With only three events to the conclusion of the 2022 rally season, Two Wheel Drive leader Leonardo Varese is wasting no time in getting back behind the wheel of his Toyota Auris in Saturday’s MMC Bamba Rally.
The multiple 2WD champion is technically the 2022 champion but has to attain the 75 percent threshold for participation.
What this means is that he has to tackle the Rallye Sports Club’s penultimate round slated for Machakos County in November.
“The feeling is positive going into the Mombasa Motor Club event,” said Varese, adding: “I want to look forward to the title, so the essence will be to finish events.”
Varese is currently ranked third on the overall Kenya National Rally Championship standings behind leader Karan Patel and Jasmeet Chana.
“I mean, it's been an amazing year as we focus on the title. For a 2WD car to place third on the KNRC log after six rounds is even more exciting for the team,” said Varese, who will be co-driven by his Brookhouse School classmate Kigondu Kareithi better known as KV.
Meanwhile, recce for the Bamba event is done and dusted. Scrutineering took place at Kilifi Mall, where cars went through the pre-event checks. The cars will also be re-scrutineered during and after the rally.
The ceremonial start, finish, and prize giving shall take place on Saturday at Bamba Mwezamoyo School.
Three stages -KWFT (38.00km), Mirima Wa Ndege (26.36km) and Jila (16.24km) -will be repeated to make up a competitive run of 161.30km. The liaison distance will be 116km while the total distance is 277.50km.
Mombasa-based rising star Abdulkadir Tarmal will be making his KNRC debut and will be hoping to make all the local knowledge count during the weekend’s speed tests.
Tarmal, who joined the sport earlier in the year is a product of the evergreen Mombasa Motor Club (MMC) training rally initiative which offers upcoming drivers an opportunity to compete on a low budget.
KNRC STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 6
DRIVERS
1 Karan K Patel 167
2 Jasmeet Chana 161
3 Leonardo Varese 60
4 Carl Flash Tundo 59
5 Maxine Wahome 57
6 Kush Patel 54
7 Steve Mwangi 49
8 Jeremiah Wahome 41
9 Ghalib Hajee 40
10 Zameer Verjee 33
CO-DRIVERS
1 Tauseef Khan 167
2 Ravi Chana 161
3 Kigo Kareithi 60
4 Murage Waigwa 57
5 Mudassar Chaudry 54
6 Riyaz Ismail 52
7 Dennis Mwenda 49
8 Deep Patel 45
9 Victor Okundi 41
10 Tim Jessop 39
