Late bloomer Amwari targets title

• Born into a rallying family, the 28-year-old driver vows to take on Kenya’s best and wont rest until he wins the national championship

For Issa Amwari, becoming a rally driver is living a family dream. His father, Nkubu Amwari, was a brilliant rally driver between 1988-1994.

Then Issa was a little boy, but he would join the father in training. Slowly, he developed an interest in the sport and now the younger Amwari, 28, is slowly venturing into the sport.

His mission is to be among the top ten drivers in the country, a task he knows is difficult given his inexperience in the motorsport scene.

“I want to be the national champion one day. I am just starting off but the ninth position I finished in the Safari Rally (Supplementary Class) really encouraged because it was the first time I was competing,” he told Monday Sport.

“I get the inspiration from my father who is always by my side. He told me I can also make it in rallying with a little hardwork,” said the Family Bank-sponsored Issa.

Technical assistance

“I entered the Safari Rally to compete for the fun. But with every kilometer I covered, I realised I could do it. My father and sister would push me on, and when I finished, it was joy all over.”

“I got technical assistance from (rally drivers) Phineas Kimanthi and Azar Anwar. They gave me the tips and encouraged me on before and during the rally,” he says.

In the end, he finished ninth in the supplimentary group after starting the rally at position 82.

“I am living my family’s dream. I have made the start, now I want to look ahead to future competitions. I will prepare better until the day I am crowned the national rally champion,” he says.

But he also says to achieve this, sponsors need to come on board to assist especially local drivers.

“Its an expensive venture to participate in the rally. It consts not less than Sh1 million to have the car ready and many of us cannot afford that kind of money,” says Issa.

“When sponsors come in, you will see so many young drivers entering the rally scene. At the moment its just the same old faces who are also struggling.”