Prevailing wet conditions in the lake-side have compelled organisers of the 2016 KCB Kisumu Rally to cancel the 8.79km Simba stage which was to be run once as Competitive Section 3.
Clerk of the course Rohit Bhudia better known as “RoRo” attributed the change to inclement weather. “Due to adverse weather, the road conditions on Simba stage have deteriorated and thus the stage is cancelled. The road conditions have since changed since the road book was written, therefore I urge all competitors to take extra care,” Bhudia said in a bulletin.
Following the change, the competitive mileage for the event has been reduced to 145kms. The KCB Kisumu Rally marks the third round of the 2016 KCB Kenya National Rally Championship.
The event will be flagged off from KCB Kisumu branch today (7am) onwards with the prize giving ceremony earmarked for Kibos cane-yard in Chemase neighborhood from 4pm onwards.
Competitive action will be centered around the evergreen rolling acres of sugar plantation. The Equator Motor Club organised round will be flagged off by Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma. Baldev Chager aka ‘Flying Singh’ will be the first one off the ramp. Chager will be navigated by Ravi Soni in a Kabras Sugar Racing Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.
The three-time former KNRC will be attempting to reclaim what has eluded him for the past 18 years since his fairy tale Kisumu win when he made his KNRC Debut in 1998 and finished third in the standings. Second off the ramp is six-time former KNRC champion Ian Duncan in an Evolution X and will be followed by 2014 winner Rajbir Rai in a Ford Fiesta R5, home boy Jassi Chatthe in a Evolution X and last year’s winner Tapio Laukkanen respectively.
Eric Bengi is the top seed in 2WD and will be flagged off from the 19th position followed by Kisumu’s Chandu Devji who is also the Group ‘S’ leader.
KNRC STANDINGS
Main Class
1. Tapio Laukkanen 25
2. Ian Duncan 21
3Jaspreet Chatthe 18
4. Manvir Baryan 15
5. Baldev ‘Chager 12
2WD
1. Eric Bengi 25
2. Sammy Nyorri 21
3. Leonardo Varese 18
CLASSIC
1. Jonathan Somen 25
2. Ramesh Vishram 21
3.Dinesh Sachania 18
Division One
1. Onkar Rai 25
2. Jasmeet 21
3. Izhar Mirza 18