Jassi Chatthe to sweep roads in KCB Safari Rally

Nanyuki Rally Jaspreet Chattle navigated by Dave Sihoka in a Mitsubishi EVOX roars to victory during the KCB M-Benki Rally in Nanyuki, June 28. He won the rally in a time of 1:49:33. PHOTO: MOSE SAMMY/STANDARD

Reigning Africa and national champion Jaspreet "Jassi" Chatthe will be the first one off the ramp on the 64th edition of the KCB Safari rally.

The event will be held in Nairobi, Elementaita and Soysambu from Friday. Chatthe will be followed by 1994 WRC Safari Rally winner and last year's runner-up Ian Duncan and Amaar Slatch in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 10 Group N Car.

Third off the ramp will be four-time winner Carl "Flash" Tundo in a Mitsubishi Evolution 10, followed by the Ford Fiesta R5 car and Skoda Fabia S2000 of youngsters Rajbir Rai and Quentin Mitchell.

Tundo is chasing Shekhar Mehta's record of five wins in the world's toughest rally, which was previously a round of the WRC and FIA African Rally championship.

Chatthe, who is also the defending Safari rally champion, will lead 42 other drivers in the event, which counts towards the eight-leg Kenya National Rally Championship.

Chatthe, who eclipsed Ian Duncan to the 63rd Safari title in a breathtaking closing stage exchange in Mount Kenya region last year, will be navigated by Gugu Panesar in a Team Kibos Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 10 R4 car.

Chatthe, however, admitted that sweeping the roads in the Great Rift Valley won't be quite an advantage as such.

"The advantage is that all roads are on private farms and free from the hustle and bustle of populated human and motor traffic. But being first on the road means you are the first driver to encounter whatever conditions on the road as the rest of the rally traffic follows you," Chatthe said.

The Safari will be flagged of from KICC on June 10 from 10am followed by the 2.2km Jamuri Park spectator stage.

 

SEEDED LIST
1. Jaspreet Chatthe/ Gurdeep Panesar -Mitsubishi Evo10
2. Ian Duncan/Amaar Slatch -Mitsubishi Evo 10
3. Carl Tundo /Tim Jessop -Mitsubishi Evo 10
4. Rajbir Rai /Greg Stead- Ford Fiesta
5. Quentin Mitchell /Steven Cook –Skoda Fabia
6. Tapio Laukkanen /Pasi Torma –Subaru Impreeza
7. Baldev Chager /Ravi Soni -Mitsubishi Evol 10
8. Karan Patel /Tauseef Khan- Mitsubishi Evol 10
9. Onkar Rai /Gareth Dawe -Mitsubishi Evo 10
10.Tejveer Rai /Zahir Shah -Mitsubishi Evo 10

Jaspreet Chattle navigated by Dave Sihoka in a Mitsubishi EVOX roars to victory during the KCB M-Benki Rally in Nanyuki, June 28. He won the rally in a time of 1:49:33. PHOTO: MOSE SAMMY/STANDARD