Whyte takes ARC lead

Results
L. Rose         (KEN)    2:54:48
2. C. Tundo   (KEN)    2:55:59
3. B. Charger  (KEN)   2:56:34
4. H. Miyoshi   (JPN)   2:59:36

ARC Charts
J. Whyte       23
H. Miyoshi     21
M. Singh       16

Kenyan drivers did a 1-2-3 finish in this year’s KCB Safari rally held in their homeland over the weekend.

Nakuru wheat farmer Lee Rose entered his name in the records of African motor sports with his maiden KCB Safari Rally crown while compatriots Carl Tundo and Baldev Charger finished second and third respectively.

Rose navigated by Piers Daykin in a Mitsubishi Evo9 won the rally in 2 hrs, 54 minutes and 48 seconds.

Compatriot Carl Tundo (Subaru N10) was second, more than a minute off the pace with Baldev Chager (Subaru N12) taking third place.

Japanese driver Hideaki Miyoshi won the ARC registered drivers race in a time of 2 hrs, Rose’s victory also surpassed his previous victories of the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) twice in succession in 2003 and 2004.

Rose became favorite for the title when continental front runners Muna Singh of Zambia and Uganda’s Riyaz Kurji fell by the wayside on Day-two of the hectic event. Kenya’s Alfir Khan won the FIA-Pirelli Youngster Promotion after coming home 8th overall.

Uganda’s speed merchant Emma Katto finished outside the Africa Rally Championship (ARC) points bracket for the third straight year.

Katto, co-driven by Moses Matovu in a state-of-the-art Subaru N14, finished 18th overall after breaking both tyre suspensions. He had surged from ninth to sixth after two competitive sections (CS). 

Rwanda’s rally star Olivier Costa navigated by Jean François Ruhashanyiko had a frustrating experience on their debut in the Africa rally champion as their Subaru Impreza developed engine problems.

The battle for this year’s FIA Africa Rally Championship (ARC) seems to be headed for a gripping finish after the just concluded KCB Safari rally.

After suffering gearbox gremlins, the two –time ARC Champion Muna Singh was forced to watch from the sidelines as his ARC lead was wiped out by Zimbabwe’s James Whyte and Japanese speedster Hideaki Miyoshi who topped the foreign pack.

Despite suffering a 3-minute penalty to chuck his hopes of a top Safari prize, Miyoshi still managed to win the ARC registered drivers race after clocking 2 hours, 59 minutes and 36 seconds.

However, Whyte’s second spot finish coupled with his initial four-point lead over the Japanese was enough to see-off Miyoshi’s challenge at the top of the ARC points standing.

Whyte now tops the ARC race with 23 points while Miyoshi and Singh are second and third with 21 and 16 points respectively.

The drivers will now head to Zimbabwe for the Dunlop Zimbabwe Challenge (August 22-24); the fourth round of the ARC before wrapping up the championship in Zambia with the Zambia International Rally in September.

Kenya dominated the KCB rally, which counted for the third round of the ARC after claiming seven slots in the top ten including the top three slots which were claimed by Lee Rose, Carl Tundo and Baldev Chager.

Miyoshi and Whyte scored maximum points on the ARC Charts because the Kenyan trio isn’t registered on the continental championship that attracted 11 drivers this year.

Ends