At the racing track of Chennai, Deepa S John kept her mind focused, with only one goal — to perform well.
For the Thiruvananthapuram native, the race was about personal satisfaction rather than a podium finish in a championship. While navigating the tough corners and stiff competitions, little did she know that she was driving into history at the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2025, held at the Madras International Circuit in January.
Representing DTS Racing India in the Superstock category, Deepa became the first-ever Malayali woman and second woman to earn a podium finish in the category, that too in a national championship in her debut year.
Wait for the driver’s seat
Deepa’s fascination with cars began early. As a child, she closely followed motorsport events on television. An athletics enthusiast as well, she followed her passion and chose to study Automobile Engineering at SRM University in Chennai. “It will not be an exaggeration if I say that I waited to turn 18 so that I could get my license and start driving,” Deepa laughs.
“Never did my parents raise their eyebrows when I wanted to go into automobile engineering, or decided to pursue racing professionally. Even when society attributes certain things to men only, my parents never treated my elder brother and me differently. That keeps me driving, both literally and figuratively,” she says.
During her college days, Deepa began recreational karting as a getaway from academic woes. The right person at the right time was Sachin Santhosh, Deepa’s college-mate-turned-life-mate and her staunch support pillar. Slowly, her interest grew with every carting session she attended there.
Even after taking up a job in a private firm, her connection with cars never slowed. “My first job was also in an automobile company, which fuelled my passion further. Meanwhile, Sachin and I used to take part in regional karting contests,” she adds, recalling her participation and wins in regional contests held at Vadodara and Mumbai.
The breakthrough
The first breakthrough in her racing career came in 2021, with the return of Formula Woman, an international initiative to support women motorsports enthusiasts.
Deepa was one of the three participants selected from the country. From then on, the fire never stopped burning inside her.
Life moved fast — job changes, a master’s degree, and marriage followed within a short span. While Sachin pursued his championship goals, Deepa took a two-year break from full-scale competition, though she continued participating in smaller events to stay race-ready.
The real acceleration came in 2025, when she decided to enter the national championship.
“We decided to buy a car and modify it according to the regulations of the Super Stock category. Being auto engineers, we designed the car, and handed it over to professionals to finish the work,” she explains. Tireless days and sleepless nights followed when the working couple decided to seriously dedicate time to their passion, with one goal — the National Car Racing Championship.
The championship featured four rounds — one in Coimbatore and three in Chennai — each with multiple races. Deepa steadily climbed the ranks through consistent performance. In the final round, she secured third place in one race — emerging as the only woman in the Superstock category to reach the podium in that season. She also finished fifth in the overall championship.
The way ahead
Motorsport, she points out, demands more than passion and mental strength — it demands financial muscle.
“From modifying the car to buying racing gear, it burned a hole in our pockets. But we survived through thick and thin,” Deepa smiles.
She notes that women’s participation in motorsport remains limited.
“Even in this 21st century, we do not see many women taking part in racing championships, despite many of them having a genuine interest towards the same,” Deepa says, hinting that the ‘glass ceiling’ is not alien to the women racers too.
“However, it is certainly getting better, and I hope every aspiring woman is encouraged by their family,” she says, recalling the support from her parents, engineering consultant Austin John and Shyla Jasmine, a senior ICSSR fellow at the Centre for Learning Engineering and Sustainability Education.
On the track, however, she keeps all these thoughts and doubts away. “Everything else becomes secondary. When I’m in the driver’s seat, the adrenaline rush is all that matters.”
With no plans to slow down, Deepa is already preparing for upcoming championships — and hopes to see more women lining up beside her on the starting grid. The race has only just begun.