VETERAN AZAR ON POLE IN MERU

AZAR Anwar has been seeded first at Friday’s KCB Asset Finance Rally set for Meru and Timau on Friday and Saturday.

He leads some 40 drivers that will be flagged off outside KCB Meru Branch on Saturday. Ian Duncan takes off second followed by 1999 Champion Alastair Cavenagh nand Lee Rose in the order.

The fifth round of Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) series brings to the fore some phenomenon rivalry with drivers and navigators fighting to stand out at various divisions and classes.

Division one comprises the top 10 fastest drivers including Lee Rose, defending KCB KNRC Champion Baldev Chager, Cavenagh and Anwar siblings Azar and Asad who won this event in 2006 when it last ran in Timau.

In Division Three are the likes of Ben Muchemi, Alex Horsey and Dinesh Sachania. Mombasa’s Izhar Mirza belongs to Division Two and yearning to break into topflight division before curtains come down on the 2009 season.

Chager is incidentally the defending champion of Nanyuki where he returned triumphant last year navigated by the late Farakh Yusuf. Chager who is seeded fifth, returns with the same winning Subaru Impreza N12 but with a new navigator in Raju Sehmi; who will be partnering him for the third successive event this season. Sehmi was crowned the 1998 navigator Champion when the late Farak Yusuf skipped the season-ender and amusingly the same year Chager almost became the youngest Kenya champion at 20.

The 1998 drivers’ title went Azar Anwar on the last day minus his regular navigator Farak.

In reality, the 2009 KCB KNRC tussle revolves around fast and furious Lee Rose, leader Carl Tundo (Dalbit Team) and defending Kenya Champion Chager.

One of the most interesting aspects of the event is new stages incorporated and the fact that Meru last hosted rally cars 26 years ago in the old type Safari rally.

The fifth round of the KCB Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) returns to Timau after Nanyuki Rally Group-organized the last two editions at the expansive Ol-Pejeta conservancy.

Addressing the monthly media briefing at Kencom House, Head of Corporate Affairs Kepha Bosire was quite inspired by the new routes introduced this year.

Bosire announced that the event will be flagged off outside the KCB Meru Branch at 3.30Pm on Friday.

“This is quite exciting for Meru fans that last had a glimpse of rally cars decades back. As is the policy with KCB’s corporate motto ‘Making the Difference’ we have an obligation to take rallying back to the people and this promises some fantastic fun,” said Sidi.

Bosire said after the 3.30Pm flag off, Meru spectators will be given a comprehensive recipe of hair-raising thrills with a 2.2km spectators stage designated at the ASK Meru Showground.

“After the spectator stage cars will then converge on Meru Technical Training Institute for service and onward to the Meru Municipal Council for perc ferme and overnight stay,” Sidi added.

Cars will then restart first thing on Saturday morning

This year’s edition will be a sprint kind of competition what with short and flat-out stages.

The flagg-off outside KCB Meru Branch early on Friday, July 17 precedes a liaison distance of 4.51Km through to the 2.2Km-CS1 Meru Showground spectator stage.

The 7.30 restart on Saturday, July 18 witnesses a transport section of 30.4Km through to two new stages in Kisima Ngano and on to Timau.