Champ Iceman, Samman Tussle For KNRC Title On Season-Closing Guru Nanak Rally

_{Samman Vohra in blue race suite and Jasmeet in black. PHOTO/ KMSF}

NAIROBI, Kenya- The 2024 Kenya Rally Championship title chase will go down to the wire in Kasarani and Stoni Athi on the weekend of November 29-December 1 with defending champions Jasmeet Chana/Ravi Chana and series leaders Samman Vohra/Alfir Khan going for each other’s jugular.

After three action-packed rounds in Eldoret, Nanyuki and Safari in Naivasha as well as four Force Majeures on KRT, KMSC, Nakuru and Mombasa events, Samman is 14 points ahead of Jasmeet and can comfortably rack-up the coveted title by banking fourth overall on the season-closing ARC Guru Nanak Equator Rally decider regardless of his opponent’s result.

Should Samman’s fairy-tale race weekend come to fruition, the Nairobi-based youngster will savor a maiden KNRC Drivers’ title; having made his rallying debut in the second half of the 2023 season.

If Jasmeet wins the event outright scores maximum points (3) on the Power Stage, he stretches his cumulative points score to 85, meaning Samman will be compelled to score 19 points to tie the tally then win the title on the “cleanest furthest rule”, having won two events so far in Nanyuki and Eldoret.

And should Samman retire and Jasmeet aka “Iceman” finishes in the top 6, the latter retains the title he won for the first-time last season. 

Samman retired on Easter’s KNRC Safari following a mishap on the Kasarani SSS speed test whilst Jasmeet skipped the event due to late arrival of his Ford Fiesta car from overseas.

Jasmeet is, by and large, one of the few drivers on the KNRC front to have won virtually all titles including the 2WD, Division One, Division Three, Group N and Group S since his debut in 2007. He finished second overall in the 2022 KNRC season following a scintillating homestretch battle with eventual champion Karan Patel in Voi.

Samman leads the way with 66points, with defending champion, Jasmeet on 52 points, a deficit that can be cancelled out if ralky gods favour the latter.

The Sikh Union organised round will also count towards the season-closer for the 2024 FIA African Rally Championship (ARC). 

Karan Patel already has African title in the bag and focus will also be on ARC support categories- ARC2 and ARC3 -currently led by Uganda Mike Mukula Jr. and Nikhil Sachania of Kenya.

_{Samman Vohra in blue race suite and Jasmeet in black. PHOTO/ KMSF}

–THE RALLY ROUTE IN SHORT–

The closing round of the ARC and KNRC will take place in Nairobi and Machakos Counties. 

Scrutineering is scheduled for Sikh Union Club on Thursday November 28 followed by Ceremonial Start at the same venue on November 29.

Qualifying and Shakedown stages will run through Kasarani Stadium’s SSS on Friday November 29 preceding action proper in Stoni Athi area on Saturday November 30 and Saturday December 1.

Saturday’s leg 1 features 150.28 kilometres against the clock and is made up of six three stages Spectator (2.5km), Stoni Athi (57.7km) and SGR (14.94km) that will be repeated twice. 

Sunday’s 75.14km deciding second leg in will feature three speed test (Spectator 3, Stoni Athi 3 and SGR 3)  followed by Finish Pac Ferme and podium awards.

The third run of the 14.94km SGR speed test will count as the event’s designated Power Stage where ARC and KNRC drivers will earn additional championship points. 

FIA APPROVED ENTRY LIST 18/11/2024

 1 #12  Karan PATEL-KEN / Tauseef KHAN -KEN (SKODA Fabia Rally2 ARC)

 2 #15   Hamza ANWAR-KEN /Adnan DIN -KEN (MITSUBISHI Lancer Evo X NR4 ARC)

 3 #6  Nikhil SACHANIA- GBR /Deep PATEL -KEN (FORD Fiesta Rally3 ARC)

 4 #1   Jasmeet CHANA-KEN/Ravinder CHANA- KEN (FORD Fiesta Rally2 ARC)

 5 #70 Michael MUKULA -UGA/Edward KININGI -UGA (SUBARU  NR4 ARC)

 6 #4   Samman VOHRA -KEN/Alfir KHAN -KEN (SKODA  Fabia Rally2 ARC)

 7 #22 Rajveer THETHY/ TBA  (SUBARU – National KNRC)

 8 #41  Sameer NANJI -KEN/TBA ( TBA/National KNRC)

 9 #16 Darren MIRANDA-KEN/Amman SHAH-KEN (SUBARU 2WD -National KNRC)

 10 #71 Joshua MUWANGUZI-UGA/Hamuza LWANGA -UGA (SUBARU -National KNRC)

CURRENT KNRC STANDINGS 

1 Samman Vohra 66 mist do 20

2 Jasmeet Chana 52 +33=85

3 Ian Duncan 41 

4 Carl Flash Tundo 39

5 Joey Ghose 34

CO-DRIVERS

1 Alfir Khan 66

2 Ravi Chana 52

3 Tim Jessop 39

4 Gordon Noble 29

5 John Ngugi 25

WINNERS SO FAR

ELDORET-Samman Vohra

KNRC SAFARI: Carl “Flash” Tundo

NANYUKI: Samman Vohra