NAIROBI, November 21 – Baldev Chager needs a top 14 finish at the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Guru Nanak Rally on Sunday to win his first Kenya National Rally Championship.
Chager who will lead 43 cars off the ramp in a Subaru Impreza N-12 has 455 points going into the final round of the championship after winning the Nanyuki and Easy Pay Loan rallies.
His Triton teammate Lee Rose, with three rally wins under his belt, can also win his third title if Chager finishes outside the top 14 courtesy of the ‘Cleanest Further Rule’ which hands the title to the driver with the most wins if there is a points tie.
Last year’s champion Carl Tundo is absent after failing to repair his Subaru Impreza N-10 in time following severe damage it sustained after it rolled at the KCB Visa Card Rally.
Quentin Mitchell who missed the Mombasa rally hopes to end his rookie season in spectacular fashion.
“We’re really looking forward to this weekend and sad that the season is coming to an end,” said Mitchell.
“Over the long break between November and February we will look at the car, get it ready for next season and also plan at looking towards participation in the ARC (Africa Rally Championship),” he added.
Leonardo Varese just needs to complete the rally to clinch the two wheel drive category.
Varese who is navigated by Kigondu Kareithi in a Volkswagen Golf GTI leads the two wheel drive standings by 18 points.
The 260 kilometre rally will centre around the East African Portland Cement quarry which will host the spectator stage and where the drivers will have to contend with the black cotton soil.
“So far the weather has not been too bad and we hope it remains this way because the East African Portland area is known to become very muddy when it rains so we hope the current weather holds and we have a good event,” said Kenya Motorsport Federation General Manager Achie Khan.
All stages except for the Lukenya- Mathatani will be staged at the quarry which has threes stages that will be repeated twice while the Lukenya route will be done once constituting a competitive mileage of 130 kilometres.
The rally will be flagged off at the KCB Buruburu branch by Makadara MP Dick Wathika and will finish at the Simba Union Club on Forest Road, Parklands.
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