Drivers upbeat for KCB Guru Nanak Rally

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By GILBERT WANDERA

Veteran rally driver Baldev Chager will be the first to take off from the podium when the final round of the KCB Guru Nanak rally is held this Sunday.

Chager, who is currently leading in the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) standings, is tipped to emerge champion. He needs just to finish among top 14 to be crowned this season’s champion.

The win will come as a relief for Chager who has waited 13 years to win the national title. He came close in 1998 but mistakes in the last stages of the championships knocked him out of the race and ended up finishing third overall as Azar Anwar took the title.

"This has been a flat-out race. The 1998 race was not as fast and competitive. It has been a rat-race with no pace setting," said Chager yesterday.

He will be followed from the ramp by Lee Rose in a Mitsubishi Evolution. Both Rose and Chager are in the Triton team and it appears this is their year.

The OiLibya team of Asad Anwar and Azar Anwar leave the podium in third and fourth positions respectively. Asad is driving a Subaru Imprezza while his brother is in a Mitsubishi Evolution.

Ian Duncun in a Nissan Patrol leaves the ramp in fifth position, followed by Sammy Aslam (Mistubishi Evolution), Don Smith (Subaru Imprezza), Susheel Shah (Subaru Imprezza), Alfir Khan (Subaru Imprezza) and Anthony Nielsen (Subaru Imprezza).

Serious accident

Several top drivers are missing in the last round of the KCB series. They include Carl Tundo who was involved in a serious accident in the last race in Mombasa last month.

The others are, Alistair Cavengah and Ugandan Emmanuel Kato. There are also several new comers and others making a come-back. One new entrant is Simon Tysoe. Tysoe navigated by Rod Macklean will drive in a Ford Escort and will leave the ramp in position 25.

The Lochab brothers, Randeep Lochab and Ateet Jetha from Eldoret are making a come-back together with Asad Khan and Sandeep Jandu.

More than 40 drivers have confirmed participation in the eighth and final round of the KNRC.

The programme starts on Saturday with scrutineering at the Simba Union Club. The rally will be flagged off at KCB Buru Buru branch on Sunday at 7.30am.