, with a gap of almost half a second,” she recalled. It was a drive built on patience rather than desperation, a trait she has had to learn deliberately this year.
Rallying offered a different test. At the Indu Chandhok Memorial South India Rally, she finished 12th overall fastest in the Super Special Stage, holding her own against more experienced names. Across disciplines, the unexpected challenge was not technical. “Learning to deal or manage my emotions and staying calm and mentally strong,” she said. “I've observed this in rallying, racing and gymkhana.” It is an insight that suggests a driver thinking beyond lap times.
Away from competition, the season gave her something simpler. “Friendships- with fellow competitors and fellow drivers,” she said, pointing to the community that forms around long weekends and shared pressure. As the calendar winds down, she is looking forward to “spending time with my family and enjoying the peace and quiet at home in Chikmagalur, with my dogs.”
The season is not finished yet, with one round of racing and two rallies still to come. Her goal for next year is understated and telling: “Complete all stages of all the rallies.” Progress, for Tarushi Vikram, is being built one finish at a time.
