Cruising a Ford Fiesta, Kenya National Rally Champion Karan Patel is the winner of the second leg of the 2022 African Rally Championships (ARC) series.
Karen who was navigated by Taussef Khan, clocked 2:26:55.6 to win the circuit dubbed ‘Equator Rally’ in Naivasha on Sunday, April 3.
The Tauriam Racing Team driver beat second placed Zambian couple of Leroy and Urshlla Gomes by 3.13.1. to the coveted gong.
Patel triumphed in four of the competed eight stages; he also won the practice and qualifying stage on Friday. Last season, Patel failed to finish the circuit due to mechanical failures.
The Gomes were promoted to second place after Federation International Automobile (FIA) Jeremy Wahome, who had finished behind Karen, was slapped with a last minute penalty that relegated him to fourth behind third placed Jasmeet Chana.
Jasmeet Chana navigated by Ravi Chana in their Mitsubishi Evolution 10 clocked a time of 02:30:51.0 to finish third ahead of Jeremy Wahome and Victor Okundi in their Ford Fiesta.
Giancarlo Davite who entered the rally with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X finished in 5th place.
The Italy-born and Burundi licensed driver navigated by Sylvia Vindevogel clocked a time of 02:42:19.2, ahead of Maxine Wahome and Waigwa Murage in the Subaru Impreza.
The Gianca Rally Team crew was allowed to rejoin the rally with nine others after they retired on the previous day of the competition. They faced extra penalties before being allowed to race again.
The Nakuru County rally attracted 23 drivers, majority from Kenya with three travelling from Uganda, Zambia and Rwanda.
However, defending champion Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo missed out on the annual showpiece with recently crowned East African Safari Classic Rally champion Baldev Chager also absent.
The main event started on Saturday with three competitive stages from Sosyambu (29.32km), Elementaita (15.08km), and Sleeping Warrior (23.05km). The total competitive distance covered by the driver was 183.82km.
