NAIROBI, Kenya, July 29- Veteran driver and thrice national champion, Azar Anwar has predicted a podium finish at the KCB S&L Rally that is going down in Eldama Ravine this weekend.
Anwar, 57, won the Eldoret Rally earlier in the season despite being written off and after completing a rigorous reconnaissance of the rally route, declared his intentions of upsetting the favoured drivers including championship leader, Ian Duncan, second placed Carl Tundo and the returning Lee Rose.
“I have a strong feeling that we shall do extremely well in Eldama Ravine because the challenging nature of the route course and heavy rains will be a scare most of the drivers. I am looking forward to the route and can’t wait to be there,” he said.
Anwar bagged the 1998, 2005 and 2006 KNRC titles and relishes treacherous terrain such as the forthcoming rally that dubbed the toughest this season.
With massive escarpment drops, countless brows, narrow bridges as well as hairpins to the left and right, it will be upon drivers to tread cautiously with Event Clerk of the course Frank Tundo terming the set-up “a navigators’ nightmare.”
Heavy rains currently pounding have also left crew mulling over accelerator and brake-pedal experience in the Rift Valley.
Azar currently ranked fourth in the 2011 KNRC behind leader Duncan, Tundo and Ugandan Jas Mangat has been known to excel on wet conditions and will be racing to bolster his Championship position in the tough conditions.
He has been involved in a thorough last minute make over of his ex-Alistair Cavenagh Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VIII which took a beating at last month’s Safari Rally.
S&L RALLY ENTRIES
KNRC CLASS
AZar Anwar/J. Ngigi (EVO9); Ian Duncan/Amaar Slatch (EVO9); Peter Horsey/DP Morris (Datsun P/Up); Jas Mangat/Eloddie Sampere (Subaru); Alastair Cavenagh/Gavin Laurence (EVO9); Carl Tundo/Tim Jessop (EVO9); Baldev Chager/Raju Sehmi (Subaru); Alex Horsey/Frank Gitau (EVOX); Hardeep Rehsi/Ravi Soni (Subaru); Izhar Mirza/Zahir Shah (EVO9); Jazzy Chana/Ravi Chana (Toyota Celica GT4); Jasmeet Chana/G. Njoroge (Toyota Celica GT4); Anwar Pandya/Sunny Wason (Subaru); Onkar Rai/ Andy Doig (Subaru N12); Ben Muchemi/Evans Mwenda (Subaru N10); Ghalib Hajee/K. Acharya (Subaru N10); Aslam Khan/Arshad Khan (Ford Escort); Fahd Bary/Kashif Shaikh (EVO9); Issa Amwari/Job Njiru (Subaru); Edward Maina/Tonny Kimondo (Toyota Celica GT4); Tejvir Rai/Bharat Pattni (Subaru N10); Anthony Tibo/Kavit Dave (Subaru); JItendra Dhokia/G. Panesar (Subaru N10); Farhaaz Khan/Keith Henrie (EVO8); Ravi Chhaniraya/Ashish Mehta (Subaru); Mohammed N./Hassan Saleh (Subaru Impreza); Aakif Virani/Azhar Bhatti (Subaru N15); Khalid Umar/Shakil Umar (Subaru); Khalifan Athman/Abdulaziz Athman (Subaru); Mahesh Halai/Ketan Dinesh Halai (Subaru); Devan Bhudhia/Rohit Budhia (Subaru Legacy); Sham Wason/Sunny Wason (Subaru P/up); Sudhir Wason/Sanjay Wason (Subaru Leone); Iain Freestone/Gloria Ndung’u (Ford Escort); Dilraj Bhui/Savraj Bhui (Subaru); John Rose/Mike Borissow (Datsun 280Z); Nishit Shah/Darshan Shah (Subaru); Nick Patel/Tarin Malik (Mercedes Benz 190); Jasminder Bharij/Ben Spinks (EVO6); Bob Kaugi/George Mwangi (Subaru); Lee Rose/P. Daykin (EVO9); Stella Macharia/Helen Shiri (Subaru).
2WD CLASS
Joel Muchiri/Riyaz Ismail (Levin); Gurmit Thethy/D Kalsi (VW Golf GTi); Joan Nesbitt/ Dr. Tamara Jones (Toyota Tercel RSI); Adnan Suhail/Absalom Okinyi (Daihatsu Special); Niaz Bashir/J. Kosgey (Toyota Celica GE); Imran Kana/Salim Mohammed (VW Golf); James KIrimi/Kimeli Korir (VW Golf); Patrick Kibara/Nehreen Ismail (Levin); Rashid Kabi/Eric Nzuva (Peugeot 206); Sammy Nyorri/Julius Mwachuva (Levin); David Kioni/Mwangi Waithaka (Levin); Dennis Mwenda/Edward Njoroge (VW Golf GTi); Jagjit Singh/Joseph Kamya (VW Golf); Julius Kihunyuro/Linet Ayuko (Nissan Pulser); Munir Khan/Tauseef Khan (VW Golf).
