New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) Indian GT Racer Akshay Gupta, is set to become the second Indian driver to participate in the Dubai 24 Hours race. Gupta follows the trailblaze by renowned Indian actor Ajith Kumar, who previously made the headlines returning to professional racing at Dubai 24 Hours.
The 2025 edition of the race will see a total of 65 cars with 6 different classes. This event will mark the 20th staging of 24H Dubai, to be held at Dubai Autodrome. Gupta will be racing with the German racing team AsBest Racing behind the wheel of a Seat Cupra Leon TCR car in the TCE Class where the competition is scarce. There are 3 total entries in the class and Gupta’s car will be starting on pole position. The 32-year-old will be joined by the Japanese Junichi Umemoto, German Lutz Obermann, Swedish Henrik Sandell and Nadir Zuhour from UAE in car number 102. The race will go on non stop for 24-hours where the drivers will keep taking turns in a relay format.
Commenting on his participation, Akshay Gupta shared, “I wanted to do this race back in 2016. I got a call from AsBest on Monday to know if I was available and I jumped on the opportunity. The TCR car is an upgrade from the production cars I race in the Nurburgring Endurance Championship. They have more power, weigh lesserand have a lot more downforce. Additionally, I have not yet done a full 24 hour race, so, there is a lot of firsts for me and it will warm me up for the 2025 NLS championship scheduled for March end!”
Akshay Gupta is a trailblazing Indian racing driver and tech entrepreneur who has defied obstacles to achieve success in both realms. Born with clubfoot, Akshay has overcome physical challenges to excel in motorsports. His racing career began in 2010, with notable milestones including becoming the Vice Champion in VT2-F Class in Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie in 2024 with the Hyundai i30N (2 race wins and 4 podiums), Runner-up at the 2013 National Championship season finale at Buddh International Circuit for Toyota
Akshay now competes in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, inspiring a new generation of Indian drivers. His determination, resilience, and passion for racing make him a shining star in Indian motorsports.