Emerging Rally ace Issa Amwari says he wants to become one of the best rally drivers in the region after finishing fourth in the Kenya National Rally Championships category of the just concluded Safari Rally.
Amwari, navigated by Dennis Mwenda in a BetNare Sports Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, finished behind Carl Tundo, Jasmeet Chana and Nikhil Sachania.
“It feels great to go all the way and finish the race,” said Amwari. “I can only thank God, my family, BetNare and other sponsors who came in at my time of need, my navigator, the works team and all my fans.”
He said the rally was grueling but he was inspired to keep pushing.
“It was not easy. This is the Safari Rally, the toughest in the world and every driver wants to finish, very few manage to and I am proud I am among the few who finished. My goal is to continue working hard to become the best rally driver in the country. I draw my inspiration from the greatest rally drivers the country has produced like Patrick Njiru,” said Amwari.
This was Amwari’s second finish in the Safari Rally.
“I have participated in two Safari Rally championships, in 2022 and 2023, and I have finished in both which is a very good accomplishment,” he says.
In 2021 he was forced out on technicalities just a day before the competition. Amwari started his rallying career in 2010 behind the wheel of a Subaru hatchback and upgraded to an Evolution 9 in 2013 before racking up a career-best fifth in the Nakuru Rally of 2014.
In 2016, he acquired his current Evolution X machine and three years later, went one better by chalking up another career-best fourth on the Eldoret event.
Amwari entered seven events in 2019 and finished four in the top 10 — ninth in Kilifi, sixth in Nanyuki and eighth in Nakuru.
