Chana set to resume national title defence in Naivasha rally

Hamza Anwar in a past event. [Courtesy]

The third leg of the World Rally Championship (WRC), the Safari Rally is set for Naivasha on March 28-31.

The high profile motor show event will also double as the second leg of the Kenyan National Rally Championship (KNRC) showpiece.

Reigning Kenyan champion Jasmeet Chana is set to resume his KNRC title defense in the Naivasha motorsports extravaganza after coming second in the national series opener in Eldoret last month behind Samman Singh Vohra.

The former Kenya Two Wheel Drive and Group S champion returns to the national series with a new ride (a Ford Fiesta Rally2) hoping to ruffle feathers against the other national speedsters.

Chana aka “Iceman” has upgraded from his traditional championship-winning Evolution 10 to a Rally 2 Ford Fiesta he will pilot for the first time over the long sporting Easter weekend.

Iceman will, nevertheless, need to keep an eye on his mirrors, as fellow compatriots Karan Patel, Aakif Virani, Vohra and five-time Safari Rally winner Flash Tundo pilot state-of-the-art Rally2 marques.

Tundo, Karan, Aakif and Samman have previous experiences in WRC’s second tier category (WRC2) and will be fighting for a share of both the KNRC and the WRC2 points.

The aforementioned drivers top a bumper entry featuring 20 cars listed in the KNRC line up released by the Kenya Motor Sports Federation on Monday.

With a superb mix of familiar faces and new blood, spectacular action is guaranteed in the KNRC category at the Safari Rally.

Current KNRC leader Vohra (Skoda Fabia Rally2), last year’s KNRC frontrunner Jeremiah Wahome and 2023 Kenya’s Junior WRC and WRC3 star Hamza Anwar (both in Rally3 Fiestas) are among the other star attractions.