NAIROBI, Kenya, July 26- Former national rally champion Lee Rose will make a comeback into the Kenyan rally scene after a ten-month hiatus to take part at the KCB S&L Rally this weekend.
Rose who is in the country on holiday, relocated to South Africa early this year and will revive back his Mitsubishi Evo 9 and call up his long time navigator Piers Daykin for the one-off competition.
His cameo return spells unease for championship leader Ian Duncan and former Dalbit Petroleum team mate, Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo who is hot on his heels in the running for this year’s Kenya National Rally Championship title.
“If I were Tundo I would be worried, because right now the championship is getting to a point where every point counts. Rose is one of the quickest drivers and Tundo would not relish him to be there but Ian would not mind his presence because then he is going to knock someone out by 20 or 30 points,” local rally veteran, Abdul Sidi, told Capital Sport on Tuesday.
Duncan tops the KNRC standings on 265 points with Tundo 25 adrift.
“Speaking to Tundo, he stated he did not care if Rose was behind or in front or whether the rally would be wet. All he is out to do is win the rally or finish in the podium at least,” Sidi added.
Rose’s last rally was in November 2010 where he won the 31st Guru Nanak Rally in Il-Bissel after losing 116.49 minutes that marked his second triumph at the event following his victorious run in 2008.
He made his KNRC debut in 1999 and won back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004 before relocating to South Africa where unconfirmed reports said he could resort to the country’s championship.
Meanwhile, 57 Drivers have already confirmed participation in the S&L Rally that will be staged at Eldama Ravine.
The first car is scheduled to leave the ramp at the town’s KCB branch at 7am on Saturday.
All of the rallying action is centred on the town with spectators invited to watch the cars in action at Eldama Ravine Stadium throughout the day.