Finally, Equator Rally gets underway in Naivasha
Karan Patel, navigated by Tauseef Khan plough through the Loldia Shakedown stage in their Ford Fiesta. The pair were the quickest in ARC Equator Rally Kenya qualifying stage on April 1, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Spectators will be required to drive all the way to Eburru to reach the mountain peak overlooking Lake Naivasha in the 22-kilometre Loldia test, the best section in this weekend’s rally.
- The traditional Kedong Ranch spectator zones have been retained in Moi South Road and on the foot of Mount Longonot.
It’s an early morning rise for rally fans as the Africa Rally Championship Equator Rally gets underway in Naivasha on Saturday.
The first car is expected to depart from the Kenya Wildlife Research Training Institute from 7am to tackle the opening competitive section at Soysambu from 8.28am.
A total of six competitive stages will be run on Day One on Saturday, basically three stages that will be repeated twice.
Aakif Virani and Azhar Bhatti nosedive in their Skoda Fabia during ARC Equator Rally Shakedown at Loldia on April 1, 2022.
The stages are Soysambu (29.32 kilometres), Elementaita (15.08kms) and Sleeping Warrior (23.05kms).
The total competitive distance will be 546.81 kilometres.
The final day on Sunday will tackle two more stages, namely Loldia (19.17kms) and Kedong (31.25kms) after which the drivers will have done eight stages, covering a total distance of 586.81 kilometres, of which the competitive distance will be 183.82 kilometres.
This weekend’s rally is the second round of the 2022 African Rally Championship which is currently led by Zambia’s Leroy Gomes and his navigator Urshilla Gomes.
Leroy Gomes navigated by Urshlla Gomes after racing on a Ford Fiesta during ARC Equator Rally Shakedown at Loldia on April 1, 2022.
The rally will also be the third round of the Kenya National Rally Championship which is currently led by Karan Patel and Tauseef Khan.
The pair have won both the opening rounds of the current series.
A total of 14 crews will be aiming to score points towards the African Rally Championship (ARC) currently led by Zambia's Leroy Gomes.
The ARC participants include Gomes, Karan Patel, Jeremy Wahome, Jasi Chana, Ammanraj Erai, Davite, Maxine Wahome, Rio Smith, Nikhil Sachania, Aakhif Virani, McRae Kimathi, Izhar Mirza, Hamza Anwar and Evans Kavisi.
Impressive set-up
Meanwhile, Surinder Thatthi, the former member of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Rallies Commission, said he was impressed by the set-up of the rally’s Service Park in Naivasha.
‘’This is the best set-up compared with the other countries hosting the ARC rounds. We are glad the Kenyan Government is also fully engaged and committed to supporting the WRC Safari Rally,” Thatthi told Nation Sport at the Service Park
McRae Kimathi, who made history by becoming the first ever African driver to finish the recent WRC Rally Sweden, is also among the entrants in a Ford Fiesta navigated by Mwangi Kioni.
Mcrae Kimathi navigated by Mwangi Kioni racing on a Ford Fiesta during ARC Equator Rally Shakedown at Loldia on April 1, 2022.
Riyaz Ismail, fresh from leading a Tanzanian driver to the victory of the Morogoro Rally, will partner Rio Smith at the wheels of a Ford Fiesta.
Smith is the son of the former African Rally champion, Don Smith.
The only female driver is Maxine Wahome, who will be navigated by Murage Waigwa in a Subaru Impreza.
The entry list also includes the sole handicapped driver in motor sports competition, Nikhil Sachania.
Nikhil Sachania navigated by Deep Patel after racing on a Mitsubishi Evo 10 during ARC Equator Rally Shakedown at Loldia on April 1, 2022.
Sachania, who is paralysed from the waist downwards, will be in his specially made Mitsubishi Lancer Evo10 where all the gadgets are hand operated.
The organisers of the rally will keenly look at the set-up which will also be used for the Safari Rally, a round of the 2022 World Rally Championship.
Although there have been scattered showers, the major part of the rally looks set to be dry.
Spectators will be required to drive all the way to Eburru to reach the mountain peak overlooking Lake Naivasha in the 22-kilometre Loldia test, the best section in this weekend’s rally.
The traditional Kedong Ranch spectator zones have been retained in Moi South Road and on the foot of Mount Longonot.
