Out with a bang! Rajbir Rai roars to Guru Nanak victory

Rajbir Rai bid goodbye to the Kenya National Rally Championship by winning the KCB Guru Nanak Rally on Saturday.

The Ford Fiesta driver, who recently announced his retirement from the sport after two years of competing at the top level, also achieved a personal milestone.

He became one of the elite Sikh drivers to win the Guru Nanak Rally that is considered one of the most significant rallying events by the community.
The last winner from the Sikh community was Baldev Chager in 2013.

It was also Rai’s second consecutive, and third KNRC short-lived career victory.

“I am extremely happy and excited about winning the rally. I was happy I went quickest in the opening stages to stay ahead,” he said.

Will he reconsider his retirement decision?

“No, I have not changed my mind to come back next year. I am definitely stepping down,” said Rajbir.

Jaspreet Chatthe was placed second with Ian Duncan taking the third place in their respective Mitsubishis.

Despite finishing third in the last round of the series. Duncan remains the most successful driver at the Guru Nanak Rally with 12 titles.

Finland’s Tapio Laukkanen was among the leading drivers to bow out of the competition due to mechanical failure.

Regardless of his retirement, the Finn becomes the first ever foreign winner of the series.

Manvir Brayan’s recent good form also came to an end after he rolled his Ford Fiesta in the opening stages of the competition. Eric Bengi and Tuta Mionki closed the season by clinching the National Formula Two Championship title, finishing the event in their Toyota RunX.

It was also good for the Halai family with uncle and nephew, Mahesh Halai and Ketan Halai taking the Division Two crown at the wheels of a Subaru Impreza.

Daljit Dhanji and Manmeet Singh were the sole Tanzanians of the original three crews to finish the rally in a Subaru Impreza.

Denis Mwenda and Job Njiru scored a brilliant 6th place in the Mitsubishi Lancer.

Mitsubishis occupied eight out of the top 10 positions with Tejvir Rai, Izhar Mirza, Jasmeet Chana and Farhaz Khan shining in the top class among others.

PROVISIONAL RESULTS

1. Rajbir Rai/Greg Stead (Ford Fiesta) 68mins 54seconds, 2. Jaspreet Chatthe/Gurdeep Panesar (Mitsubishi Evo10) 89.49mins, 3. Ian Duncan/Amaar Slatch (Mitsubishi Evolution X) 90.20 4. Baldev Chager/Ravi Soni (Mitsubishi Evolution X) 94.11mins, 5. Tejveer Rai/Zahir Shah (Mitsubishi Evolution 10) 96.47mins, 6. Dennis Mwenda/Job Njiru (Mitsubishi Evolution 9) 100.04mins, 7. Carl Tundo/Tim Jessop (Triumph) 102.41 8. Izhar Mirza/Kavit Dave (Mitsubishi Evolution 9) 103.41mins, 9. Jasmeet Chana/Ravi Chana (Mitsubishi Evolution 10) 106.01mins, 10. Farhaaz Khan/Keith Henrie (Mitsubishi Evolution 9) 114.26 mins.