Champ Chager chases next title in Kisumu

President Kenyatta and a rally driver gives a thump up sign inside a car shortly before he officially flagged off the 2014 KCB Safari Rally at Kenyatta International Conference Centre. The 2015 KCB Safari Rally starts at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre Friday morning. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • With a 54 points lead over Carl Tundo (266 points) in a Proton S2000 and 160 points to score from the remaining two rounds of the series, all Chager has to do is maintain a top two position in the last two rounds to retain the title even if the former wins the remainder of the events
  • In essence, the recently-crowned Safari Rally winner just needs 107 points from the remaining 160 to be crowned national champion for the second year running

Drivers have left nothing to chance as they prepare for the KCB Kenya National Rally Championship penultimate round that will be hosted in Kisumu on October 17 and 18.

Having retained the KCB Safari Rally title, Baldev Chager and Ravi Soni in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo10 have now embarked on their next major strategy on how to retain the KNRC crown with just the Kisumu and Guru Nanak Rally remaining.

“I think we need a good result in the Kisumu event to put a tighter grip on the title but let us work on it after this event,’’ Chager murmured to Soni minutes before receiving the prize for winning the Safari Rally recently.

With a 54 points lead over Carl Tundo (266 points) in a Proton S2000 and 160 points to score from the remaining two rounds of the series, all Chager has to do is maintain a top two position in the last two rounds to retain the title even if the former wins the remainder of the events.

In essence, the recently-crowned Safari Rally winner just needs 107 points from the remaining 160 to be crowned national champion for the second year running.

Third-placed Jaspreet Chatthe (210points) has a remote chance of overhauling the two drivers if he wins both rallies and Chager and Tundo don’t score any points.

NEWCOMER
While the overall title chase is shaping up to be a two-horse race, the battle for the titles in the respective National Formula Two and Classic Car Cup Championships is wide open with at least three contenders in each of the categories poised to take top honours.

With the victory in his Class in the KCB Safari Rally, newcomer Eric Bengi (59 points) has shot up to the second place in the standings where the Toyota Runx driver finds reigning and former F2 champions battling it out to win the crown once again.

His rivals include Leonardo Varesse (71 points), Denis Mwenda 56 points), Nadeem Kana (56 points) and Gurmit Thethy (58 points). 

The SPV Class is special for one driver, who has proved that disability is inability even if it means taking part in a spectator sport regarded by many as one of the most dangerous sports in the world.

Likhil Sachania, 23, is certain of winning the Class barring any major misshapes.