NAIROBI, Kenya, July 16 – Ben Muchemi, Dr. Sunil Vinayak and Bimal Shah are the new appointees to the Kenya Motorsport Foundation (KMSF) board.
The three replace former KMSF chairman Maina Muturi, former general manager Achie Khan and Surrinder Thatti.
The new trio join Jim Kahumbura, Dave Macharia, Kevin McCourt and Dali Kalsi on the board.
The seven member board will meet in due course to elect a new chairman.
The triumvirate of Muturi, Khan and Thatti oversaw the resuscitation of motorsport in the country the highlight being the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Kenya national Rally Championship which is one of the biggest sponsorship deals in the country.
The KCB Safari rally is also part of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) a step towards it reclaiming as a World Rally Championship (WRC) event.
The success of the championship has also attracted several corporates who sponsor individual drivers.
The glory days of the Safari Rally was also revived with the biannual Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally.
Kenya was also awarded the rights to host the Africa Motorcycle Union (AMU) motorcross championships two years ago when Kenya won the overall title.
Meanwhile Carl Tundo will be aiming to take a step closer towards regaining the title he won two years ago when the KCB Asset Finance Rally is flagged off tomorrow.
Tundo who currently tops the championship standings with 280 points starts in seventh position while defending KNRC champion and the winner of this leg last year Baldev Chager will start in fifth.
Azar Anwar who will start in first position on Friday hopes to put the gremlins that affected his run in the KCB Easy Pay Loan rally behind him.
“Last time I suffered two punctures which let me down so I hope it don’t suffer the same fate this weekend,” said Anwar.
“Starting in first position has its own challenges because being in front means you encounter so many obstacles on the road,” he added.
Two wheel driver leader Jasmeet Chana will be preoccupied with fending off the challenge from Charles Hinga and Munir Khan.
The rally which will be run in Meru for the first time in 22 years will be flagged outside the KCB Meru branch at 3.30 p.m.
