Jasmeet Chana Eyes ARC Glory After KNRC Win at Safari Rally

Kenyan rally star Jasmeet Chana, popularly known as Iceman, celebrated a spectacular victory in the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) classification at the recently concluded Safari Rally.

Driving alongside his brother Ravi Chana for the Rubis Energy Kenya team, Jasmeet overcame technical setbacks to secure the KNRC title and finish fourth in the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) standings.

“We’re pleased with the win. Our goal was also to get a podium in the ARC, but we had some issues with the car that set us back,” Chana said.

Despite the challenges, the team remains focused on conquering the ARC, with Jasmeet adding, “We’re planning to… if all goes well, we want to tackle all rounds.”

Chana’s strong performance at the Safari Rally has ignited expectations for a formidable showing in the ARC, with the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally being the next key target.

The driver is already recognised as one of Kenya’s most accomplished rally competitors, having won nearly all local championship categories, including the KNRC in 2023.

KCB team driver Nikhil Sachania earned a well-deserved second place in WRC3 at the Safari Rally. Reflecting on the event, Sachania expressed relief: “It was a big relief to bring the car back home. The boys worked really hard on Friday night, and it’s awesome to be here.”

The rally proved to be a learning experience for the Kenyan driver. “It has been a very, very tough rally. Last year was a bit forgiving, but this year there were lots of lessons to learn,” Sachania noted, emphasising the importance of meticulous car preparation and high standards for competition.

Looking ahead, Sachania is targeting a repeat performance in the ARC3 category, saying, “With the help of KCB, we will be able to tackle the ARC3 again, so yes, that’s on the table at the moment.”

Another standout Kenyan, Aakif Virani, made waves at the Safari Rally while competing in WRC2. Virani finished eighth overall, second in the KNRC, and first in the ARC3 Masters category.

Discussing the challenges, Virani said, “We had to push a little bit because the time difference between Karan and me was 7 minutes, so with the penalty we got on Saturday, Samman was getting closer to us. We managed the gap carefully.”

Heavy rains led to a missed passage control, resulting in a 10-minute penalty, but Virani’s team managed to recover.

“We just got a restart, but we finished first in ARC Masters, second in KNRC, eighth in WRC2. So it’s not a bad result,” he explained.

With ambitions for an ARC title, Virani is taking a measured approach: “We take each event as it comes, one event down, and we keep moving. I think we might give ARC a go this year.”

Jasmeet Chana / Ravi Chana – Ford Fiesta R5

Aakif Virani / Zahir Shah – Skoda R5

Karan Patel / Tauseef Khan – Skoda R5

Nikhil Sachania / Deep Patel – Ford Fiesta Rally 3

Naveen Puligilla / Musa Sheriff – Ford Fiesta Rally 3