With a maximum 100 points (25 for a win per event) still up for grabs, the KCB Kenya National Rally Championship 2015 series commences its second half on high-altitude terrain with Kisumu speedster Jaspreet Singh Chatthe aka “Jassi” determined to firm up his lead.
The KCB Eldoret Rally will be flagged off today outside KCB West Branch and will leave the competing crews to tackle a total of six competitive sections between Eldoret and Eldama Ravine, including two runs of the world- famous Flourspar Stage, previously used when the World Rally Championship used to visit Kenya.
Chatthe clung onto the KNRC lead after winning KCB Voi Rally in Taita Taveta County early last month. The Kisumu-based driver has led the KNRC since winning his maiden career Safari Rally in Meru over Easter holidays.
Chances are that leading KNRC Division 1 drivers Carl “Flash” Tundo, Chager, Duncan, Alastair Cavenagh, former Ugandan Jas Mangat who is lying fourth will attack from the onset to reduce for Chatthe’s wide lead.
Tundo has had a bad season with the Proton S2000 he is considering to sell and resorted to his old Evolution9 car while Cavenagh savoured a maiden finish since acquiring his Proton S2000 last year.
And its also expected that Chatthe could back-off quite a bit in a strategy aimed to widen the points gap. Chatthe leads the KNRC 2015 by 101.5points- 27 ahead of six times champion Duncan and 42 ahead of defending champion Baldev Chager.
The outcome of KNRC 5 tussle this weekend will actually determine the direction the series takes. Should Chatthe win then Chager and Duncan stumble in Eldoret, then the Kisumu-based driver (Chatthe) who also leads the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) series after four rounds will have already began the grand march towards the KNRC diadem which he aspires to lay hands on for the first time.
Tuta Mionki, one of the only five female competitors in the rally this weekend, expressed joy with their KNRC S class progress so far. She is co-driving Waigwa Murage alias “Bobo” who leads the Group S Championship. “We are happy that to still lead the KNRC S Class and have both enjoyed a very good partnership on our cockpit,” said Tuta.
Other ladies are Linet Ayuko who will navigated George Njoroge, Sylvia Frigo navigating Piero Cannobio and the “Rally Chicks” Natasha Tundo and Chantal Louis Young in a Subaru N10. KNRC youngsters Quentin Mitchell in a normally aspirated Skoda Fabia, Manvir Baryan and Rajbir Rai. Both in a Ford Fiesta R5 will also be at it.
Courtesy of mediamaxnetwork.co.ke