Karan Patel (R) with his co-driver Tauseef Khan after their win in Tanzania/ HANDOUTAfter wrapping up their turbulent 2025 African Rally Championship (ARC) campaign with a dominant victory at the Tanzania Rally, two-time continental champion Karan Patel and his trusted navigator Tauseef Khan are bullish about mounting a full-throttle charge for the 2026 crown.
The Kenyan duo endured a bruising season littered with mechanical gremlins and heartbreak, which saw them forced out of two rallies and sidelined from another altogether.
However, they underlined their class and grit by storming to victory in the season finale in Tanzania on September 21, clocking a cumulative time of 1:45:05.9 in their Skoda Fabia R5.
National Rally Champion Samman Vohra, partnered by Drew Sturrock, finished a close second in 1:45:20.4, while Tanzania’s own Ahmed Huwel completed the podium in 1:49:51.9.
Despite the late triumph, Patel signed off the season fourth overall on 70 points, just seven shy of paraplegic driver Nikhil Sachania, who finished third on 77.
Uganda’s Yassin Nasser clinched his maiden ARC title and Uganda's first since 1999 with 135 points, narrowly edging Vohra, who amassed 134.
With the 2025 campaign already underway, Karan has his sights firmly set on reclaiming the title he won in 2023, before successfully defending it in 2024.
"Thank you to everyone who showed us support, and we look forward to seeing you next season," Karan shared.
Their year began on a sour note when they were forced into retirement at the season-opening WRC Safari Rally in March due to engine failure.
However, they bounced back in emphatic style at the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally in May, where they stormed to victory with a cumulative time of 1:51:28.9.
Uganda’s Yasin Nasser (2:04:21.6) and paraplegic driver Nikhil Sachania (2:07:48.4) completed the podium. But fortune turned against them again at the Mountain Gorilla Rally, where they crashed out in SS3 Nemba 1, with their Ford Fiesta sustaining severe damage that necessitated a complete shell replacement.
That leg was won by Kenya National Rally Champion Samman Vohra and his co-driver Drew Sturrock, who clocked 1:48:59.1, with Sachania and his co-driver Deep Patel taking second in 2:03:39.7.
Mechanical and logistical challenges also prevented Karan and Tauseef from participating in the Burundi Rally, the fourth leg of the ARC, as replacement parts were delayed. Despite the chaos, Patel paid tribute to the resilience of his team and sponsors.
"We thank our sponsors, KCB group and our team; they really did a good job in rebuilding the car," he added.
Navigator Khan echoed his sentiments, noting that their focus was to sign off on a high in Tanzania. "We won the Makwana Rally in Tanzania, which is what we had set out to do from the beginning," Tauseef shared on his socials.
He also lauded the fierce competition from Vohra and Sturrock. "Thank you to Vohra and Drew for the intense battle that we had going on. We are definitely looking forward to more of that in the future."
Like his driver, Tauseef remains bullish about the road ahead. "To the future, we will come back stronger and better.”
