Gomes looking to extend lead at ARC helm

Zambian husband and wife crew of Leroy and Urshlla Gomes will be looking to conquer the demanding Kenyan terrain when the second round of the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) gets underway in Naivasha this weekend.

The Zambian couple are aiming to finish the Kenyan leg of the continental series on a high after clinching the season-opening Rallye Bandama of Ivory Coast last month.

The two have never won a rally on Kenyan soil but will be looking to break the duck in their Ford Fiesta-Rally 2 machine. They will also be aiming to become the first husband and wife crew to do so.

In an interview Leroy, one of the fastest drivers in Africa at the present, said that It has always been challenging rallying in Kenya, both for the drivers and navigator as well as the car but they will strive to finish and keep raling in ARC points.

“It has never been an easy rally for any foreigner to come and win. Kenya has amazing drivers. This year is a little strange because a lot of the great names and drivers are missing from the event. 

But Karan Patel, who is currently leading the Kenyan Championship, is an amazing driver and he is definitely favorite to win this event. We would be honored to just be on podium,” offered Leroy in an interview.

He added “We will only truly know how to approach the rally once we see the stages. Rally routes change over the years and we also need to understand what the weather might do. Our approach will be determined after our recce.

We just need to make sure that we are able to keep among the top drivers in this event and not fall far back."

For the second year running, the ARC Equator Rally will serve as a dry run for the WRC Safari Rally which is slated for June.

Foreign drivers enlisted for the Kenyan leg include Amaanraj Rai of Uganda and Rwanda’s Giancarlo Davide.

Amaanraj will be co-driven by Kisumu based Gurdeep Panesar, while Davide will be in the company of Sylvia Videvogel

The ARC series features an all-gravel calendar with events taking place against a backdrop of stunning landscapes across the continent’s Sub-Saharan region.

The series will count towards the FIA ARC for Drivers and Co-Drivers in a car from any group. 

It will also count towards the FIA ARC2 for Drivers and Co-Drivers in Group NR4 cars, the FIA ARC3 for Drivers and Co-Drivers in Rally3 cars, FIA ARC4 for Drivers and Co-Drivers in Rally 4 and Rally5 cars and indeed the FIA ARC Junior for Drivers 28 and under on January 1, 2022, entered in a car from any group.

The 2022 season comes with a number of new technical rules. Only the fastest five drivers from the Qualifying Stage – rather than the previous 15 –will take part in the selection of starting positions for the opening leg of an event.