Rally driver Baryan eyes Africa title
What you need to know:
- Kenyan driver Manvir Baryan will be in Rwanda on Friday to try and clinch the 2017 African Rally Championship (ARC) title.
- Kenya’s chances of retaining the prestigious ARC title for the third consecutive year-running look brighter with Baryan going in the Rwanda Rally as the leader of the series. Jasi Chatthe won it in 2015 with Don Smith clinching the crown in 2016.
Kenyan driver Manvir Baryan will be in Rwanda on Friday to try and clinch the 2017 African Rally Championship (ARC) title.
Kenya’s chances of retaining the prestigious ARC title for the third consecutive year-running look brighter with Baryan going in the Rwanda Rally as the leader of the series. Jasi Chatthe won it in 2015 with Don Smith clinching the crown in 2016.
‘’I am mentally set for the rally. My focus is to see that we score the required points to win the overall ARC title regardless of how we perform in Rwanda. It will important to finish the rally as I think of winning my third event in a row,’’ said Baryan.
Baryan, fresh from winning his second consecutive round of the 2017 African Rally Championship event in Tanzania after his earlier triumph in Uganda, is chasing his first continental crown.
A top-two finish in Kigali, will ensure the Skoda Fabia driver wins the title regardless of the result of his closest rival Leroy Gomes of Zambia.
TITLE RACE
Failure to finish among the top two means the driver must compete in the last event in Zambia to try and secure the prestigious title. Drivers from five countries are expected to feature in the Rwanda event.
The drivers are drawn from host nation Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Kenya and Zambia . Twenty cars have entered the penultimate round of the ARC series. Though competitors will be few in Rwanda, the battle for the overall championship is expected to be tough.
The title battle will be between Baryan and Gomes. The event will be flagged off from Kigali Convention Centre on Friday before the drivers embark on 203.95 kilometers of competitive driving.
Drivers will cover five stages with a total competitive distance of 74.52km on day one, with a Super Special Stage at Amahoro stadium.
Day two and the final day of the event have eight stages covering 129.43 kilometers.
Baryan leads the table of standings with 65 points, followed by Leroy Gomes (50), Kleevan Gomes (36), Jasi Chatthe (28), Carl Tundo (25), Christakis Fitidis (18), Adam Abdul Rauf (15) and Dharam Pandya (eight).
