Chana dominant in claiming Guru Nanak Rally championship

Newly crowned Kenya champion Jasmeet Singh Chana joined the growing list of past winners of the iconic SUC Guru Nanak Rally after claiming a start to finish triumph in Great Rift Valley’s Elementaita region on Sunday 5 November.

Driving his championship-winning Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 10, Chana had his campaign effectively sewn up when his race adversaries failed to catch him in the wet and muddy conditions around Mbweha Conservancy, Soysambu and Sleeping Warrior in Nakuru county.

“With the championship already in the bag, we went into the penultimate round 8 event under no pressure,” Chana, also known as the Iceman, said after the win. “The essence for now is to enjoy the remaining bit of the season, before starting our new challenge.

“It was such an exciting outing to have a fun wet rally without feeling any pressure.”

His win here, adding up to another B13 Class victory, was the third career victory after the Eldoret and Nakuru rounds of 2023.

Samman Vohra, winner of last month’s KMSC Rally, was well on course for great things but suffered a hefty penalty at the start of SS3.

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“We could have won this rally by a bigger margin but we were handed a 10 -minute penalty at the start of SS 3 for checking into the time control early,” he said post-race. “But I’m glad we fought back to claim a podium third place.”

McRae Kimathi came in second overall in a Ford Fiesta Rally 3.

Ian Duncan, a 12-time Guru Nanak Rally rally champion, didn’t leave the Sikh Union organized round empty handed, as he went home with the Classic Car title, while finishing fourth overall.

Physically challenged driver Nikhil Sachania won the NR4 Class in his hand-controlled Evo 10 with Chinu Matharu in a CRT Protype, winning the raid class.

Samman and McRae won the Rally2 and Rally 3 classes respectively, as Jose Sardinha emerged the winner in the SPV (Specially Prepared Vehicles) class.

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Race Recap.

Jasmeet took an early lead after he claimed the initial run of the 21km SS Mbweha speed-test.

Skoda Fabia’s Samman set the quickest time on the 23km SS2 Sleeping Warrior 1 but Chana clung to his lead with a 6 seconds lead over the former.

Navigator-tuned-driver Piers Daykin also displayed steady pace in his Datsun 280Z Classic car by winning the third stage at Soysambu, but Chana still consolidated his lead, this time with a massive 56.48 seconds advantage after Samman’s penalty woes.

Vohra bounced back with three fastest times on repeat runs of Mbweha, Sleeping Warrior and Soysambu but it was Chana again who led the rally with one stage remaining.

But Chana won the third run of the demanding Mbweha test (the day’s power Stage) which earned him three bonus points on the KNRC table as Samman took third fastest on this closing stage to salvage a bonus point.

Jeremiah Wahome took two bonus points on the power stage for his second fastest time.

Daren Miranda and Linet Ayuko, driving a Subaru Impreza, won the Two Wheel Drive category.