• Abhi comes from a family line of petrolheads and it goes without saying.
• Abhi is currently a university student as well as a garage operator where he specializes in custom fabrications for all sorts of 4x4 upgrades and mods as well as normal bodywork.
Image: /HANDOUT
Having so many upcoming drivers knocking on the door of topflight racing has over the years informed Mombasa Motor Club's long-term noble objective to churn out a desirable stable of young budding talent.
Rightly so, the leading lights of the Coast Training Rally Championship youngsters have already savoured an ample opportunity to showcase their talent in a meticulous club environment and are now ready to ruffle feathers at the national level.
Usually, the Club-man series at the coast is used as a yardstick to prepare young drivers for the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) as well as global and continental levels of competition on a low budget.
And one of the rising stars from this evergreen MMC junior racing stable -and by extension- the coast's youngest rally driver is none other than Abhi Singh Puee.
At 21 years old, Abhi is already scaling the heights of being a future driver of national repute as he gears up for his KNRC debut on his home fixture in Mombasa this weekend (October 15-16).
Abhi comes from a family line of petrolheads and it goes without saying. His dad has participated in a number of KNRC, circuit events as well as off-road Rally Raids.
"I always count myself lucky to be a part of a family laden with die-hard racers starting from my dad Manmeet Singh Puee (Vicky) to both my seniors Sohanjeet Singh Puee —who has been a two-time KNRC Group S and Division 2 champion, and Inderjeet Singh Puee who races in the autocross in his 2WD Turbo Buggy," explains Abhi.
Abhi reckons that being a second-generation motorsports family, the knowledge handed over to him is so vital and priceless. He quips: "It is like having stepping stones placed for you from the time you are born."
"The advantages of being a second-generation racer are that the techniques and direct support that get handed down and taught to you from your comfort zone is immense.
"During all my practice sessions and races, I have always had my father and my elder cousin Sohanjeet present to impart valuable experience on how to better my driving lines and indeed tackle any sorts of obstacles I may encounter," narrates Abhi.
"Sohan and Inderjeet are my cousins but we have always lived and interacted as brothers and exchanged many ideas in matters of motorsport.
"But being the second generation has its downsides too. One of them is the fact that people tend to expect a lot more from you.
"They expect you to perform as well or even better than your predecessors, so pressure sets in at some point," he expounds," he explained.
Abhi is currently a university student as well as a garage operator where he specializes in custom fabrications for all sorts of 4x4 upgrades and modes as well as normal bodywork.
His race week is not only a hectic round-the-clock experience but something quite interesting to see.
"My rally week usually starts with the essence of giving the car all required attention as well as my diet and fitness."
"I try to make sure I cover all sorts of aspects including putting the car in its best possible shape and ensuring it doesn't let me down.
"Everything ends with the satisfaction of getting the opportunity to drive and give it my best. I always a thorough going over with mechanics and team members."
"The first thing that happens to my car straight from a rally is a very detailed wash and check in a bid to be ready for the next event."
And when it comes to the role models' facet, it becomes a complicated issue as Abhi would put it. But he goes on to narrate that his local role models would be his dad, his cousin Sohanjeet and of course the legendary Carl "Flash" Tundo, Kenya's multiple KNRC and Safari Rally champion.
Image: Jack Owuor
"When it comes to internationals, the only name that crosses my mind is Toyota Gazoo Racing lead driver Kalle Rovanperä.
"For my 21-year-old age-mate to drive the way Kalle does is simply out of this world.
"Locally, Flash is a cut above the rest, something he has demonstrated over the years in his longstanding partnership with Tim Jessop," he said.
Abhi's first career race was the MMC round of the National Autocross Championship which he did in 2019 in his 2WD Non-Turbo Buggy.
"The difficulties most drivers including myself faced due to the rain saw me finish fourth in my class in my debut race. It's not easy. I was actually thrown to the deep end of a sodden track in Vipingo and the rest is history," he says.
Abhi has had the rally bug from the time he stopped crawling perhaps even long before he had dispensed with toys and two-wheel baby contraptions.
"The passion for racing was ingrained in him from the word go. I would go to watch my dad and brothers race and practice. It's at that time that I succumbed to the lure of asking them if I could do one round in their biggies."
In the next five years, Abhi sees himself doing a full season of the KNRC as well as try his hand on WRC rallies. "I hope to find a sponsor so I can move on fully to KNRC events as well as the WRC and. ARCs."
Abhi still retains his racing debut buggy and hopefully in good time, he reveals that his younger brother would be racing it.
"My younger brother's name is Avjeet but he is currently studying in the UK. Once he is done with studies, he will try his hand on my non turbo buggy which I honestly believe will be a great entry point."
On his ambitious KNRC project, Abhi expounds in finality: "I will be making my KNRC debut on home turf this weekend and hopefully complete the rest of the Clubman Rally series which ends in December. But then again, I am still shopping around for a prospective sponsor for next year's season."
"The first time on the KNRC front in my home rally is such a great feeling. I am overly excited to see what it has in store for me and what new challenges I will encounter on the way given that the KNRC is one of the best rally series in Africa...I am really looking forward to it."
Image: HANDOUT
ABHI'S LOWDOWN
DOB is 9/8/2001
Current Car: Mitsubishi Evo X
Previous Cars: Subaru, Attacker 1 Buggy
Current Navigator: Ahmed Moosa
Races For: Team Nanak Engineering
Mentor: Vickey Singh, Sohan Singh
Year Commenced Racing: 2019
Occupation: Garage Specialist
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
1. MMC National Autocross 2019- 4th
2. MMC National Autocross 2020 -4th
3. MMC National Autocross 2021 -3rd
4. MMC National Autocross 2022 -3rd
5. MMC Clubman rally round 3 4th