Chatthe seeded first with 42 confirmed for Safari Rally

Baldev Chager, Tapio Laukkanen, Carlo Tundo, Ian Duncan and champion Jaspreet Chatthe are among the top guns in the hunt for podium finishes at the 2016 KCB Safari Rally that had attracted 42 entries.

Kenya National Rally Championships (KNRC) series leader, Chager is looking for the victory that will put daylight between him and the challengers with double the points on offer at the marquee event of the season.

Organisers released a list of the confirmed participants on Friday that will pit Chager -who stormed to the top of the standings on 37 points with victory in Kisumu- against a formidable cast led by champion Chatthe who will be the first off the ramp.

The Kisumu-based driver is navigated by Gurdeep Panesar in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X with Duncan/Amaar Slatch and Tundo/Tim Jessop rounding the top three starters in similar machines.

The Evo X of Charger has been seeded seventh behind Rajbir Rai/Greg Stead (Ford Focus), Quentin Mitchell /Steven Cook (Skoda Fabia) and former European champion and Kajiado Rally winner, Laukkanen /Pasi Torma (Subaru Impreza).

Issa Amwari will be the first indigenous driver off the ramp in 17th with Edward Njoroge reading the pace notes following the seeding system that puts into account performances in previous events.

Amwari did not finish the Kajiado and Kisumu legs of the KNRC after encountering problems with his new Evo X machine.

Canada’s Moez Malik Abdul will be making his Safari debut with Absolom Aswan him in a Mitsubishi Evo6.

Osman Abdullahi the 35 year-old Nairobi businessman who clinched 13th position on his maiden KNRC appearance in Kisumu will be keen to improving his ranking using his Subaru Impreza GC8 and has been seeded 37th.

Leo Varese, Eric Bengei and Sammy Nyorri are the main aces in the 2WD category in the June 10 and 11 event.

Scrutineering  will be on Thursday while the prize giving ceremony will be held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre on Sunday from 3:00pm.

Report by Edward Mokuah

 KCB SAFARI RALLY 2016 ENTRY LIST

Pos.  Door No. Driver/Co-Driver   /Car

1. 1. Jaspreet Chatthe/ Gurdeep Panesar -Mitsubishi Evo10
2. 4 Ian Duncan/Amaar Slatch  -Mitsubishi Evo 10
3. 5. Carl Tundo /Tim Jessop  -Mitsubishi Evo 10
4. 6. Rajbir Rai /Greg Stead- Ford Fiesta
5. 8. Quentin Mitchell /Steven Cook –Skoda Fabia
6. 2. Tapio Laukkanen /Pasi Torma –Subaru Impreeza
7. 3. Baldev Chager /Ravi Soni -Mitsubishi Evol 10
8. 10. Karan Patel /Tauseef Khan- Mitsubishi Evol 10
9. 11. Onkar Rai /Gareth Dawe -Mitsubishi Evo
10. 15. Tejveer Rai /Zahir Shah -Mitsubishi Evo 10
11. 17. Pietro Cannobio /Silvia Frigo- Mitsubishi Evo 10

11. 18. Izhar Mirza /Kavit Dave -Mitsubishi Evo 9
12. 20. Jasmeet Chana /Ravinder Chana -Mitsubishi Evo 9
13. 23. Farhaaz Khan /Keith Henrie -Mitsubishi Evo 9
14. 25. Imran Mogul /Adnan Din -Subaru N12
15. 29. Jansher Sandhu /Feisal Khan- Mitsubishi Evo 9
16. 97. Issa Amwari /Edward Njoroge -Mitsubishi Evo 10
17. 27. Stephen Mwangi/ Jonathan Kosgei –Subaru Impreza
18. 31. Asad Khan /Harshil Limbani –Subaru Impreza GC8
19. 32. Mahesh Halai /Ketan Halai –Subaru Impreza N12
20. 124. John Ng’ang’a /Anthony Njenga – Subaru Impreza N12
21. 37. Eric Bengi /Tuta Mionki –Toyota Runx
22. 45. Jonathan Somen /Richard Hechle –Ford Escort
23. 51. Eric Njogu /Tony Kimondo –Subaru IMpreza N10
24. 48. Adil Mirza /Kashif Shaikh –Mitsubishi Evo9
25. 52. Chandrakant Devji /Julius Mwachuya – Subaru Impreza GC8
26. 120. Rehan Shah /George Kiama –Mitsubishi Evo9
27. 53. Sammy Nyorri /James Mwangi –Totota Runx
28. 54. Leonardo Varese /Kigondu Kareithi –Toyota Corolla
29. 86. Ramesh Vishram /Riyaz Ismail –Ford Escort
30. 57. Natasha Tundo /Chantal Young-Subaru Impreza
31. 60. Alex Lairang’i /Anthony Gichohi –Toyota Corolla
32. 64. Andrew Muchemi /Kimaru Boit –Mitsubishi Evo8
33. 76. Edward Maina /Steve Mbuthia –Subaru IMpreza GC8
34. 78. David Kioni /Mwangi Kioni –Subaru Impreza
35. 85. McRae Kimathi /Stephen Njenga – Subaru Impreza GC8
36. 118. Osman Abdullahi /Evans Mwenda – Subaru Impreza N10
37. 121. Josiah Kariuki /John Ngugi – Subaru Impreza N11
38. 67. Nikhil Sachania /Salim Khan –Fiat Abarth
39. 87.Geoff Mayes /Jamie Mactavish –Range Rover
40. 123. Moez Malik /Absolom Aswani –Mitsubishi Evo6
41. 122. Sam Karangatha /Edward Ndukui –Subaru Leone