Drivers start quest for KCB Safari rally

Provisional start list1. J.Whyte (ZIM) Subaru 2. M. Singh (Z) Subaru3. L. Rose (KEN) EVO 9 4. C. Tundo (KEN) EVO 9 5. B. Chager (KEN) Subaru 6. R. Kurji (UGA) Subaru 7. A. Cavenagh (KEN) EVO 9 8. A. Anwar (KEN) EVO 89. E. Katto (UGA) Subaru 10. A. Anwar (KEN) EVO 916. D. Giancarlo (RWA) Subaru 20. O. Costa (RWA) Subaru It is action time as the highly anticipated KCB Safari Rally gets under way this afternoon with a super special stage at Uhuru Park in Nairobi. The rally which also doubles as the first stage of the inaugural KCB East African Challenge and the second round of the African Rally Championship (ARC) has attracted 47 drivers from Africa and Europe. The event has a total of 700km of which 300km are spread over 13 competitive sections. After today’s special stage in Nairobi, the drivers will head to Elemantaita Lodge around Naivasha town tomorrow covering a total 177.44km in competitive sections before negotiating a further six competitive sections totalling 117.69km on Mombassa road around Athi River on Sunday. Just like Rwanda’s rally ace Davite Giancarlo anticipated earlier, Ashok Bhalla, the clerk of the course said the current dry weather has rendered the course extremely dusty with some of the parts around Soysambu-Elementaita stage containing one-foot thick dust. “I hope it rains in due course, otherwise it is very dusty out there. If it rains the better. It will help the dust subside; but we are not cancelling any stages anyway,” Bhalla told the press in Nairobi. According to the provisional start list, Giancarlo will be flagged off in 16th place while Olivier Costa will set off in 20th place. Last year’s ARC runners up James Whyte of Zimbabwe will be flagged off first with two- time ARC champion Muna Singh (Zambia) and last year’s KCB Safari champion Lee Rose following closely in second and third place. Whyte and Singh are driving Subaru Imprezas while Rose has opted to fly his Mitsubishi Evo9. Ends

Lifestyle

Drivers start quest for KCB Safari rally