Karan closes on leader Yasin after Rwanda ARC victory

Reigning Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) champion Karan Patel has cut Uganda's Yasin Nasser's FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) 2023 lead to a paltry three points with two events remaining in Zambia and Tanzania.

Karan bossed it in Rwanda where he savored back-to-back wins following last year's victory.

Navigated by compatriot Tauseef Khan in his traditional Ford Fiesta Rally 2, Karan bolstered his chances of winning the title he lost to Zambian Leroy Gomes on homestretch last season.

Jasmeet ready to seal KNRC title at seventh event in Il-Bisil

The Kenyan speedster is gunning for his maiden African title after finishing second at last year's continental series in a year he also sealed his first KNRC championship.

But after skipping the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally, Karan has since bounced back with his signature hair-raising thrills.

His third victory in the continental series after Equator Rally Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally at the weekend has moved him closer to the coveted title which now has the title chase wide open.

Runaway leader Yasin retired on day one but rejoined the event on Super Rally to salvage important points to remain in contention.

In Rwanda, high-flying Karan scored maximum points to close in on the title with 90 points.

Jas Mangat of Uganda debuted his Hyundai i20 rally2 and returned second overall. Mangat now sits third on the ARC log; only six points from the leader and three from second-placed Patel.

With an appetite for success, Karan cruised his Rally 2 marque to victory; beating Uganda’s Mangat by 16 seconds.

Kenya’s 2023 Junior WRC and WRC3 contender Hamza Anwar settled for third overall position.

But third overall in Rwanda also handed Hamza the ARC Junior category win to open his chances for another defense of the same as well as to improve his ARC2 title shot.

Tanzanian Prince Charles Nyerere finished fourth followed by Innocent Bwamiki to complete the top five in the ARC category.

The next ARC event heads to Zambia on 20 to 22 October.

Meanwhile, the next round of the KNRC series will take place on the weekend of 7 to 8 October based around the Il Bisil.

Jasmeet Chana leads the 2023 KNRC with 171 points with three rounds remaining ahead of Jeremiah Wahome who is now on 86 points.

ARC Standings

1. Yasin Nasser UGA– 93points

2. Karan Patel KEN– 90

3. Jas Mangat UGA – 87