NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 21 – The Kenya Motor Sports Federation (KMSF) has announced divisions for the 2019 Kenya National Rally Championship season which starts with RVMSC Rally on the weekend of February 2-3.
KNRC Division 1 and Group N champion Eric Bengi, Mombasa’s Izhar Mirza and former 2WD champion Jasmeet Chana have been promoted to premier class, joining the league of 10 highest seeded drivers.
The 2019 Premier Class has reigning African champion Manvir Baryan, KNRC champion Carl “Flash” Tundo, Baldev Chager, Rai siblings Onkar and Tejveer, Bengi, Jasmeet, Izhar aka Izzy, legendary Ian Duncan and 2015 ARC champion Jassi Chatthe.
Former Division 3 and S class champion Karan Patel and Farhaaz Khan have been relegated to Division One.
Mombasa Motor Club (MMC) drivers Paras Pandya, Sohanjeet Puee, Adil Mirza and Ammar “Bushy” Haq have moved up to Division 2.
Sohanjeet Puee – one of the fastest rising youngsters- clinched KNRC Division 2 and S Class championships on his first full season on the KNRC front.
Nikhil Sachania, the only physicality challenged driver on the KNRC series, has been promoted from division three to division.
Nikhil, who drove a hand-controlled SPV Evolution 10, won the KNRC Division 3 and SPV (specially prepared vehicles) categories.
The never-say- never veteran Frank Tundo has dropped from Division 1 to 2.
KMSF also announced rotational seedings for all 2019 KNRC events.
Tejveer Rai will be the first one off the ramp in Nakuru.
Eric Bengi has been seeded first on KMSC Rally.
Ian Duncan is the top seed on Eldoret Rally while Jassi Chatthe will sweep the roads on the second RVMSC event. RVMSC are organising two events to make up for Mombasa Motor Club who are not running a KNRC next season.
Flash Tundo who will be seeking to surpass Shekhar Mehta’s record of five wins has been seeded first on KNRC 5 Safari which will be a World Rally Championship (WRC) candidate event in 2019.
Carl equaled Shekhar’s longstanding record during the 2018 edition of Safari Rally.
The Safari Rally 2019 will also count towards the FIA African Rally Championship.
Onkar, Baldev Chager and Manvir Baryan are seeded first on Nanyuki, RSC and Guru Nanak respectively.