Youngster Amaan Ganatra and Eric Bengi were among the star attractions as round one of the Kenya National Autocross Championship culminated at Kasarani’s SSS WRC racetrack.
Amaan, son of retired Autocross and Rally Raid driver Altaf Ganatra, won the Two Wheel Drive Non Turbo Car Class beating Jose Sardinha and Daniel Mwangi to a breathtaking podium dash.
Amaan took part in two categories finishing second in 4WD Turbo Class behind champion Eric Bengi.
In the Two Wheel Drive NT car class, Amaan drove a Toyota RunX while in 4WD Turbo he steered a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9.
And it was a scintillating family affair as Bengi’s two sons Allan and Eaan won their respective categories.
Allan Bengi won the Pee Wee Class whilst his brother Eaan Bengi got his mitts on the Bambino class’ top spot much to his credit.
Rajveer Thethy beat defending champion John Kadivani to second place in a hotly contested Open Class showdown.
Rajveer’s dad Charan Thethy completed the podium dash in third. Charan is an old hand in the game having previously won the Two Wheel Drive National Rally Championship.
Rajveer , on the other hand, is one of Kenya’s fastest rising young drivers in the country at the present.
Gitau Munene in a time of 05:18.21 caused a major upset by defeating defending champion Karamveer Rooprai (05:38.33) and Cheche Ababu (06:04.78) to the podium in Junior Two Wheel Drive Non Turbo Class.
Cheche Ababu is son of Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba.
The Sikh Union Nairobi organised marked the start of the busy Kenya Motor Sport Federation (KMSF) calendar.
As is the tradition, the Autocross series will feature 10 rounds across the country.
Eldoret Rally – organized by Western Kenya Motor Club (WKMC) – will open the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) on the weekend of February 17-18.
Nanyuki Rally returns to the 9-leg rally series as the fourth event of the season on the weekend of June 15-16 after a one-year hiatus.
Last year’s Nanyuki Rally Group (NRG) round was run by Eldoret after the former requested to skip their event citing logistical challenges.
The 2024 Kenyan Rally schedule is as follows:
17-18 Feb: KNRC1- Eldoret Rally (WKMC),
30-31 March: KNRC2-WRC Safari Rally ,
25-26 May: KNRC3-KRT Rally (KRT),
15-16 June: KNRC 4: Nanyuki Rally (NRG),
13-14 July: KNRC 5: Nankuru Rally (RVMSC),
10-11 Aug: KNRC 6: Mombasa Rally (MMC),
7-8 Sep: KNRC 7: KMSC Rally (KMSC),
26-27 Oct: KNRC 8: ARC Equator Rally Kenya (SUC)
30 Nov-1 Dec: KNRC 9- Guru Nanak Rally (SUC).
KENYA NATIONAL AUTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP 2024 ROUND 1
SIKH UNION CLUB – 4TH FEBRUARY 2024 – KASARANI /FINAL RESULTS PER CLASS
PEEWEE
1 #1001 ALLAN BENGI 06:27.85
BAMBINO
1 #801 EANN BENGI 05:23.22
JUNIOR 2WD NT
1 #904 GITAU MUNENE 05:18.21 FTD
2 #901 KARAMVEER ROOPRAI 05:38.33
3 #902 CHECHE ABABU 06:04.78
2WD NT BUGGY
1 #111 ANKUSH SHAH 04:57.46 FTD
2 #102 FAHIM ABDULMALIK 05:26.25
3 #124 MUAAZ ADIL 05:58.01
2WD NT CAR
1 #222 AMAN GANATRA 05:09.00 FTD
2 #225 JOSE SARDINHA 05:23.47
3 #223 DANIEL MWANGI 05:42.23
4 #202 PIUS NJIRU 2WD NT CAR 05:55.07
5 #221 GITHENJI KIMAMO 06:11.30
2WD TURBO BUGGY
1 #302 QAHIR RAHIM 05:00.20 FTD
2 #303 GURDEEP BHARIJ 05:02.99
3 #301 AZAAD MANJI 05:09.97
4 #310 AZFAR ABDULMALIK 05:18.35
5 #333 HARPREET BHOGOL 05:22.34
2WD TURBO CAR
1 #334 SULEIMAN MUNYUA 06:17.40
2 #332 WANGECI MATHENGE 06:20.62
4WD NON-TURBO
1 #401 JOSE SARDINHA 05:28.07
4WD TURBO
1 #501 ERIC BENGI 04:49.04 FTD
2 #555 AMAN GANATRA 05:02.62
3 #514 BRANDON NGANGA 05:05.91
4 #506 SAFINA KHAN 05:46.75
OPEN
1 #609 RAJVEER THETHY 04:53.61 FTD
2 #601 JOHN KADIVANE 04:56.31
3 #614 CHARAN THETHY 05:04.08
4 #602 ISHMAEL AZELI 05:12.18
5 #608 AHIL KHAN 05:12.62
6 #605 MUSTWAFA MURAD 05:16.97
7 #603 CLEMENT MARINI 05:17.83
8 #606 TINASHE GATIMU 06:12.53
FTD OVERALL: ERIC BENGI 01:35.64
