The Zambian couple of Leroy and Urshilla Gomes are ready to conquer Kenya’s terrain during this weekend’s second round of the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) in Naivasha.
The Zambians are aiming to finish the continental series on a high note after winning last month’s season-opening Rallye Bandama in Ivory Coast.
The couple has never won a rally on Kenyan soil and will be looking forward to become the first couple crew to win the Equator Rally in their Ford Fiesta-Rally 2 machine.
Leroy, one of the fastest drivers in Africa at the moment, said: “It’s always challenging racing in Kenya, both for the drivers and navigators as well as the car. We would like to finish it and keep winning more ARC points.
“It has never been an easy rally for any foreigner to come and win. Kenya has amazing drivers. This year is a little strange because most of the great names and drivers are missing from the event. But Karan Patel, who is currently leading the Kenyan Championship, is an amazing driver and he is definitely the favourite to win this event. We would be honoured to just be on podium,” he said.
Leroy added that he will take the event as it comes and we will know how to approach the rally once they have seen the stages.
“Rally routes change over the years and we also need to understand what the weather might do. Our approach will be determined after our recce.
“We just need to make sure that we are able to keep among the top drivers in this event and not fall to far back,” he said.
For the second year running, the ARC Equator Rally will serve as a dry run for the WRC Safari Rally which is slated for June.
Foreign drivers enlisted for the Kenyan leg include Amaanraj Rai of Uganda and Rwanda’s Giancarlo Davide.
Amaanraj will be co-driven by Kisumu-based Gurdeep “Gugu” Panesar, while Davite will be in the company of Sylvia Videvogel
The FIA African Rally Championship was run for the first time in 1981.
The series features an all-gravel calendar with events taking place against a backdrop of stunning landscapes across the continent’s Sub-Saharan region.
