Kenya’s Hamza Anwar and Ugandan Jas Mangat will be the notable absentees during the second round of the FIA African Rally Championship in Ndola, Zambia, this weekend.
Mangat, second on the continental log, attributed his withdrawal to job commitments.
Ndola-based 2022 ARC champion Leroy Gomes is also a notable absentee. Gomes has opted to officiate as the Assistant Deputy Clerk of the Course.
Karan, the reigning African champion and current leader, will take the battle for points to South Africa’s Johannes Potgieter.
Karan goes for a hat-trick in the iconic Zambian fixture after winning in 2022 and 2023 in a Ford Fiesta R5 navigated by Tauseef Khan.
Karan won the season-opening Pearl Rally in Jinja, Uganda, in May, bagging maximum points to kickstart his title defence.
Portgieter will tackle Zambi in a Hyundai i20 and could shake up the standings if he wins.
Muna Singh Jr, 2012 African champion Mohammed Essa and rookie Seth Gomes are the local drivers enlisted.
Zambia International Rally started with Friday's shakedown stage and qualifying.
The action starts on Saturday morning through to Sunday. This year's event will see crews tackle 18-speed tests over 218.79km.
Karan secured a remarkable win at the 2023 Sarago Zambia International Rally, maintaining his undefeated streak last season before winning his maiden ARC title.
With the resounding 2023 triumph, he has maintained his unbeaten streak in this year’s race, positioning himself close to clinching the championship title.