With torrential rains currently pounding most parts of the country, the penultimate round of the 2023 Kenya National Rally Championship will definitely present a muddy and slippery challenge to the racing crews.
A total of 16 cars led by defending champion Jasmeet Chana and legendary Ian Duncan will start off the prestigious Guru Nanak Rally which revs off on Sunday morning at Nakuru County’s Elementeita terrain.
After reconnaissance and pre-event scrutineering at the Sikh Union Club in Nairobi, the clerk of the course Qahir Rahim promised a great run in the Great Rift Valley.
“Sleeping Warrior will definitely be wet and muddy, so a very technical and nice run. It rained overnight in most of the stages so we anticipate a wet rally tomorrow (Sunday),” Qahir.
During the running of the rally, tyre choice will definitely be a game changer considering the rains and mud.
Drivers will tackle a total of seven-speed tests to complete a competitive mileage of 160 km and a liaison distance of 32km. The Mbweha Stage is the designated spectator and power stage and will be repeated thrice. Soysambu and Sleeping Warrior will be repeated twice.
Rain, which the weather forecast has predicted on race day, means the presence of mud and stagnant water in numerous sections, with an increased risk of rocks emerging.
Given the weather and the general road surface conditions, it will be interesting to see how the big boys go about it.
The Sikh Union round of the KNRC will feature the main KNRC class and a Clubman which is basically a training rally category for young upcoming drivers. Double autocross champion Neel Gohil will be driving a Toyota Vitz in his Clubman debut.
