By Erick Ochieng

The KCB Visa Card rally zooms off in Kilifi town today with an all-out battle to seize championship points.

The seventh and penultimate round of the KCB Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) will be flagged off outside KCB KIlifi Branch today prior to a marathon run tomorrow that makes the Coast tour the longest with a 438km.

Defending champion Carl "Flash" Tundo will be

attempting to replicate his winning performance when he takes off the ramp first. Uganda Riyaz Kurji is back to seize a rare hat-trick after dominating the Coast tour for the past two editions.

Naushad Kara (left) and Bijal patel in a past rally. Photo: Samwel Nyakondo/Standard

In the 2WD Class, Charles Hinga renews his rivalry with Leonardo Varese in what is expected to be a major showdown.

Hinga is set to make amends for his woes at KCB S&L Rally where he rolled and lost his lead to Leo Varese. Threatening their title ambitions is

Champion, Jasmeet Chana (VW Golf GTi), who is out of contention and has nothing to lose. Hinga will be on the road in a Toyota Levin teaming up with Evans Mwenda. Varese takes off second, followed by Chana and Adnan Suhail, who will be driving an ex-Martin Gitata Daihatsu. The Coast assault is led by Naushad Kara of Lota Motorsports.

Kara, who is the Coast Rally champion, will drive a Subaru N10. Other Coast boys are Peter Horsey, Said Hamad, who is making a comeback.

Following the flag-off, cars will assemble at the northern side of the old ferry ramp for a short burst of speed in a 1km competitive section that will give the local population a chance to watch the spectacle before they are ‘sealed’ away in Parc Ferme overnight at the Mnarani Club Rally headquarters.

Smooth road

The Officials and competitors will be up before dawn on Sunday to prepare for a full day of rallying along the roads in the Kilifi, Bamba, Kaloleni, Shariani areas. The first car will start from Mnarani HQ at 7.00am and cruise the 14.6 km to the first competitive section start at Sokoke. This opening section of Sunday (CS2) initially follows the route that was used in 2006 past the Mosque at the junction to Jaribuni, past "Kurji’s corner" (where it branched left in 2006 - and Kurji allegedly rolled in recce) and on through the township of Ganze where it turns left and on to end on the outskirts of Bamba. The road is generally very smooth and open and with the exception of the population in Ganze, runs through almost deserted countryside.

The cars then pick their way gingerly through the

bustling, emerging township of Bamba and follow the pot-holes and rough road for 10 km towards Mariakani before turning left onto a new route for 2008 that starts near the Maryango School and runs for 28 km to the flying finish near a "Lone Palm" at Birini (about 10km north of Kaloleni near M’tsengo).

This finish also doubles as the finish for the second "Palakumi" loop (CS5).

Following 35 km of transport the 3rd section of the

day starts at the junction near Lutsangani and drivers will love the fast, smooth open roads that wend their way across the valley towards the ridge at Vipingo and this section culminates in a spectator-orientated 4.5 km in private land amongst the sisal just off the main road at Shariani. At this location there will be ample spectator parking, refreshments, a VIP tent for

KCB sponsors and their guests.