Veterans expected to grace Guru Nanak showdown

Carl 'Flash' Tundo co-driven by Tim Jessop driving a MItsubish EVo 9 in action during the Guru Nanak Rally in Stoni Athi, Athi River area. He went to finish first overall. [Standard Sports]

As drivers get ready for the season opener KCB Guru Nanak Rally at Stony Athi on Sunday, organizers have introduced a power stage to spice up the event.

As a result, it has been included in the National Competition Rules (NCRs) and will be applied in all other subsequent rallies in the Kenya Motorsports Federation calendar of events.

Guru Nanak, one of the most prestigious rounds of the eight-leg Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC), will be flagged off from KCB Kitengela Branch then head straight to SGR, Stoni Athi and Kifaru regions for action proper.

Kenya Motor Sports Federation (KMSF) General Manager Mwaura Njoroge said the power stage facet will no doubt add the much-needed zest to spectators and competitors alike.

“From 2020 onwards, each motor club organizing the KNRC will now be required include a power stage onto the event itinerary. The power stage will be less than 5km of a similar surface to the event and can’t be part of the Super Special Stage(SSS). But organizers will be required to declare in the Supplementary Regulations (pre-event set of rules) which stage will be the power stage. The most interesting aspect of it is that retirees of the rally can come back to do the power stage if it is logistically possible, but at the discretion of the Clerk of the Course and the Stewards. In a nutshell, power stages will be designed with speed and aptitude in mind,” Mwaura explained.

 According to the local regulations, points will only be scored in the overall KNRC Class with the fastest crew taking 3 points, second fastest 2 points and third fastest 1 point. The points on the power stage will be added to what drivers score in the championship.

Mombasa based rally navigator Victor Okundi said the power stage will no doubt enhance competition and indeed give spectators and crews scintillating racing experience.

 “I’ve not had time to go through the National Competition Rules (NCRs) but if it is as per the World Rally Championships (WRC). It’s a welcome opportunity to score points and make it more competitive. So one has just had to fight to be in the top 10 and thereafter fight tooth and nail for the top 3 slots for extra points. Not a bad idea,” said Okundi.

Group N Champion and Premier Class driver Jasmeet Chana is excited that the power stage is being introduced in a year Kenya is rejoining the WRC.

"It couldn't have come at a better time when Kenya is preparing for global status. Being a key ingredient of the WRC competition, it will definitely see drivers give it that extra push for points," Chana said.

 Power stages have over the years been synonymous with World Rally Championship (WRC) events. They are usually run as a final stage of a rally in the WRC with additional championship points for the top five crews through the stage regardless of where they are classified in a rally.

Locally, power stages have been few and far between and devoid of bonus points. But following the timely addendum onto the National Competition Rules (NCRs), crews will now be privileged to score bonus points following the running of the power-stage.

Raju Chaggar, who is the Clerk of the course of weekend’s season-opening Guru Nanak Rally, recently, in a pre-event bulletin, nominated the repeat run of the SGR section as the power stage; where spectators will savoir exhilarating displays and crews treated to some hair-raising cockpit thrills.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Motor Sport Federation (KMSF) has made several changes to the NCRs this year. Other than the inclusion of the power stage rule, the points scoring system has also changed.

Unlike in the past when the winner racked up 25 points, this time around the scope of the maximum points is 30 followed by 24 for number twos and 21 for the number threes, et cetera. 

In 2020, it will also be mandatory for competing cars to have an environmental blanket to mitigate silage.