Karan Patel eyes victory in Nakuru Rally
Karan Patel is brimming with confidence ahead of the second leg of the 2022 Kenya National Rally Championship in Nakuru on Saturday.
Patel, winner of the first round of the series in January, has already tested his Ford Fiesta for the event that will kick off with scrutineering and official reconnaissance of the route on Friday.
"We tested the car over the weekend and it's all systems go. I am expecting to win the rally and will do my best to attain this expectation,’’ Karan told Nation Sport.
"I must thank my members of the service crew who continue to do a wonderful job. We currently have a service crew of five senior mechanics/engineers.’’
Patel’s memories go back a long way when his father, Kiran Patel, was among the leading rally navigators in the country.
"I remember very well they took part in the 2009 Safari Rally in a Mitsubishi Evolution. Those are good memories."
Fresh from scoring his career best second overall place in the Kenya Motor Sports Club rally in January, Jasmeet Chana will be seeking to top the standings in Nakuru.
"We have achieved lots in our rallying career and now want to fight at a higher level though our car is limited in power because it's a Group N car. It is very hard to keep up with the R5 super models. I driver a Mitsubishi Lancer EvoX.’’ Chana said.
"Right now we have no sponsors and are asking corporates to come out and back us and other drivers as we have a pedigree of brilliant drivers in Kenya."
The Nakuru Rally will be 210 kilometres long of which 160km will form the competitive stages. There will be two competitive stages which will be repeated twice. The longest stage will be 47km while the shortest will be 33km.
The competition will be staged on private land around the Equator Mogotio Centre.
The major round of the KNRC is sponsored by KCB in addition to the White Cap brand of the Kenya Breweries Limited which is also part of the sponsors of the major event.
Scutineering will be conducted at the RVMSC clubhouse in Solai while the Rally Headquarters will be based at the Equator Centre in Mogotio. Mogotio Centre will also host the Service Park on the day of the competition.
The Club will also run the first round of the Clubman Rally Championship alongside the main KNRC event.
The Clubman Rally Championship has been reintroduced in the series for the first time in three years.
The total competitive stage will not exceed 100km and will be run entirely on gravel roads.
No reconnaissance will be allowed in the CRC series. Digital notes will be provided to the competitors 12 hours before the rally kicks off.
Harry Sagoo, the Chairman of the Nakuru Club, will be the Clerk of the Course for the second round of the series. BY DAILY NATION
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