Machakos Rallycross success edges Kenya closer to FIA Championship Series
Motors
By
Ochieng Oyugi
| Jul 12, 2022
The inaugural Rallycross championships held at the Machakos People’s Park over the weekend has edged Kenya closer to the prestigious FIA World Rallycross Championship series.
This is due to the success of the contest that attracted top local drivers including multiple Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) winners Carl’ Flash’ Tundo and Baldev ‘Boldy’ Chager among others.
Ahead of Kenya’s debut in the World Series next year, the country will hold another showpiece in Machakos in December to act as a dry run for the global competition.
“The Machakos Rallycross was a triumph in all angles, Kenya has a great chance of being slotted in the FIA calendar next season. I can’t wait to race in the series with my team,” Team 8 captain Andrew Muiruri told Standard Sports.
Muiruri led his Betika sponsored side to a fourth place finish in Machakos on 120 points where he battled seasoned champions like four time KNRC winner Chager and Tundo who has bagged the national series five times.
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“Rallycross is the best type of motorsports racing that I have ever done in my life. It was exciting, it was thrilling, and we shared a lot of knowledge among each other.
“I feel proud to have lined up against competent drivers like Flash and Boldy.I’m happy I gave them a run for their money. Even though they finished ahead of me, it was just but with a manageable distance,” Muiruri said.
Muiruri amassed 35 points to finish fourth in the champions category which was won by Tundo’s navigator Tim Jessop on 50 points as Tundo (45 points) and Chager (40) bagged second and third place respectively.
“From his overall performance in Machakos, Muiruri came to realise local rally participants can easily improve on their timings if they are availed of more opportunities, the way Rallycross did, to compete more with seasoned drivers.
“The two day event provided me with a chance to learn from the best. I gained skills and experience by marking Tundo and Chager lines; I noted the way they accelerate, the way they break, the way they take their corners among other nitty gritty parts of the game.
“I hope we have more of such events where drivers can go head to head against each other, especially against established competitors,” says Muiruri whose next rally will be the KNRC series in Nanyuki in September.
"All in all, we had a tough but exciting outing in the Rallycross. "Our car kept overheating, we broke two hubs and a rear arms-bend from a rock impact, and we had several punctures and raced two laps on flat tyres," said Muiruri.
The Rallycross was also a huge blessing to budding driver Jennifer Malik who met great forces in the sport like the Safari Rally WRC3 champion Maxine Wahome and Lioness Rally runners up Tash Tundo.
“Despite being rivals on the track, Tash impacted my life with skills and lessons I will not forget.
“I believe the mentorship experience she gave me will help me to take my game to the next level,” says Malik.
Malik had stepped up her training with Delta championships and Karting series races ahead of Machakos contest.
Kay Wachira who was fourth in the junior category with 35 points says Rallycross gave him a whole new experience on how to race on gravel.
“In Times Trial (TT), we do our rallies on the tarmac. I have never raced on the gravel before, I was surprised to top my head to head battle with Joseph Gacheche on Day 1,” the three time TT champion underscored.
Resilient Bob Kaugi was equally surprised to floor former KNRC aces like Alastair Cavenagh, Geoff Bell and Frank ‘Tank’ Tundo in the veteran category which he won on 50 points.
The two time East African Safari Classic Rally finisher (2003 and 2005) was happy to have met former rivals saying the Rallycross gave him a platform to interact and meet with both new and old friends.
In 2012, Kaugi bagged the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) Division Two category as a navigator.
He also performed impressively as a co-driver in the 2016 African Rally Championship series which was won by a Kenyan, Don Smith- father to Safari Rally youngest driver Rio Smith.
Machakos Rallycross selected results
- Overall Winners: Team 1 (185 points): Tim Jessop (Champion, 50 points), Ron Oakley (Veteran, 35 points), Maxine Wahome (Ladies, 50 points), Hamza Anwar (Junior, 50 points).
- Runners Up: Team 2 (175 points): Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo (Champion, 45 points), Jeremiah Wahome (Junior), Joan Nesbitt (Ladies, 40 points), Alastair Cavenagh (Veteran, 45 points).
- Third Place: Team 3 (155 points): Baldev ‘Singh’ Chager (Champion, 40 points), Tash Tundo (Ladies, 45 points), Frank ‘The Tank’ Tundo (Veteran, 30 points), Joseph Gacheche (Junior, 40 points).
- Fourth Place: Team 8 (120 points): Andrew Mururi (Champion, 35), Jenniffer Malik (Ladies, 0 points), Kay Wachira (Junior, 35 points), Bob Kaugi (Veteran, 50 points).
5.Fifth Place: Team 5 (105 points): Asad Anwar (Champion, 30 points), Geoff Bell (Veteran, 40 points), Karan Patel (Junior,0 points), Nisha Pandya (Ladies, 35 points).
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