Safari Rally: Mud, dust, tension as Manvir takes lead

Africa Rally champion Manvir Baryan - navigated by Drew Sturrock - go through Soysambu during Day Two of the 2019 Safari Rally on July 6, 2019. PHOTO | ANWAR SIDI |

What you need to know:

  • ‘Porsche man’ Baryan’s Skoda just five stages away from Safari Rally triumph

Kenya’s Manvir Baryan tore through three of yesterday’s six stages with lead times to grab the overnight lead as the see-saw KCB Safari Rally concluded Day Two on Saturday.

The rally, organised as a candidate event for a highly possible return to the World Rally Championship (WRC) next year, saw the lead exchange hands from the morning start in Naivasha.

First it was Baldev Chager who snatched the reins from overnight leader Carl “Flash” Tundo before Baryan struck.

Baryan, who has won two out of the last three rounds of the Africa Rally Championship (ARC) series in his Skoda Fabia, now has five more stages today to try and clinch the 2019 Safari victory.

ON THREE WHEELS
Baryan, whose day job is managing director of Porsche Kenya, besides being a director Multiple Hauliers, a bulk transport concern, has won the ARC title for the last two seasons.

“We had a puncture about two kilometres before the end of the last stage. We just drove to the end on three wheels,” said Baryan. “It has been good so far. I am wishing I can win the Safari Rally, which is the only event in the African Continent that I have not won. This year, I have won the Cote d’Ivoire and Zambia events," said Baryan.

Onkar Rai, the current leader of the Kenya National Rally Championship series, is second, just 10.5 seconds behind Baryan, driving a Skoda Fabia.

LOST VALUABLE TIME

Chager, a former Safari Rally winner, recovered from his disappointing Day One drive to score fastest time on the second day’s opening stage in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo10, navigated by Ravi Soni.

The crew has jumped to third place from the 10th on Day One.

Four times winners of the famous round of the Kenya’s premier event, Carl Tundo and Tim Jessop, lost valuable time after their Mitsubishi Lancer came to an abrupt halt while negotiating a deep river bed.

The crew is lying fourth, although their car is slightly damaged in the front after hitting the deep river bed.

“The car suddenly stopped after sucking in water while trying to cross the river in the Sleeping Warrior stage.

“Both Tim and I had to rush out of the car and clean the air cleaner which had suffered the most. We must have lost about a minute and half before we revived our action again,’’ Tundo told Nation Sport. The Ugandan crew of Ronald Ssebaguzi and Leon Ssenyange was forced out of the rally after their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo10 stopped in the opening stage of Day Two with a flat battery.

The car suffered the anomaly after hitting a deep river bed.

Meanwhile, Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed and Principal Secretary Peter Kaberia paid a visit to the rally headquarters at the Sopa Lodge in Naivasha yesterday. “We are very happy with the work of the organisers of the Safari Rally. The government will definitely continue with its support to try and regain the WRC status,” the CS told Nation Sport.

APPRECIATED JOURNALISTS

Both the officials took their time to note the Kenyan media’s contribution to the Safari Rally, going through the day’s newspapers and expressing their appreciation on the work done by journalists.

Today’s action will bring the down the curtain on the three-day event that was flagged off by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday from Kasarani.

A total of six stages will be run today after the first car is flagged off at 6am from the Sopa Lodge.

Drivers will tackle Malewa (6.20km) at 7.03am and 11.25am, Loldia (12km) at 7.24 and at 11.43am, Kigio (16km) at 8.04am and 12.26pm, Kedong (37.33km) at 9.20am before finishing at Sopa Lodge where the first car is expected at 1.52pm.

The BMW of Kirit Rajpit and John Llyod’s Ford Escort were forced to abandon the competition towards the end of the day though both the cars are expected to be in the competition for the final day. The rule allows such drives to return to the competition with certain penalty.

Kirit’s car suffered overheating problem while Lloyd’s Escort broke the distributor cap.

Meanwhile, among the back-markers, Aakif Virani hopes for better results on the final day after losing plenty of time on several issues.

“I lost over six minutes as a result of two river crossing incidents on separate venues.

“On both occasions, the car just stalled in the middle of the fast flowing water,” said Virani Saturday night.