Chris Musumba
3 November 2009
Nairobi — Six drivers will be out to exorcise the ghosts that saw them roll out last season as they put their machines out for another slippery contest in Sunday's KCB Savings and Loan Mombasa Rally.
Mombasa defending champion, Lee Rose, navigated by Piers Daykin, survived a slippery Kilifi route to win and will be eyeing a repeat of the same feat in their bid to cement their second place in the KNRC standings.
Already, Carl "Flash" Tundo has wrapped up the 2009 KNRC title and will only be in Mombasa - which is the final leg of the season - on a "working holiday." Tundo won five of the seven rounds, only failing in his home round of Nakuru and in the Nanyuki leg.
But it is the prospects of a return to the sharp corner at Maryango that he relishes as he plots for the 19-kilometre Sokoke-Mitsangoni stage.
It was exactly at this stage that Tundo, Anthon Nielsen, Twaha Zubedi, Abdul Rahman and Michel Puchercos let go, having all their cars heaped up off the road.
Two-wheel drive title contender, Charles Hinga, incidentally experienced an unusual misfortune when his engine knocked while another, Omar Zahid, also rolled in last season's event but at a different stage. The National Formula Two Rally Championship will go down to the wire.
Alfir Khan, the fastest Division Two driver, failed in his bid to lock out opponents at the KCB Guru Nanak rally last month when he finished a distant sixth.
Competitive stage
KNRC defending champion Leonardo Varese's victory in the Guru Nanak Rally made sure his title defence hopes remain alive. Jasmeet Channa, who needed to score points in the penultimate round to maintain his lead in the table, failed to do so after his VW Golf stopped owing to fuel starvation before the start of the first competitive stage in the Guru Nanak.
He will be back to throw down the gauntlet; whoever picks it up has cause to be worried.
Mombasa Mayor Ahmed Mohdhar will be the Chief Guest for the event.
Mohdhar will flag off the cars outside KCB Branch on Meru Road, according to event director Mirza Rajan.
"We had conversations with the mayor and he accepted to be our guest of honour," Mirza said. The mayor's son, Eddy Mohdhar will be involved in the rally as a navigator for Lota Motorsports' driver and Coast Champion, Naushad Kara (Subaru N12).
Mohdhar has been a rallying in previous Coast events in a Ford Escort but has been called upon to fill the void left behind by Naushad's regular guide Ahmed Musa, currently in Dubai.
Meanwhile, Mombasa drivers are looking forward to home turf battle with great expectations.
Stefano Rocca, a Mombasa based ship broker, will be testing his Datsun 240Z in the run up to the Kenya Airways Safari Classic later in November.
Rocca teams up with Franco Donadel and is a strong contender to the KCB Classic Car Cup.
The Coast boys will also be contesting for the Johnny Hellier memorial trophy bestowed to the top placed Mombasa driver.
Last year, the Johnny Hellier trophy went to Peter Horsey.
Said Hamed of Yamakasi Rally Team will be going all out for division three title navigated by Victor Okundi in an ageing Subaru Impreza version 4 and at pains to raise the bar.
"The car is ageing and we realize sometimes that we are pushing it to the limit with not much power forthcoming. But we also don't imagine losing out on the Division three honours more so at home," said Hamed.
Hamed will fight it out with Equity Bank's only member driver Ben Muchemi of Nairobi who is placed second in division III category.
Another Mombasa native Izhar Mirza of Coast Pekee Rally will be seeking to make amends in the Division three that he lost to Nairobi's Asad "Khan" Kalulu with a string of retirements. Mirza has been the most active Coast driver also venturing into karting and autocross events.
Hamed has already impressed and has registered an impressive 100 percent finish record since his comeback in the 2009 KCB Safari rally. Yamakasi Team manager Mohammed Ali Khan was optimistic they will be the Division three victors.
"It will be an exciting rally for Mombasa based drivers. We are leading Division III and praying to win it on home turf and will have our family members and fans to cheer us," said Khan.
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