In his pursuit of the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) title, Kenyan Karan Patel prevailed at the prestigious Sarago Zambia International Rally in Lusaka.
Over the weekend, Karen outpaced other crews, including Zambia favorite Lorez Gomes, to win the ARC in Rally Tanzania, setting up a nail-biting finale.
The race was a Karan Patel and Leroy Gomez affair, with a one second separation of the two after leg1, finally the scores settled when the Zambian hit a hidden tree stump on stage13 to drop out of the race.
The exciting competition in Zambia was the 5th round of the 2023 African Rally Champion series.
Hamza Anwar, another Kenyan driver, took fifth place, while Jas Magat, a Ugandan sensation, came in third.
Cruising in his Ford Fiesta R5 car, Yasin Nasser from Uganda claimed fourth position.
In the aftermath of his triumph, Karan Patel expressed his gratitude to the dedicated team that played a pivotal role in his success.
“We’re thrilled to announce that we emerged victorious in the Zambia round of the Africa Rally Championship! Thanks to our dedicated team, who spent endless hours repairing those small and big breakages and damages during the event,” he wrote.
“Their incredible efforts made this win possible, and this victory is dedicated to each and every one of them. Special thanks to my family, my wife, our fantastic team, our supporters, friends, and fans for your unwavering support!”
Karan Patel’s victory in Zambia puts him in a thrilling tie for first place in the ARC standings with Yassin Nasser.
The event which had sixteen competitive stages started on Saturday and ended on Sunday making a total of 204.23 kilometres.
There were over 33 competitors, 16 of whom retired, and only seven finished the race, which covered sixteen competitive stages in two days and 204.23 kilometers.
Karen and Jas Magat are separated by nine points in the ARC standings. Yasin Nasser has 93 points.
The thrilling climax of this year’s ARC awaits at Rally Tanzania, where the two titans of African rallying will meet between November 10-12,2023.
