Wahome breathing down Patel’s neck as Equator Rally enters final day
Leroy Gomes navigated by Urshlla Gomes racing in a For Fiesta in the Sleeping Warrior Stage during the Equator Rally on April 2, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Patel, who won the last two rounds of the Kenya National Rally Championship at the wheel of his Ford Fiesta, needs to stay calm in the last two stages of the competition to record his first win in the Equator Rally
- Former Autocross champion, Jeremy Wahome drove commendably well to finish in the second overall position with Victor Okundi in a Ford Fiesta
- McRae Kimathi retired after his Ford Fiesta stopped in the Elementaita section with damaged sum guard
Kiran Patel looks set to extend his winning ways after setting the fastest stage times in all but two of the day’s six stages of the African Rally Championship Equator Rally on Saturday.
Patel, who won the last two rounds of the Kenya National Rally Championship at the wheel of his Ford Fiesta, now just needs to stay calm and focused in the last two stages of the competition to record his first win in this round of the 2022 African Rally Championship series.
Leroy Gomes navigated by Urshlla Gomes racing in a For Fiesta cruise through the Soysambu Stage on April 2, 2022.
Patel, who is navigated by Tauseef Khan, is a mere 37.4 seconds ahead of the second-placed Jeremy Wahome.
The crew was forced to drive slowly in the last two stages at Elementaita and Sleeping Warrior after one of their car’s drive shafts broke.
Former Autocross champion Jeremy Wahome drove commendably well to finish second overall navigated by Victor Okundi in a Ford Fiesta Rally3.
Legendary rally driver Ian Dancun navigated by Tej Sehmi racing on a Nissan 240 RS at Soysambu Stage during the Equator Rally on April 2, 2022.
Wahome, 24, said he was happy with the outcome so far thanks to his sensible driving.
Fifth placed Zambian Leroy Gomes, who is vying for the overall African Rally Championship title, said it was dicey driving in yesterday’s stages.
“It seems we may have to come in future and do whole of the Kenya National Rally Championship in Kenya to get used to the stages here. Compared to other countries, the stages are rough,” Leroy, navigated by his wife Urshlla, told Nation Sport.
Drivers complained of tough stages which had mixtures of rocks and rains.
Maxine Wahome, the sole female driver in the competition, finished the day in the sixth overall position with Waigwa Murage her co-driver in a Subaru Impreza.
Maxine Wahome navigated by Murage Waigwa cruise in their Subaru Impreza at the Sleeping Warrior Stage during the Equator Rally on April 2, 2022.
McRae Kimathi retired after his Ford Fiesta Rally3 stopped in the Elmentaita section with a damaged sump guard.
“We had to stop couple of times to rectify the sump guard issue as it kept getting loose. We lost lots of time,” Mwangi Kioni, McRae’s navigator, said.
Rwanda’s Gincarlo Devite said the stages were a mixture of rough and smooth sections.
“We are getting used to the stages. They are rough but that is rallying. Our Mitsubishi Lancer is fine for the time being,’’ Davite said.
Hamza Anwar also retired after his Subaru Impreza stopped with a damaged drive shaft within sight of the Service Park at the end of the first loop.
Former Safari Rally winner Ian Duncan continued to suffer transmission problem with his Nissan 240RS for the second rally running.
Raaji Bharji navigated by Janeil Gathaura cruise in their Ford Escort at the Sleeping Warrior Stage during the Equator Rally on April 2, 2022.
Duncan was forced out of the event after his vintage car failed to engage gears properly.
Meanwhile, Mombasa-based Paras Pandya bowed out of the rally after his Mitsubishi Lancer stopped with technical problems.
His navigator, Falgun Bhojak, said the crew will drive in Sunday’s final two stages though they will not score points.
The rules allow drivers to re-join the competition after retiring on the previous day.
Nikhil Sachania was also forced out after his Mitsubishi Lancer suffered rear diff problem while young upcoming driver Rio Smith bowed out after his Ford Fiesta broke its rear axle.
Sunday’s competition will be over the rally’s final two stages through Loldia (19.17 kilometres) and Kedong (31.25 kilometres).
They will have done eight stages with a total distance of 586.81 kilometres of which competitive distance will be 183.82 kilometres.
Provisionally, a total of 12 cars dropped out of the rally due to numerous mechanical reasons.
Just seven cars out of 19 starters are still in the running.
Standings after Saturday’s stages:
1. Karan Patel/Tauseef Khan (Ford Fiesta) 1hr:46mins:55.7secs
2. Jeremy Wahome/Victor Okundi (Ford Fiesta) 1:47:33.1
3. Jasmeet Chana/Ravi Chana (Mitsubishi Evolution 10) 1:48:26.
4. Raaji Bharij/Jasneil Ghataure (Ford Escort MK1) 1:50:039
5. Leroy Gomes/Urshlla Gomes (Ford Fiesta) 1:50:29.3
6. Maxine Wahome/Waigwa Murage (Subaru Impreza) 2:05:32.7
7. Leo Varese/Kigondu Kareithi (Toyota Auris) 2:28:34.5
