NAIROBI, Kenya, February 7th – The KCB Biashara Banking Rally in Nakuru this weekend is bound to be an explosive affair as drivers tackle new routes in the second round of the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC).
Speaking at a press briefing ahead of the event Andrew Musangi, the chairman of the organising committee of the Rift Valley Motorsports Club (RVMC), said they have charged the experience for the drivers and spectators.
“What we have done is drive around Rift Valley and find what would form a new decent competitive route. By all accounts we have achieved the same minimum distance of competitive stages”.
He added getting the balance right both for competitive and transport stages for the rally crew was vital.
“The only difference this year is that to get from one competitive stage to the next, you have a longer transport section, but we thought it’s a sacrifice well worth taking.”
RVMC are the first KNRC event organisers to implement the new format that entails reverting to longer competitive sections as well as introducing remote service to back up the main service park.
The set up will be one of the main attractions when the rally heads to Mogotio, Marigat and Lake Bogoria on Saturday.
Rallies commission chairman Abdul Sidi explained the new arrangement is designed to reduce repetition of stages therefore improving chances of the signature Safari Rally regaining its lost glory as a World Rally Championship (WRC) round.
Meanwhile, world governing body FIA appointed official, Mitchelle Mouton, will be in Nakuru to access the ways local events can be improved as Kenya seeks to have the Safari back on the WRC map.
Mouton is a former leading female drive in the international circuit who participated in the maiden East Africa Safari Classic in 2003 and she has already come up with recommendations on how the country can achieve the WRC goals.
The Safari was purged from the world calendar in 2002 over safety concerns meaning Africa has no round of the elite series despite concerted efforts by Kenya and South Africa.