Karan Patel turns focus on Safari Rally after impressive 2023 ARC season

2023 FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) winner Karan Patel has shifted his focus to the upcoming 2024 WRC Safari Rally after a dazzling performance in the past year.

Patel was impressive in the last two seasons, finishing second to Zambian Leroy Gomes in the 2022 ARC season. It was that year that he won the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC).

In November 2023, he beat Jas Mangat to the title on the homestretch in the prestigious Rally of Tanzania. The feat saw him crowned the LG/SJAK Sports Personality of December.

Patel joined a prestigious list of Kenyan drivers who got their mitts on the ARC title, including Shekhar Mehta, David Horsey, Jaspreet Chatthe, Don Smith, Manvir Baryan, and Carl Tundo.

Speaking after receiving his award at the Kenya Motorsport Federation Awards (KMSF) held on Saturday, 27 January, Patel noted that he was keen on defending his title in the upcoming years, but his main focus was on the upcoming Safari Rally.

The 2024 edition of the WRC Safari Rally is slated for March 28-31 at its traditional venue in Naivasha.

"It is a great feeling. I managed to win this after a good season. I would like to defend this in the coming years, but right now we are preparing for the Safari Rally," he told Mozzart Sport.

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The champion further said that his team was facing significant constraints in terms of resources which is likely to hinder their competition in the Kenya National Rallying Championship (KNRC).

Despite that, he assured that he was directing all the resources to defend his ARC title this year.

"We are not planning to compete in KNRC because of our limited budget. We are saving our resources for the Africa Rally Championship. The CS has pushed us to compete in the KNRC, but hopefully, we will get funding and represent," he offered.

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Patel insisted on the need for financial support in making what seems like a far-fetched dream come true.

"We are still fighting for sponsorship and we are glad to have Redbull and KCB on board. They will push us through the rally but we are in talks with other sponsors to navigate us through the seasons," he assured.

Meanwhile, Patel thanked his family for the monetary support and encouragement.

"We want to thank our families for their support and encouragement. It takes a toll on them both financially and emotionally, so we are very grateful," he concluded.