Kenyan champion Jasmeet Chana, Carl Tundo headline star-studded local cast at Safari Rally

Kenyan champion Jasmeet Chana during the 2023 Safari Rally.

MOTORSPORTS Kenyan champion Jasmeet Chana, Carl Tundo headline star-studded local cast at Safari Rally

Joel Omotto 11:34 - 19.03.2024

Reigning Kenya champion Jasmeet Chana will resume his KNRC title defence at the prestigious Safari Rally with five-time winner Carl Tundo among top Kenyan drivers on the roster.

Reigning Kenya champion Jasmeet Chana will resume his title defence at the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) Safari Rally in Nairobi and Naivasha from 28-31.

The former Kenya Two Wheel Drive and Group S champion returns to the national series with a new ride (a Ford Fiesta Rally2) hoping to ruffle feathers against the national speedsters.

Chana aka “Iceman” is upgrading from his traditional championship-winning Evolution 10 to a Rally 2 Ford Fiesta that he will pilot for the first time over the long sporting Easter weekend.

Iceman will, nevertheless, need to keep an eye on his mirrors, as compatriots Karan Patel, Aakif Virani, Samman Singh Vohra and five-time Safari Rally winner Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo will pilot state-of-the-art Rally2 marques.

Tundo, Karan, Aakif and Samman have previous experience in WRC’s second tier category (WRC2) and will be fighting for a share of both KNRC and WRC2 points.

The aforementioned drivers top a bumper entry featuring 20 cars released on Monday. With a superb mix of familiar faces and new blood, spectacular action is guaranteed in the KNRC category.

Current KNRC leader Samman (Skoda Fabia Rally2), last year’s KNRC frontrunner Jeremiah Wahome and 2023 Kenya’s Junior WRC and WRC3 star Hamza Anwar (both in Rally3 Fiestas) are among the star attractions.

Reigning Ugandan and Tanzanian Rally champion Yasin Nasser of Moil Rally Team Uganda is also in the KNRC mix.

Nasser is contesting a full season of the KNRC this year, chasing an unprecedented hat-trick of championship wins in East Africa.

He hopes to finish as high up in the overall standings as possible in Kenya this season to achieve his intended fairy-tale hat-trick, having already finished third in Eldoret’s season opener behind Samman and Chana.

“As we head to WRC Safari Kenya, I know it’s one of the biggest events that we have been waiting for and a lot of spectators will be moving around. This is a safety message for everyone: follow all the rules and regulations put on the road sides and instructions that have also been kept on the stages, not just on highways,” said Nasser.

“Being a WRC, it’s always a great pleasure rubbing shoulders with the creme de la creme of the sport. We are overly excited to return to the iconic African WRC fixture,” said Nasser, who last drove in the Safari in 2021.

Last year Nasser took part in 14 rallies across Africa and emerged the winner on eight occasions. He won his home continental round (Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally) to finish third overall on the FIA African Rally Championship log and first in both the Uganda and Tanzania NRCs.

Meanwhile, dour all-women crews of Tinashe Gatimu/Caroline Gatimu, Pauline Shegu /Linet Ayuko, Jennifer Malik/Margaret Mungai and debutants Lisa Christofferson/Mitchelle Chao are all back in the saddle in their Subaru contraptions.

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