Ghose gets new VW Polo R5 for WRC Safari Rally
Joey Ghose and Stephan Prevot power their Ford Escort MK1 through stage 10 in Borana on the final day of the Top Fry Classic Safari Rally on August 3, 2019.
What you need to know:
- Melvyn Evans Motorsport will provide support for the VW Polo and Ghose will be navigated by US-based Imran Khan.
- In international rallying, R5 refers to a class of cars competing under Group “R” regulations introduced by the International Automobile federation (FIA) in 2012 as a replacement for the Super 2000 class.
Rally driver Joey Ghose, previously based in Kenya, has received a new VW Polo R5 for the 2021 World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally.
Ghose, who moved to Oman, has struck a deal with Melvyn Evans Motorsport to supply his Minti Motorsport the new car to help tackle the WRC leg in addition to the Oman Rally Championships. Minti Motorsport belongs to Joey, his wife and son.
Melvyn Evans Motorsport will provide support for the VW Polo and Ghose will be navigated by US-based Imran Khan.
In international rallying, R5 refers to a class of cars competing under Group “R” regulations introduced by the International Automobile federation (FIA) in 2012 as a replacement for the Super 2000 class.
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The seeding method in the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) is as follows: Each of the top eight finishers from the previous overall KNRC standings (in this case from end of 2019) has to start first on road in one of the eight rounds of the series for fair play. The rotation system is to ensure that the same driver does not “open” the stages in all rallies.
Not all drivers, however courageous or fast, would like to start off first on road as that would mean “clearing the route” for the following cars.
Door numbers on rally cars are based on the final overall standings of the previous season. Anyone who did not feature and intends to tackle a current event is given a number from 100 or 200 upwards. This also applies to foreign drivers.
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An “air box” in a rally car is a compartment where the element commonly referred to as “air filter” is located in a car’s engine. Its purpose is to filter the cool air before it reaches the combustion. In Group “N” cars, the rules are strict as far as modification of this unit.
However, on R4 cars you are allowed to change position or even material of the air box. The reason behind this is Group “R4” was introduced to make the car slightly lighter than the Group “N”.
Turbochargers are among the most delicate equipment in rally cars. Rules do not allow the restrictors to be more than 32 millimetres to ensure even power and fairness. In modern cars, they are referred as turbo-charged cars. They have a unit referred to as a turbo or compressor.
This unit takes high exhaust air to spin a turbine, the air is compressed, it passes through a cooler before sending it to the combustion.
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Did you know that…
R5 cars are based on four-seat cars from a family of 25,000 produced in 12 consecutive months and a minimum weight of 1.230 kilogrammes? They are allowed to use a 1.6-litre, turbocharged engine limited to 7.500 rpm and with a 32mm restrictor, max boost pressure of 2.5 bar (absolute) and compression ratios up to 10:1.
