Reigning KCB KNRC Drivers Champion Baldev Singh Chager, KCB Bank Group Marketing and Communications Director Angela Mwirigi and Navigator Champion Ravi Soni during the recent 2019 KMSF Annual Awards. Chager and Soni have secured car number 1 status in 2020. Photo/COURTESY
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 17 – Outgoing Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) Division 2 Champion Issa Amwari has been promoted to Premier Class following a career best season which saw him finish joint seventh with Ian Duncan on the 2019 drivers log.
Former KNRC Division 3 and S Class Drivers Champion Karan Patel returns to Premier with Coast Pekee lead driver Izhar Mirza being relegated to Division One.
Defending Group N Champion Jasmeet Chana has retained his place in the elite Premier Class which has the likes of Flash Tundo, champion Baldev Chager, Onkar Rai, Eric Bengi, Duncan and Manvir Baryan.
Champion Ammar “Bushy” Haq remains in Division 1 and so is his Mombasa Motor Club (MMC) stablemate Sohanjeet Singh Puee who retained the S Class Championship last season.
Youngster McRae Kimathi who posted a career best fifth on KCB Meru Rally has moved up from Division 3 to Division 1.
Outgoing Division 3 Champion Geoff Mayes will now compete in Division 2 with the likes of Jonathan Somen, Raaji Bharij, Geoff Mayes, James Kirimi, Mombasa’s Naushad Kara Lota and Evans Kavisi among others.
Kirimi, a former S Class Champion, savoured a career best fourth on his Meru turf last year navigated by Michael Gitobu.
Issa, one of the fastest rising black indigenous driver, was all smiles after promotion and this is what he has to say:
“At the moment we are fully rebuilding our car and getting ready for this year (InshaAllah) nothing yet decided by our sponsors. Hopefully all will be well.
“Last year, we drove at 50 percent of our ability, hopefully this year we can go up to 70 percent and see what it will bring!! Premier Class will be a good challenge for us but we do not doubt our ability and skills to be contenders this year.”
Winning Division Two was a first for the team to win a division or championship, we are looking forward to build on that going forward.”
Kenya National Rally Championship-KNRC 2020 door numbers and divisions
PREMIER
Baldev Chager (Door #1)
Onkar Rai 2
Carl Tundo 3
Manvir Baryan 4
Ian Duncan 5
Tejveer Rai 6
Eric Bengi 7
Karan Patel 8
Jasmeet Chana 9
Issa Amwari 10
DIVISION 1
Izhar Mirza 11
Amaar Haq 12
Sohanjeet Puee 14
Adil Mirza 15
Mahesh Halai 16
Paras Pandya 17
Minesh Rathod 18
John Nganga 19
Nikhil Sachania 20
Asad Khan 21
Edward Maina 22
Aakif Virani 23
McRae Kimathi 24
Steve Mwangi 25
Hussein Malik 26
DIVISION 2
Jonathan Somen 27
Raaji Bharij 28
Geoff Mayes 29
James Kirimi 30
Naushad Kara 31
Evans Kavisi 32
Lovejyot Khalon 33
Daren Miranda 34
Ramesh Vishram 35
Kailesh Chauhan 36
Aslam Khan 37
Rajay Sehmi 38
Nzioka Waita 39
Ken Nteere 40
David Kioni 41
DIVISION 3
Arjun Pattni 42
Ken Kamau 43
Leo Varese 44
Hardev Sira 45
Moez Malik 46
Adil Mughal 47
Amit Vaja 48
Albert Kigen 49
Kirit Rajput 50
Akbar Khan 51
