Driver Kavisi makes first ARC attempt at WRC Safari Rally

Safari Rally driver Evans Kavisi. [File, Standard]

As the WRC Safari Rally roars down to Naivasha after the flagging off this morning, Evans Kavisi will be using it to make his first attempt at the Africa Rally Championships (ARC) series.

And with a two-year break from taking part in rallying activities, Kavisi is mentally fit to compete against the world best drivers.

Aware of the arduous task ahead of him, Kavisi, who'll driving a Mitsubishi Evo X, is more interested in the Africa Rallying Championships as opposed to the local championships, which he said has great challenges.

"ARC series is crucial to me and I'll use WRC Safari Rally, which is competitive to do so for the first time," he said.

Kavisi said it was the right time to try his hand in ARC through WRC Safari Rally.

"This is the right time to try my hand in ARC series after a two-year absence, but I'll get slow on KNRC for now. I had that time to recondition myself before a formidable comeback," he told Standard Sports.

"In rallying, I had to work myself out to win and that's why I had to take a break. Risks must be taken if one is to be successful," he said.

While away from rallying, he had ventured into golfing to keep his fitness.

"While away from rallying, I had to venture into golf to keep my fitness, which is a game where one competes against himself as opposed to motorsports," he said.

"Good swings allow a golfer to register better scores just like rallying requires certain qualities of polished driver to win the rally. But in golf, one competes against himself as opposed to motorsports where competitors are many," said Kavisi.

Asked how they had prepared for the rally, he said; "First, we had to gel as a team as we prepared the car with the rest of the crew members."

To keep his fitness besides playing golf in readiness for this morning, Kavisi is an avid runner who does between 10 to 15km every two days.

He does not like going to the gym.

"I don't like gym-work. It doesn't excite me. To gain my full fitness, I'm an avid runner who does a lot of running every two days. It became part of my recent life experience," he said.

As he gets ready for the rally this morning, he's not under any pressure to win.

He revealed that pressure to win is what had landed him into problems before but has improved on that.