Duncan, Baryan lock horns as season begins in Nakuru
Onkar Rai navigated by Gareth Dawe speed away in their Skoda Fabia on their way to winning the Top Fry Nakuru Rally last season. PHOTO | ANWAR SIDI |
What you need to know:
- Navigator Tuta Mionki only female competitor in the road race.
- Nikhil Sachania is the only handicapped driver in the Kenya National Rally Championship series.
The 2018 Kenya National Rally Championship season kicks begins Saturday morning with the Top Fry Nakuru Rally.
The opening round of the championship has attracted most of the leading drivers who did well last season.
The list includes Ian Duncan (KNRC champion), Manvir Baryan (African Rally champion) in addition to other former title holders like Carl Tundo, Baldev Chager and Jasi Chatthe.
The Rift Valley Motor Sports Club organisers have introduced a system that is unique in the KNRC series.
Unlike before when the rally notes were supplied in hard copy, the current format has changed to the electronic method, where drivers are required to download the documents through the internet.
Drivers make their own pace-notes thereafter.
“We are moving forward with the technology in the motor sports organization. All tracking, bulletins, competitor information and rally notes are on the website not only for the competitors but followers of the sport as well. Gone are the old days of rallying,’’ said Sati Bedi, the Event Director of the rally.
The main competition will start from the Nakuru Athletics Club at 8am.
FIRST CAR IN
The first car is expected to finish at 3pm at the Rift Valley Motor Sports club in Solai.
The competition will be centred around Nakuru with a total distance of 367 kilometres long of which 150km will be competitive.
Spectators will not have to move around much as one competitive stage will be done four times, while the other one will be done twice.
The longest Stage is 30.74km, while the shortest stage is 20.49km. A distance of 23.36km will be on open roads while 127km will run on private land.
Tuta Mionki, who is the regular navigator of Eric Bengi, is the sole female competitor in the rally.
Hamza Anwar, son of the former rally ache, Asad Anwar will make his KNRC debut in the event in a Toyota Sprinter. Sarit Shah will also attempt his first national rally in a Toyota Corolla RSi with Kigondo Kareithi.
Other returning to the competition after a short lay-off include Sammy Nyorri, Edward Maina, Victor Okundi, John Ngugi and Anthony Nielson who will navigate Duncan for the first time.
Nikhil Sachania is the only handicapped driver in the Kenya National Rally Championship series.
Sachania, who suffered serious injuries during a testing session on a quad several years ago, drives a specially prepared vehicle with gadgets that can only be operated with his hands as he is paralysed from the waist downwards.
