Karan seeded first at Guru Nanak rally

Karan Patel in action during the 35th KCB Guru Nanak Rally in Naivasha at the weekend. [PHOTO:COURTESY]

Former S Class and Division three champion Karan Patel has been seeded first in the season-opening KCB Guru Nanak Rally.  

The former East Africa Motocross 85cc Champion will lead 24 drivers off the ramp at KCB Kitengela Branch on Sunday.

Driving a Ford Fiesta R5,  Karan will be followed by Eric Bengi (Evo10), Tejveer Rai (VW Polo), Ian Duncan in his crowd-pleasing  Nissan Patrol Pick up, Carl Tundo with his EVO 10, Onkar Rai (VW Polo) and champion Baldev Chager in a R4 Evo 10.

The event will traverse stages at Stoni Athi, Kifaru and SGR whose repeat run is the designated power stage.

Karan leads the pack in the new rotational system of 8 KNRC Premier Class drivers gunning for honours in the 2020 season.

“It’s such a great feeling being our second time as the top seeded crew. We hope to give it our best shot as we will be the ones to sweep the roads in Stoni Athi,” Karan’s navigator James Mwangi said.

Chager hopes to kick-start his title bid on a high note. He first won the Sikh Union-organized round in 2004 navigated by the late Farakh Yusuf in a Subaru. He returns behind the wheels of his  Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 hoping to beat the VW Polo R5’s of his teammate Tejveer and Onkar Rai and Tundo’s Evolution 10.

The R5s performs well on short flat out stretches while Evo drivers like Chager and Tundo have savoured long endurance setting of Nanyuki nature.

Ian Duncan is the most successful driver at Guru Nanak having won a record 11 editions in different car makes.

Meanwhile, KCB Bank Kenya has re-affirmed its commitment towards motor-sport in the country with a renewed Sh25 million boost for this year's KCB KNRC Rally and KCB Autocross championship series.

The 7 KNRC events have been allocated Sh20 million while Sh5 million will go towards the 10 KCB autocross events, run through the Kenya Motorsports Federation (KMSF).

KCB Marketing and Communications Director Angela Mwirigi said: "We are excited as we launch this year's sponsorshi.

"We are glad to note that our sponsorship has seen the motorsport industry grow as we prepare for the 2020 World Rally Championship Safari Rally.”

KMSF Chairman Phineas Kimathi said: "The KCB sponsorship has been consistent over the years," said Kimathi.