Battle for national championship title heads to Guru Nanak Rally

Contenders for the 2014 Kenya National Rally Championship were left weighing their chances after the conclusion of the tough Kisumu Rally at the weekend.

Current national champion, Baldev Chager found the going tough to see his championship lead trimmed to 40 points by his closest rival, Carl Tundo.

Chager’s trouble started with a puncture in the first stage and later with mechanical problem with his Mitsubishi Lancer which saw him drop to 11th place before he fought back to finish in fourth overall.

Former national and Safari Rally champion Tundo, drove his Proton S2000 with two separate punctures to finish in second place a mere 36 seconds behind shock winner Rajbir Rai.

With Jaspreet Chatthe out of contention, the title race has been reduced to a two-way battle between Chager and Tundo with the KCB Guru Nanak Rally set to bring down curtains on one of the most entertaining KNRS seasons in many years.

FINAL ROUND
Chatthe also found the going tough after his Mitsubishi Lancer slid off the road in one of the wet patches before hitting a huge mound. 

The winner of the KCB Nanyuki Rally was looking to securing his second victory in the KNRC and the first at home before he was forced out for the third consecutive event.

Former British and Finnish rally champion Tapio Laukkanen was the star attraction setting fastest stages time in the opening two stages before he also became a big casualty of the penultimate round of the season.

The Finn, who was called in at the eleventh hour to fill in for Manvir Baryan, drove bravely.

At the same time, Leonardo Varese just needs two points from the last event to reclaim the F2 title from current champion, Denis Mwenda. Varese, won the class in Kisumu, his fourth out of the last seven events in a Toyota Corolla RSI.

“The result has eased off the pressure going into the final round of the season from which we only need two points assuming Mwenda wins,” said Varese.