Tough competition as Freestone returns

Briton Iain Freestone is a making a return to Kenya with a mission to conquer local opposition in the Classic Cup category during the KCB Biashara Banking Rally in Eldoret on Sunday.

Driving a former Aslam Khan Ford Escort and navigated by Imran Khan, Freestone predicted a tough challenge from defending Classic Cup champion Aslam Khan. Aslam - co-driven by Samir Khan - is hopeful of retaining his title. However, car reliability will be paramount in deciding who will triumph.

Freestone arrived in the country last week in a familiarisation tour of the local terrain ahead of November’s Kenya Airway’s East Africa Safari Classic rally.

He will race under the ALS Rally Team. “It’s winter in the United Kingdom and the weather here is an attraction. I look forward to a good fight with Khan. The Classic Car Cup offers us good competition and is a good build up to the safari Classic,” he said.

Freestone has since installed a new engine and gearbox on the Ford Escort to try and see how it measures up with his competitors. Also in the Classic fray is 2008 Quattro Charge winner Rommy Bhamra navigated by Harvinder Juthley in a Datsun 240Z.

Stages repeated twice

Clerk of the Course, Ravi Tailor said scouting takes place at Sirikwa Hotel on Saturday. He added that Western Kenya Motor Club (WKMC) will issue road books on on Saturday after which competitors will be permitted to race. The rally will be flagged off outside KCB Eldoret Uganda Road Branch with area MP Willam Ruto expected to grace the event.

The drivers will then tackle a 34km transport distance through to Iten football ground which accommodates the service park. There will be a fuel-and-tyre service only on arrival prior to the 18km first stage between Singore and View Point-Singore.

Four stages will be repeated twice accruing to a competitive distance of 144.5Km. The total rally distance is 236km. The four stages are View Point - Singore (18km), Bugar - Chabara (14km), Chebiemit - Elgeyo Forest (19km) and Kamukio - Chepkinoyo (20km).

Start list - Alastair Cavenagh/Saleem Haji (Mitsubishi Evo9), Asad Anwar/Kashif Sheikh (Subaru Impreza N11), Carl Tundo/Tim Jessop (Mitsubishi Evo9), Azar Anwar/Julius Ngigi (Mitsubishi Evo8), Ian Duncan/Amaar Slatch (Nissan Patrol), Don Smith/Sonal Smith (Subaru Impreza N12), Anthony Nielsen/Mike Ogwapit (Subaru Impreza N10), Alfir Khan/Faisal Khan (Subaru Impreza), Asad Khan/Dharshan Shah (Subaru Impreza N10), Anwar Pandya/George Mwangi (Subaru Impreza N10), Jaswinder Chana/Ravi Chana (Toyota Celica GT4), Dinesh Sachania/Kiran Patel (Mitsubishi Evo 6), Izhar Mirza/Arshad Khan (Subaru Impreza), Kirit Rajput/Ravi Soni (Subaru Impreza), Kunal Pattn/Bharat Pattni (Subaru Impreza), Galib Hajee/Karthikheyan Acharia (Subaru Impreza N10), Hussein Malik/George Kiama (Subaru Impreza), Aslam Khan/Samira Khan (Ford Escort RS), Iain Freestone/Imran Khan (Ford Escort), Rommy Bhamra/Harvinder Juthley (Datsun 240Z), Randeep Lochab/Jasmeer Choda (Subaru Impreza N10), Gianluca Ciaraldi/Sanjay Wason (Mitsubishi Evo7), Rex Omolleh (Subaru Legacy), Abdul Rahman/George Njoroge (Subaru Impreza), Khalid Omar/Shakhel Omar (Subaru Impreza).

Two wheel drive - Jasmeet Chana/Randeep Kalsi (VW Golf GTi), Charles Hinga/Evans Mwenda (Toyota Levin), Leo Varese/Kigondu Kareithi (VW Golf GTi), Adnan Sohail/Zahir Shah (Daihatsu), Sam Jethwa (Toyota Levin).