McRae, Kioni tackle rough Naivasha terrain ahead of Croatia asphalt
Ford Fiesta of Kenya's Jeremiah Wahome, navigated by Victor Okundi (left) and McRae Kimathi, navigated by Mwangi Kioni, at the ARC Equator Rally Service Park in Naivasha on March 31, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Their entry in Croatia comes hot on the heels of their fourth position in the WRC Rally Sweden in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship last month
- Nothing short of a well orchestrated performance, calculated to perfection, is expected from the duo this weekend to sling-shot their new found world status
- The Shakedown, previously used as a testing stage for cars, and provide morale-boosting bragging rights, is from this year's continental championship being used to determine the starting order, just like in the Formula One circuits
McRae Kimathi, navigated by Mwangi Kioni, will be under the spotlight Friday at the qualifying rounds of the ARC Equator Rally at Ndulele Conservancy near Naivasha, only hours after being confirmed for WRC Croatia that runs in two weeks.
The Kenyans, only all-black crew in the European round, have been drawn 51st in Croatia, 15 places from the rear, driving an M-Sport Poland-entered, factory prepared Ford Fiesta R3.
Their entry in Croatia comes hot on the heels of their fourth position in the WRC Rally Sweden in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship last month.
Nothing short of a well orchestrated performance, calculated to perfection, is expected from the duo this weekend to sling-shot their new found world status than a fastest time at Friday’s 5.4-kilometre Shakedown stage at Ndulele.
Bouyed by a growing fan base, there’s a national expectation of a McRae face-off with Jeremy Wahome, his team-mate in the FIA Rally Star Programme, that takes us to a new frontier of friendly rivalry - very good for the sport - with Hamza Anwar smarting into the fray.
The Shakedown, previously used as a testing stage for cars, and provide morale-boosting bragging rights, is from this year's continental championship being used to determine the starting order, just like in the Formula One circuits.
It is a tall order for all competitors.
The cockpit of the Ford Fiesta of Jeremiah Wahome, navigated by Victor Okundi, at the ARC Equator Rally Service Park in Naivasha on March 31, 2022.
This may not be the target for all the top guys under current weather conditions, and prevailing road surfaces.
Some sections are being graded, notably at all-new Loldia road, following recent rains.
Nobody will want to be the road sweeper.
But this is what is required of the top guns fresh from the Swedish snow.
Young McRae Kimathi is amongst seven pilots in this category.
As usual, his navigator Kioni should be in his element, especially at Loldia’s 29-kilometre test, a trying stage good as it is as well as the true definition of rallying in Kenya.
Croatia marks the second rally of the year for the FIA Junior WRC with seven confirmed crews to participate, including the debut of Jean-Baptiste Franceschi.
Following on from victory at Rally Sweden, Jon Armstrong will be the first Ford Fiesta Rally3 on the road.
The release of the official entry list on Monday by WRC.com lists Finnish top gun Kalle Rovanperä as the number one driver on the road.
He will be joined on the Croatian asphalt by Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mates Elfyn Evans and Esapekka Lappi, who is back for his second start of the season in a GR Yaris Rally1.
The inclusion of Lappi means 2021 Croatia Rally winner Sébastien Ogier will not be back to defend his win.
Driving a matching Yaris and entering the road in fourth spot will be Takamoto Katsuta, competing for Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Challenge Programme team, said the website.
Pierre-Louis Loubet will join fellow Hyundai Motorsport driver in the most settled line-up with the same three drivers they have used in the first two rallies of the season.
Thierry Neuville leads out the Hundai i20 N Rally 1 trio with second spot on the road whilst Oliver Solberg will start in seventh, one spot ahead of Ott Tänak.
There is a stacked WRC2 field headed to Croatia with 29 confirmed entries. Current championship leader Andreas Mikkelsen is a notable absence, opening the door for the likes of Erik Cais, Jari Huttunen and the flying French Citroën trio of Yohan Rossel, Eric Camilli and Stéphane Lefebvre.
Polish fan favourite Kajetan Kajetanowicz steps up to WRC2 for the first time this season, driving a similar Skoda Fabio EVO to that which navigated him to second overall in the 2021 WRC3 championship.
Mcrae is looking beyond the R3 Africa title but a target to catapult his arrow into the citadel of Kenyan rallying - a podium, Ford M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson directed them to aim in WRC Safari if not the ARC.
