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L. MathekaTundo headlines Kenyan contingent confirmed for WRC
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Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 28.05.21. | 21:15
The seeding will be done later, according to the WRC Safari Rally CEO Phineas Kimathi.
Africa Rally Championship (ARC) Equator Rally champion Carl 'Flash' Tundo headlines the list of 34 Kenyan drivers who will join 24 World Rally Championship (WRC), top drivers, for the WRC Safari Rally set for June 24-27.
Tundo and the Rai brothers Onkar Rai and Tejveer Rai who will all drive Volkswagen Polo Gti are in the WRC R2 class according to the entry list released on Friday, 28 May by the International Motorsport Federation (FIA) in Naivasha,
Others in this category are Karan Patel who will be navigated by Tausheef Khan in a Ford Fiesta, Aakif Virani and navigator Azhar Bhatti as well as Amaanraj Rai who will be navigated by Gurdeep Panesar in a Ford Fiesta too.
Some love the noise, some love the speed, some love the dirt! Its closer than ever before, and now introducing the #wrcsafarirally entry list, its going to be big, and tough as always???????? Twendeni Safari Rally pic.twitter.com/H4YcfbKJne
— WRC RALLY_KENYA MEDIA (@rally_kenya) May 28, 2021
National champions Baldev Chager and his navigator Ravi Soni will lead the competition in the national category, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO10.
WRC champion Sebastien Ogier, navigated by Julien Ingrassia driving a Toyota Yaris WRC leads the World Rally manufacturer teams. All the three teams in Rally 1 cars, Toyota, Ford and Hyundai will field all their top drivers who have complimented the entry of 11 of the second-tier Rally2 machines.
The Toyota GR Yaris has been designed to interact with the driver and not the other way around. It is smooth, tough and rapid with an incredible braking system. @Toyota_Kenya @TOYOTA_GR#WRC #SafariRallyKenya #SafariRallyreturns #CountdowntoWRC pic.twitter.com/o4Z7v16TeD
— Safari Rally Kenya (@wrcsafarirally) May 28, 2021
Kalle Rovanpera of Finland in a Toyota Yaris Rally1 is the youngest aged 20 while Sobieslow Zasada, 2nd in 1972 Safari Rally, and last here in 1997 is the oldest aged 91. The Pole will drive Ford Fiesta ST Rally3. Besides Ogier, Toyota's other drivers are 2021 WRC Portugal champ Elfyn Evans, Rovanpera and Takamoto Katsuta.
If today was a Monday, we would call this post #MondayMotivation ???? #FearlessFriday, anyone?
— WRC - FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) May 28, 2021
91-year-old Sobieslaw Zasada will tackle @wrcsafarirally, 24 years after his last competitive rally start ???? #Hero
Check it out ???? https://t.co/s1Q7H3VcIc#WRC | #SafariRallyKenya ????????
The 2019 world champion Ott Tanak, Dani Sordo, Thierry Neuville and Pierre -Louis Loubet wrap up the Hyundai Mobius WRC Team assault. The 2002 WRC Safari winners M-Sport will field Gus Greensmith, Adrien Fourmaux and Lorenzo Bartelli in the Fiestas R1.
Ford has also entered entered Teemu Suninen and Martin Prokok in the R2 class. Andreas Mikkelsen is the top R2 driver in a Skoda Fabia Evo.
WRC Wales Rally GB Clerk-of-Course, seconded by the FIA to assist Kenyan organisers, Iain Campbell said he was impressed by the entry list.
"This is a competitive list. At first, I was pessimistic but now I am overwhelmed to see this in the first overseas WRC event since March 2020. It is a challenge. The competition will be good," he said.
Deputy Clerk of-Course Nazir Yakub added: "It is a fantastic entry we have. These are unknown drivers locally coming to an unknown territory. We have had a challenge with the weather recently and will return to the route on Saturday for more inspection."
Kimathi, on his part, said it will be an interesting Safari especially on how the old and the young will perform. He said the sponsorships have been very good and thanked Toyota Gazoo Racing for shipping in a replica WRC Yaris to improve Safari Rally visibility. He said the government led by President Uhuru Kenyatta has played a major role to ensure the success of the Safari.
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