Season opener Guru Nanak Rally revs off
What you need to know:
- Karan Patel in a Ford Fiesta R5, will be first off the ramp at the KCB Bank Kitengela branch at 8am, followed by Eric Bengi in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo10. The rally has attracted 27 cars.
The Guru Nanak Rally, which is the first event of the 2020 KCB Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) season, will be flagged off Sunday morning in Kitengela.
Karan Patel in a Ford Fiesta R5, will be first off the ramp at the KCB Bank Kitengela branch at 8am, followed by Eric Bengi in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo10. The rally has attracted 27 cars.
Defending (KNRC) champion Baldev Chager will no doubt be at his best to face off the challenge from some of his closest rivals like Carl Tundo and Onkar Rai among others. Rai will be using his latest rally car, a Volkswagen Polo, in preparation for the World Rally Championship round, the Safari Rally, in July.
Patel will be navigated by James Mwangi who has competed in other rallies in several other countries. Mwangi is a student of the Abdul Sidi Rally Advisor (ASRA).
“I’m enjoying my rallying and I thank ASRA for having given me the platform. I will be doing another event in Uganda where I will be Alwi Hassan’s navigator. I hope our motorsports officials were able to discuss with neighbouring countries before compiling the calendar as there are several events that are clashing with each other," Mwangi told Nation Sport.
“Planning of the calendar will enable other drivers and navigators to prepare ahead for rallies outside their own countries.”
Veteran driver Ian Duncan, who has won the Guru Nanak Rally for a record 12 times in his career, is seeded fourth in a Nissan Patrol.
The former Safari Rally champion has won the event in various car models beginning with an Opel Manta 400 in 1986. He then followed with more victories in a Toyota Celica Twincam Turbo, Toyota Supra, Toyota Celica GT4, Toyota Celica, Toyota Landcruser, Toyota Hilux Pickup and Nissan Patrol Pickup.
Geoff Mayes will be navigated by debutant Jon Bovard after his regular navigator Suzanne Zwage was reported to have fallen sick.
The Sikh Union Club-event will start off the action with a Spectator Stage at the SGR/Simba section where the first car will be expected at 8.40am. The next stage will be the Stony Athi/Kifaru at 9.29am then SGR/Simba Cement 12.03pm.
