subject: KCB Bankika Rally Promises Total Excitement This Sunday [print this page] KCB Bankika Rally Promises Total Excitement This Sunday
This Sunday (20th) all roads will be leading to Athi River in the outskirts of Nairobi city when the 3rd edition of the Kenya Motor Sports Club (KMSC) organised KCB Bankika Rally kicks-off. This year's rally has attracted 52 drivers who will be battling it out for the top positions as well as fighting to earn those crucial points for the season.
Two-times former champion Carl Tundo, leads the list of drivers. A total of 40 drivers have entered the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) category with 13 others enlisted in 2WD category. According to KMSC's event itinerary, the rally will be flagged off outside KCB Ongata Rongai branch on Sunday beginning 9am.
The 145.60 km circuit will see the drivers cover a total of eight stages which will be run around Kitengela, Stony Athi, Mathatani, Lukenya and Athi River. The rally is co-sponsored by Pelican, Identisys, ALS, iWay Africa, Keringet and Car Track. This year all the top drivers are sponsored by fuel companies and each one will be fighting to win the rally for their sponsoring company.
Tundo will be followed by fast-rising youngster, Peter Horsey, who is teaming up with Dez Page-Morris in the crowd-pulling "Moto Moto"-their modified Datsun Debe pickup. Hinga is teaming up with 2008 Cross Country Rally Car Class navigator Champion Norris Ongalo in a Mitsubishi Evolution car. Sandeep Jandu and his cousin Gurdeep Mehangra on the other hand hope to consolidate their Division Three lead.
Other top drivers include defending champion and series leader Alastair Cavenagh of Dalbit Petroleum Team who is back with Gavin Laurence in their Mitsubishi EVO9, Baldev Singh Chager and Azar both from Olibya Racing, Jas Mangat from Uganda and Ian Duncan- now on his second outing in his National Oil Mitsubishi EVO9. Meanwhile, the battle for the Classic Car Cup points should also give the Athi River tour some gusto with Stefano Roca keen to maintain his lead.
Fresh from his inaugural victory of the season in Voi where he led the rally from start to finish under the navigation of his brother Adrian, Cavenagh is back with the championship winning navigator Gavin Laurence and he is looking forward to a good fight with Tundo, Ian and the others.
Adnan Suhail and Absalom Aswani will be showing their stuff in the Formula Two category in their Daihatsu Special. Defending Champion Leonardo Varese is back after skipping Voi and so is former Champion Kirandeep Chana (VW Golf GTi). "Haraka Mamas" -the all-new ladies crew comprising Joan Nesbitt and Dr Tamara K Jones (Toyota Tercel RSI) are spoiling for a fight after an exciting debut in Voi. Voi 2WD winner James Kirimi and Nadeem Kana from Mombasa are also set to ruffle feathers in their VW Golf Gti cars.
