Kana wins as crews recount Lake Bogoria rockery

By FEVERPITCH REPORTER

Mombasa-based Thumbs Rally Team driver Nadeem Kana registered his maiden career victory in 2WD when curtain came down on the KCB Biashara Banking Rally at Lake Bogoria Spa Resort.

Navigated by James Mwangi, the Aisha Motors- sponsored Kana was all smiles as he and navigator James gave Subaru its maiden 2WD win.

And it was a dream come true for Kana who had only made his debut in the 2010 Meru RSC Rally in a carroty VW Golf Gti which he later sold to Dennis Mwenda.

Kana, however, took advantage of Leonardo Varese’s exit 25km from the end of the penultimate stage. Varese’s VW car gave up on him when the ball joint housing broke. For 2WDs, the rally was not for pace setters but slower people.

Everybody who set pace retired.

Gurmit Thethy retired after someone threw a stone and shattered his door glass and in the event, the car lost ground and he broke the front shock absorberand couldn’t continue.

"The rally was really tough especially stages 3 and 4. The car started overheating the moment we finished special stage but my service crew managed to fix the problem. Stage 3 was too tough and hilly and as a result the car would slip to climb the steep rocky hill. My navigator had to push hard to make it to the top. This rally was too challenging. We picked up a puncture on CS5 and bent the front left shock," said Kana who is hoping to keep the car ready for the Kisumu event next month.

"We are also happy to have finished in the first position and hope to do the same the rest of the season for 2WD championship this year," hesaid. Patrick Kibaara was second in 2WD followed by Victor Okundi (Toyota Vitz) of Mombasa.

Dalbir Thethy was fourth.

"The event was a true test of pa-tience. For us in the 2WD we had to depend more on momentum on the rocky uphill which meant you pound the car to keep moving. Otherwise in the car we syched almost instantly with Tuta (Mionki), for a first timer she did very well. And Quatulu (Vitz)certified herself a real KNRC (Rhino Charge) tamer," said Okundi.