Experience wins in grueling autocross championship at Stoni Athi

Neel Gohil in action at the Autocross championships at Stoni Athi, on September 7, 2025. He finished second in the Auto X class behind Baldev Chager. [Courtesy of organisers] Experienced Baldev Chager showed once again why he is one of Kenya's greatest drivers after producing a masterclass at the Shell Autocross Championship over the weekend at Stoni Athi Resort. The veteran driver, who has been competing in motorsport for more than three decades, dominated a tough weekend that featured three different racing formats. Drivers battled dust, rocky terrain, a 20km endurance stage, and even a thrilling night challenge. But Chager stood tall in all of them, proving that experience, patience, and skill still matter in motorsport. Chager claimed victory in both the Auto X and Auto C plus Open Class categories before going on to crush the field in the endurance race. His overall time of 53:57.670 was nearly four minutes quicker than his closest competitor. He posted stage times of 19:33.00, 17:45.18, and wrapped up with a flying 16:39.49 that sealed his dominant performance. Speaking after his double victory, Chager said motorsport remains close to his heart. "We live, work, and dream motorsport. Thanks to Shell, the sport is alive again. It's good to see strong support for the future of motorsport," he said. The Open Class race behind Chager was equally competitive. Neel Gohil fought hard to secure second place with a time of 9:35.72, narrowly edging out Ankush Shah, who clocked 9:37.96 to complete the podium. Veteran Asad Anwar, John Kavidane, Clement Marini, and Shaz Esmail also delivered strong runs in a stacked field. Gohil was delighted with his result, saying: "It's been a good day. Thanks to Shell for the V-Power that gave us a flawless run. Finishing second is a great boost, and we will build on this moving forward." Elsewhere, the 4WD with 35mm Restrictor category was full of drama. Rising star Hamza Anwar stormed to victory with a time of 9:23.38. Amaan Ganatra, despite recording a Did Not Finish in Heat 3, still managed second place, while Harpreet Singh Bhogal claimed third. Bhogal later returned to take top honours in the endurance category of the same class with a time of 55:35.260, proving his ability to combine speed and consistency. The 2WD Non-Turbo category produced the closest battle of the weekend. Michuki Hinga narrowly edged Tariq Rashid to win by just 35 seconds after three stages. Hinga's stage two time of 19:34.69 was the key difference in securing the win. Young talent also had their chance to shine at Stoni Athi. Allan Bengi won the Beta Junior Buggy class, while Sean Njumbi topped the Alpha Junior Buggy group. Suleiman Munyua triumphed in the 2WD Turbo Cars junior race, with Muzammil Mohammed dominating the 2WD Non-Turbo junior category. Munyua highlighted the importance of preparation in rallying. "In rally, preparation is 80 per cent of the performance," he said. With another exciting weekend wrapped up, the autocross championship continues to cement its place as one of Kenya's most exciting motorsport series. Fans will now turn their attention to the next round, hoping for more thrilling action and another chance to see legends like Chager battle it out with the rising stars of the sport.

Experience wins in grueling autocross championship at Stoni Athi

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Stand With Bold Journalism.
Stand With The Standard.

Related Topics

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

DIGGER JOBS

Digger Motors

Digger Real Estate

Experience wins in grueling autocross championship at Stoni Athi

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Stand With Bold Journalism. Stand With The Standard.

Related Topics

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

Stand With Bold Journalism.
Stand With The Standard.