NAIROBI, June 30 – Two time national champion Lee Rose claimed his maiden Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Safari Rally crown on Sunday.
It was an ecstatic win for the Nakuru wheat farmer more so, as he used his new Mitsubishi Evo 9 machine which he only acquired this year.
Rose, navigated by Piers Daykins held on to their overnight lead from the Elementaita on Saturday and went on to win all the seven stages on Sunday.
Reigning Kenya Champion Carl Carl Tundo, also a wheat farmer based in Lanet, claimed second overall for the second consecutive year after recovering from a poor start. Rose beat Tundo by a 1.11minutes margin after a dry and dusty day in the Athi River Plains.
Rose who learnt the ropes from riding bikes at their farm went for the jugular on Day two when continental front runners- among them Muna Singh of Zambia and Riyaz Kurji -fell by the wayside.
Uganda’s Subaru N14’s Emma Katto also failed to live upto expectations after damaging his suspension on the last loop and was nursing the car all along. Behind Rose was a fierce Kenyan battle between is Baldev Chager and Carl Tundo.
Tundo grabbed second overall for the second year running after clinging onto the overnight lead.
TOP TEN:
1. Lee Rose/Piers Daykin Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9
2. Carl Tundo/Tim Jessop Subaru Impreza N10
3. Baldev Chager/Farakh Yusuf Subaru Impreza N12
4. Hideaki Miyoshi/ Hakaru Ichino Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9
5. James Whyte/Philip Archenoul Subaru Impreza N10
6. Azar Anwar/Imran Khan Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6
7. Don Smith/Sonal Smith Subaru Impreza N12
8. Alfir Khan/Tinu Khan Subaru Impreza N10
9. Peter Horsey/Timothy Challen Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8
10. John Rose/Mike Borrisow Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8
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