Kenyan Karan Patel retained the ARC Equator Rally title for the second year running following brilliant displays in Taita Taveta county over the weekend.
The Kenyan speedster, who won his maiden Equator Rally in Naivasha last year, swept the ground to seal the second round of the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) at the expansive Teita Sisal Estates in Mwatate.
Navigated by Tauseef Khan, the motocross convert totally bossed the 421.08km course, powering his Ford Fiesta Rally2 contraption to victory in an impressive two-day total of 2:20.59.3 hours.
He beat Uganda’s Yasin Nasser (Ford Fiesta) and Kenya’s Jasmeet Chana (Mitsubishi EVOX) by a massive 6.20 minutes and 7.59 minutes respectively.
Nasser was all smiles as he said: “We finished second in the weekend’s motorsports race, but it was an incredible experience nonetheless! Huge thanks to our service team for their hard work and support throughout the race.”
He congratulated Karan for an amazing drive, saying: “It’s now time to regroup and come back stronger next time.”
Ugandan Jas Mangat, navigated by Joseph Kamya in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X came fourth overall in a time of 2:29.01 hours.
In finishing the event fourth, Mangat racked up the ARC2 honours much to his credit.
Out of the 19 participants who enlisted for the event, only nine survived the demanding course, also used during the season-closing Guru Nanak Rally last year.
Coast driver Izhar Mirza came fifth while veteran driver Asad Anwar, aka 'Bubbling', managed 6th.
Paraplegic driver Nikhil Sachania powered his hand-controlled Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X to seventh while Karan’s younger sibling, Kush Patel, finished eighth ahead of McRae Kimathi.
Kimathi, who drove an entire season of Junior WRC last year, won the ARC 3 category in an M-Sport-prepared Ford Fiesta Rally3. With Karan scoring a maximum KNRC points, last year’s runner-up Jasmeet Chana takes second place in the national category.
Karan topped leg 1 proceedings on Saturday with a 1.49 minutes margin ahead of Ford Fiesta Rally3 youngster Jeremiah Wahome, who retired on Leg 2.
FIA ARC Equator Rally Standings:
Karan Patel / Tauseef Khan 2:20.59.32.
Yasin Nasser/ Ali Katumba 2.27.19.63.
Jas Mangat / Joesph Kamya 2:29.01.0
Final Provisional Overall Classification:
Karan Patel / Tauseef Khan 2:20.59.32.
Yasin Nasser / Ali Katumba 2.27.19.63.
Jasmet Chana / Ravinder Chana 2:28.58.74.
Jas Mangat / Joesph Kamya 2:29.01.05.
Izhar Mirza / Kavit Dave 2.32.28.06.
Asad Anwar / Shamir Yusuf 2:37.02.77.
Nikhil Sachania / Deep Patel 2:39.28.28.
Kush Patel / Mudasar Chaudry 2:54.31.49.
Mcrae Kimathi / Mwangi Kioni3:24.63.4
