Kenyan speedster and continental series contender Karan Patel is a man on a mission.
The reigning Kenya National Rally champion is optimistic of a repeat performance at this weekend’s 2023 Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally.
The event is slated for September 22-24 in the Rwandese capital, Kigali and Bugesera — a district in the Eastern Province of Rwanda.
Karan returns to Rwanda to defend the title he won in 2022, when he restricted eventual African champion Leroy Gomes of Zambia to second place.
Driving Ford Fiesta Rally2 and co-driven by Tauseef Khan, Karan sped to victory in the race after covering a distance of 171.29km in 01 hour 19 minutes and 40.3 seconds.
Karan will be going for back-to-back wins after clinching the second edition of Rally Burundi last month.
The 2023 edition of the prestigious Mountain Gorilla event will be hosted by the Rwanda Automobile Club, featuring 348.18 km and six stages to boot.
Speaking from Kigali, Rwanda, Karan exuded confidence.
“We are up against top drivers across Africa, and they are all battling for the top spot. Our aim is to win each of the remaining legs, close the gap with the leader, and finally bring the ARC title home,” Patel told Kenyan website Citizen.
The iconic Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally is a flagship event of Rwanda Motorsport Club and counts towards the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) series.
It is run under the auspices of the International Federation of Automobiles (FIA) as part of the global body’s continental regional championships.
The event is run in compliance with the FIA International Sporting Code and its appendices, the 2023 FIA Regional Rally Sporting Regulations, the Rwandan National Sporting Regulations, 2023 FIA African Rally Championship regulations which comply with the FIA regulations and the Supplementary Regulations for this event.
This year’s edition race will rev off at the BK Arena and conclude in Bugesera. The Gorilla Rally has attracted 28 drivers (22 national and six ARC).
FIA ARC STANDINGS
1 Yasin Nasser UGA 78pts
2 Jas Mangat UGA 63pts
3 Karan Patel KEN 60pts
4 Innocent Bwamiki UGA 38pts
5 Rio Smith KEN 24pts
6 Asad Anwar KEN 19pts
7 =Prince Charles Nyerere TZA 17pts
7=Nikhil Sachania GBR 17pts
9 McRae Kimathi KEN 15pts
