Autocross makes right call

A team of five contestants from the Safaricom/Kenya Rally School will race in the sixth round of the National Autocross Championship at Juja farm on Sunday.

Racing in the team of five cars will be newcomer Andrew Muchemi who will drive a Subaru gc8 car, the Subaru N10 duo of George Njoroge and Nzioka Waita of Safaricom Corporate Affairs. Also in the team is Ben Muchemi ‘Baba Ciru’ (Mitsubishi EVO6), Stanley Thuo (Subaru N8). John Nganga from Thika will also compete for the team.

The event, organised by Rallye Sports Club (RSC), will be sponsored by Safaricom Business and Muchemi has promised rally fans thrills and spills.

The event will start from 10am and will be held in compliance with the competition rules of the Kenya Motor Sports Federation and FIA sporting code.

Among those expected to compete in the buggies category are series leader Kyle Lucas, Samir Khan, Moses Mugo, Charles Mugo, Shazz Esmail and round five winner Jazz Nandra.

Nandra is expected to provide stiff challenge to contestants in the category.

The Under-24 category brings together champion Charles Mugo, Rajbir Rai and Eugene Maina. The event will be held on a 1.4 kilometer race track which will be repeated twice for every heat.

Four heats

Besides the practice run, drivers will participate in four heats, with the best three counting towards the final classification.

Scrutineering will be done between 8am and 9.30am before drivers’ briefing at 9.45am and official practice at 10am. The heats will begin at 10.30am.

Robert Gow will be in charge of scrutineering at the competition, while James Burke will be the clerk of course. The 2012 Autocross season has witnessed different winners, with Muchemi being the only one to have won two rounds. He won the two opening rounds at Jamhuri Park organised by the Kenya Motor Sports Club.

Quentin Mitchell, driving a N16 Subaru car, won the third round at Migaa Farm organised by the Simba Union but Izhar Mirza triumphed in the fourth round organised by Mombasa Motor Club at Nguu Tatu track in Bamburi.

Last month’s meeting at Jamhuri was won by Jazz Nandra in his buggy in 6.32.86 minutes ahead of Bobby Sehmi and Rajbir Rai in the podium tussle.

Standings as at Round 5
1.Kyle Lucas 71

2.Charles Mugo 64

3.Samir Khan 56

4.Ben Muchemi 55

5.Hardeep S. Rehsi 33