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Technical team leaves nothing to chance as Safari Rally nears

 

As the Safari Rally prepares to return to the World Rally Championship, all eyes are on Musa Locho who holds a key position in the FIA, the world governing body for motorsport.

The 55-year-old was recently appointed the FIA Gold Card Technical Delegate by the world motor sport’s governing body, a position that is recognised globally.

He is among the first FIA Technical officials from Africa. Locho has been the African Rally Championship Technical Delegate for the past six years.

As a Technical delegate, he has visited Uganda, Rwanda, Cote d’Ivoire and South Africa as one of the scrutineers. He will be in Tanzania in July as FIA technical delegate in the Tanzania Rally following his appointment as the FIA Technical Delegate.

For the third year running, Locho will be the official FIA Technical Delegate for the Safari Rally.

“I am very happy to have been appointed the FIA Gold Card Technical Delegate by the World Motor Sports governing body. It is an honour for me and my country Kenya,’’ Locho told Nation Sport on Sunday.

He is a former National Formula Two and Clubman Rally champion, having driven Hyundai and Subaru models of rally cars with Carol Wahome as his navigator.

Meanwhile, FIA has introduced new classes in the WRC events. They are the WRC1, WRC2 and WRC3 cars.

“The WRC1 Cars are World Rally Cars entered by manufacturers like Ford, Hyundai and Toyota. WRC1 cars cannot be sold to the general public. That makes them unique," Locho explained.

“WRC2 Cars are cars that are available for sale. They are less powerful than the WRC1 cars but are also manufactured as R5 cars like the Skoda, VW Polo and Citroen models. The WRC3 cars are the same as WRC2 machines but are entered in competitions by private entrants.  For example, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo10 has been given special dissension to tackle the Safari Rally,” he added.

The various versions of Mitsubishi Lancer and Subaru Impreza cars can be entered in the FIA regional rallies up to eight years after the end of their theoretical homologation period.

Approved by the World Motor Sport Council in June 2018, the new FIA Rally Car Pyramid has been designed to structure the market of the WRC cars.

The structuring of the market allows drivers or teams to find products that best meet their needs.   BY DAILY NATION  

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