Baryan clinches 2017 African Rally title

Kenya’s Manvir Baryan is the 2017 FIA African Rally Champion. 

Baryan, who won four out of the seven rounds of the series, was declared winner of the 2017 ARC series after winning the Zambia Rally over the weekend.

Though, he only needed to start the last round of the series in Lusaka, to be guaranteed the championship at the expense of Zambia’s Leroy Gomes, the Kenyan driver made double sure by winning the event.

He had earlier secured wins in Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.

Baryan is now looking at the 2017 Kenya National Rally Championship battle, where he stands a good chance of winning two major titles in the same season. 

Baryan was not available for comment as he was yet to depart from Zambia for his home in Kenya.

Baryan, 35, who made his rallying debut in  the 2011 Guru Nanak Rally in a Subaru Impreza N14, has so far won two KNRC events - Mombasa and Fly540 rallies respectively. 

With a maximum of 50 points to score from the last two rounds of the KNRC, the Skoda Fabia driver is lying fifth with 68 points, 19 points behind Ian Duncan, the leader of the series.

Baryan’s co-driver, Drew Sturrock is the 2017 ARC Navigator Champion, though the Briton has not registered for the KNRC series.

It is a hat-trick of wins for Kenya in the ARC following Jasi Chatthe victory in 2015 and Don Smith in 2016. The next round of the KNRC is the Fly540-sponsored Kajiado Rally, to be organized by the Kenya Motor Sports Club on 12 November.

The total distance covered in the rally will be 158km long of which 129km will be competitive.

While the series is flooded with the Mitsubishi and Subaru rally cars, the Skoda has limited number of two cars only in the national championship.

Apart from Baryan’s winning model, the other car is driven by Menengai Oils-sponsored Onkar Rai.