LEE ON HOME TURF

Julius Ngige, Azar Anwar, Kigondu Kareithi Leo Varese & Charles Hinga at Todays

KCB easy pay loans Rally press briefing 

TWO-time Kenya Rally Champion Lee Rose is back on his home turf after a two month’s lull. Rose who is the 2003 and 2004 Kenya National rally champion makes a comeback in the Saturday's KCB Easy Pay Loans Rally after skipping the rally in Thika last month. Rose, who is navigated by Piers Daykin in a Mitsubishi EVO 9, has had to take a break after losing his sponsorship with Triton Sports last year.

Being the fastest driver on the local rally scene today, Rose’s presence is likely to send shivers down the spines of leader Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo who has won every single event this year. Tundo will be incidentally the road sweeper and will be flagged off first by Sports Minister Professor Hellen Sambili outside KCB Nakuru Branch on Saturday at 7.30 am.

Defending champion Baldev Chager who is seeded fifth said Rose’s return would be exciting. But one prediction for sure is it will be very competitive as many drivers want to rock the winning boat that Tundo is sailing at the moment. “We hope to see Lee at the event to add more spice as always. Tundo is on home soil and riding his luck which seems to be on his side this year. If both are in the event it will be fantastic and the race will be fierce with a few seconds being swopped every stage,” Chager said.

Rose in the EVO 9 proved to be faster than Tundo prior to his exit in the Safari. But Tundo has done yet another event and getting more used to the car. It will be a good show to see both home boys at each others necks. There are dark horses in this event as well like Azar Anwar who set an amazing stage time in the last stage of Thika beating everyone by many seconds.

Azar said during the pre-event press briefing at Kencom House that he is optimistic of upping his ante. He sets of the ramp second. “Me and my navigator (Julius Ngigi) have studied stage times for Thika and realized we were behind Tundo by a quarter a second per kilometer. I also grew up around Nakuru area and I’m hoping to put up a good gfight against the homeboys,” said Azar. 

The 2WD class is also set to shape the competition at halfway stage. Leader Charles Hinga (Toyota Levin) said he is taking a more cautious approach to his title campaign.

“We will make sure the pressure doesn’t get into us,” Hinga said. Hinga anticipates stiff opposition from defending champion Leo Varese and Safari Rally winner Jasmeet Chana. Varese, who is teaming up with Kigondu Kareithi in a VW Golf indicated at the briefing that he is not under pressure after putting his name into the annals of history last year. “Our win in Thika has put us into contention but we are not under pressure as we were last season,” said Varese.