Croatia Rally a new experience for McRae, Kioni
Kenya's McRae Kimathi (right) and Mwangi Kioni wait for their start time at the ceremonial flag-off of this year's Croatia Rally in Zagreb on April 21, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Jon Armstrong holds a nine-point advantage over rival Lauri Joona in the junior series after winning in Sweden.
- Kioni, 27, finished fourth on his debut at Rally Sweden and aims to build experience during his rookie season.
In Zagreb
If Sweden was challenging, then Croatia poses an equally interesting proposition for young Kenyan driver McRae Kimathi who makes his asphalt rallying debut at this weekend’s Croatia Rally, the second of his five World Rally Championship drives.
Entered under the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Junior programme that features seven M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 cars, the junior programme enters round two in Croatia and McRae, navigated by Mwangi Kioni, will be looking to gain from lessons learn in his first outing in Sweden in February.
“The Croatia Rally is a different rally. It’s an all asphalt (tarmac) rally, very difficult roads up in the mountains, narrow roads that will make it very challenging especially due to the changing weather conditions we have been experiencing this weekend and I guess tyre choice will be very important in this rally more than many other rallies I’ve done before,” he said.
“We’ll just have to keep the car steady and keep it on the road so that we can get to the end of the rally.”
Jon Armstrong holds a nine-point advantage over rival Lauri Joona in the junior series after winning in Sweden.
Kioni, 27, finished fourth on his debut at Rally Sweden and aims to build experience during his rookie season.
“I think it’s one of those rallies where the conditions are going to be tricky and going absolutely flat-out might not be the best option,” Armstrong told WRC.com.
Meanwhile, Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera staged the fastest time in Thursday’s shakedown stage, edging out Thierry Neuville by just one tenth of a second.
Kimathi and Kioni were ranked 55th out of the 62 cars with a best round of two minutes, 29.9 seconds.
The ceremonial start was held by the fountain in downtown Zagreb Thursday night.
Selected shakedown times:
1. Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Haltunnen 1m52.5s
2. Thierry Neuville / Martijn Wydaeghe 1m52.6s
3. Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja 1m53.3s
4. Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm 1m53.8s
5. Craig Breen / Paul Nagle 1m53.8s
6. Gus Greensmith / Jonas Andersson 1m54.8s
7. Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin 1m54.8s
8. Oliver Solberg / Elliott Edmondson 1m54.8s
9. Pierre-Louis Loubet / Vincent Landais 1m54.9s
10. Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston 1m55.0s
11. McRae Kimathi / Mwangi Kioni 2m29.9sec
