NAIROBI, KENYA, January 11- The 2011 KCB Kenya National Rally Championship launches in Voi next month with all big guns eyeing a shot at one of most prestigious local sporting titles.
Defending champion Alistair Cavenagh, former champion Baldev Chager, siblings Peter and Alex Horsey and rally legend Ian Duncan will renew hostilities on some of Kenya’s treacherous routes.
Duncan will be driving a new Mitsubishi Evo 9.
Organizers East African Safari Rally (EASR) have finalized the planning for the event and drawn up the route and itinerary.
The rally will be held on Saturday, February 12. The recce and scrutineering has been set for the day before.
The race will begin at 7.30am when the cars will head in convoy from Voi Wildlife to KCB Voi Branch.
The first car is anticipated to check in to the Voi Wildlife Lodge Finish at 16h20 well in time for the Podium ceremony and Prize giving at the same venue.
After a week-long route survey, officials sounded quite enthusiastic of the set up.
Ashok Bhalla, the Chairman of the Rallies Commission at KMSF says Voi will be exciting with the new flat-out terrain preferred. He said the route is very compact and can be recced twice within 5 hours.
Bhalla said KNRC competitors will tackle a total of 8 stages including three runs on the 0.53km spectator stage.
The HQ for the event will be located at Voi Wildlife Lodge- 5.80 km from the Voi KCB branch at the edge of the Tsavo National Park with plenty game (elephants and buffalo) visiting the water hole.
“We will run a Spectator Stage in the middle of Voi Town at the Stadium. The plan is to run this spectator stage (530m) three times during the day at 10.33am, 12.43 pm and finally at 16.03pm. This will be a great way to bring “rallying to the people” and Voi has not had entertainment like this before,” explained Bhalla.
The Service Park, scrutineering and parc ferme is planned to be at the Voi Wildlife Lodge. The Main KNRC rally route will be exciting.
The total competitive mileage is 151.59km and the rally total 267.55km. This will be run in 8 competitive sections of which 3 will be the Spectator Stage. The 3 longer competitive sections will be very near to Voi and will run in the Sagala, Shelembwa area and the Ndi area.
The first two competitive sections will be repeated. The 2WD cars will do the first 4 competitive sections with a total competitive distance of 86.76 km.
Among the top guns expected are 2008 Champion Baldev Singh Chager, defending champion Alastair Cavenagh, Peter Horsey-his brother Alex Horsey, Asad Anwar and Ian Duncan who will be driving a new Mitsubishi Evolution 9.
