South Coast to roar with the revs

The hills around Shimba and Kinango hills will reverberate with the roar of turbo-charged machines when the KCB Savings and Loans Mortgages Rally takes off on Saturday and Sunday.

Thrills and spills will characterise the occasion in South Coast with rally enthusiasts anticipating to usher in the second half of the 2012 KCB Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC).

The series started off in Nyeri then visited the picturesque terrain of Lake Bogoria, the sugar plantations in Awasi and Chemelil to pause with the Diamond Jubillee Safari in Kajiado and Ill-Bissel.

Among top contenders for victory in KNRC Division One are Alastair Cavenagh, defending safari Rally champion Carl Tundo, Ian Duncan, Baldev Chager and Azar Anwar.

The state-of-the-art Subaru N16 of Rai siblings Onkar and Tejvir, teaming up with 2008 champion Chager in the Kabras Sugar rivalry, will be on fire.

The much-talked-about Haraka Mamas team of Joan Nesbitt and Tamara Johns, the Rally Queens (Samira Khan and Chantal Young), Warembo Bila Make-Up (Stella Macharia and Helen Shiri) and Ladies Luck (Michelle Van Tongaren and Safina Sayed Khan) all-female crews will all be trying to break the monopoly of their male counterparts.

Made history

Multiple Coupe Des Dames diadem winner Tongaren got back in the groove after eight years, taking the ladies award as third-placed in Supplementary.

The Rally Queens, at the wheel of a classic Ford Escort Mk1, are aiming for a strong run. Samira made history last year by becoming only the second woman – after former WRC rally winner Michele Mouton – to finish the gruelling nine-day Classic Safari Rally.

The Kick Energy team has championship regulars Horsey brothers Peter and Alex.

After flag-off at KCB Ukunda Branch on Saturday is the super special next to the airstrip, giving spectators hair-raising thrills.

The event is co-sponsored by ICEA Lions, ALS, Aquamist and iWay Africa.