TWIN SUCCESS: Karan clinches rare double championship victory as Kenya National Rally season ends

Karan Patel in action during the 35th KCB Guru Nanak Rally in Naivasha at the weekend. [PHOTO:COURTESY]

Karan Patel and his partner Tauseef Khan were among the star attractions as the season ending 35th KCB Guru Nanak Rally ended at the Buffalo Mall in Naivasha over the weekend.

Driving an ex-Baldev Chager Subaru GC8, Patel finished fifth overall to clinch the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) Division 3 and Group S Championship title only on his eighth month of rallying.

Patel’s flawless showing at the wheel of a GC8 was a repeat performance of Kisumu Rally last month where he finished fifth.
Patel, who made his racing debut with a retirement in the RSC Formula Club Series (FCS) Rally in Kiambu in March, has since recorded a 100 per cent finish record.

He wrapped up the season with in ninth overall position in the main KNRC class which was won by his mentor Baldev Chager.

Leonardo Varese reclaimed the 2WD Championship title, while Jonathan Somen won the Classic Car Cup as Alasdair Keith prevailed in the KNRC Division Two.

PLAY SECOND FIDDLE

Eric Bengi, who won the 2WD Class in Guru Nanak, had to play second fiddle to the Varese who won the championship for the third time.

Karan, a former East African 85cc class motocross champion, has hinted that he may join the “EVOX craze” next year in his bid to securing a reputable overall KNRC position.

In six KNRC rallies that Karan started, he was able to rake up four top 10 positions in the main KNRC class but what he has impressed enthusiasts with this season is how he has managed to beat state-of-the-art cars like the EVOs and Subaru N series.

Karan, who finished 24th overall on his KNRC debut in Kiambu, finished ninth in Safari Rally, fifth in Kisumu, fifth in Guru Nanak, seventh in Nanyuki and 12th in Eldama Ravine.

FAIRY TALE CAMPAIGN

Asked of his fairy tale campaign in 2014, Patel said: “To have won two championships at the end of the season is a lot more than I expected when I initially started racing. There’s a healthy amount of competition within the rally fraternity and to be ranked where I am today is a great achievement for myself and my co-driver Tauseef. The secret to success is not a secret at all. I feel that is down to the driver and his level of skill and discipline. It’s about how you approach each rally and that’s the most important thing.”

“How you tackle each stage should depend on a lot of factors. However, what happens in our car during rallies will remain a secret. I feel Tauseef and I are a great team and together we will accomplish a lot more. Going into the first control I was very nervous. The feeling of ‘butterflies’ combined with asking God to keep us safe during the event,” Karan added.

Varese, who was happy to win his third championship said: “For us, Guru Nanak was a Sunday drive. We got to see wildlife and stunning views. Fifth place was more than enough, we were never going there to contest for a top position as we only required one point or just a finish. The pressure to win was not there. But I must admit the competition was tough all year round and at the end four wins out of eight rallies is an excellent season by any standard.” 

Gurmit Thethy, who retired in 2WD, said it is time for him to go back to the drawing board.

“We enjoyed the rally till it lasted, stages were really nice, it was a good event only that we didn’t finish as we had a broken drive shaft.”

“The last three events have been bad for us. Now it’s time to go back to the drawing board and chart the way forward for 2015. We will need to improve on our pre-event preparation,” he added.


 

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