Kenya National Rally Champion Karan Patel (in white) with Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba at a past rally event. -Photo Courtesy.
Kenya National Rally Champion Karan Patel has set his sights on the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla triumph slated for September 22 to 24 which will be the fifth edition of the African Rally Championship calendar planned for 2023.
The KCB-sponsored driver, who bagged the fourth edition of the Africa Rally Championship held in Burundi, dubbed the Rallye International du Burundi last month, is currently sitting third in the African Rally Championship (ARC) leaderboard with 60 points. Yasin Nasser from Uganda leads the band with 78 points, while Jas Mangat, also from Uganda, holds the second position with 63 points.
Speaking ahead of the rally, Karan expressed his confidence in the rally, stating that he must aim for a top finish in the remaining legs to make sure he boosts his chances of winning the overall title.
“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 log leader, and finally bring the ARC title to Kenya.” Karan noted.
On his part, Karan’s navigator, Tauseef Khan, added that they have been working on the car to make sure it is in good condition as they aim for a podium finish.
“In our last major competition, that is the WRC, we developed a mechanical problem which forced us to retire earlier. It was a disappointment, given that we had spent a lot of time prepping the car for the stage. This time round, we believe we are all set for the race, and we are not only going for the finish, but we aim for a top finish with substantial points.”
The Rwanda edition will be hosted by the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla, and it is a 348.18 km stretch with 6 stages. The sixth leg of ARC, the Zambia International Rally, will be held in Zambia from the October 20 and 22 before climaxing with the Rally of Tanzania in November.
