Parapat (Indonesia), Aug 10: Three-time champion Gaurav Gill swept all six stages on the final day of the Sumatera Utara Rally, while debutant Vaibhav Marathe and rising star Nikeetaa Takkale clinched category titles, ensuring a strong Indian presence in the 2025 FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship on Sunday.
For Gill, the day brought back memories of his breakthrough APRC victory in the same country in 2008. Driving with trademark precision and controlled aggression, the only Indian Arjuna Awardee in motorsport thrilled the sizeable local crowd, bagging full leg points and underlining his pursuit of a fourth APRC crown after his titles in 2013, 2016 and 2018.
Gill suffered a penalty due to a mechanical failure in SS3 on Saturday which eventually denied him a podium here. But he is on his way to the APRC finals in Japan, scheduled from November 6-8.
Gill eventually finished overall sixth.
The spotlight on Sunday belonged to Goa’s Marathe of Team JK Racing and Pune’s Takkale, the only Indian female driver representing Team Vamcy Merla Motorsports.
Making his APRC debut, Marathe, driving alongside experienced co-driver Ashwin Naik for Team JK Racing, stayed composed through the punishing terrain to clinch the RC3 title, his consistent pace and measured approach marking him out as a name to watch.
If Marathe’s win was impressive, Takkale’s performance was nothing short of stirring. In just her second APRC outing, the 24-year-old partnering with Sudhindra Gopalakrishna, stormed to victory in both the RC4 category and the Ladies Class.
Combining finesse with fearlessness, she tackled the tricky Indonesian stages with the poise of a seasoned competitor, sending a powerful message to aspiring women racers back home. Her overall 29th meant she was ahead of 25 men with whom she fought on equal footing.
Aldio Oekon and co-driver Respati Adhi of the DMO Garage Team, in a Hyundai i20 N Rally2, took the overall APRC honours. (PTI)
