Samman Vohra swept the ground with all his opponents Saturday to win the season-opening Eldoret Rally clearing six stages in a time of 1h17m37s.
Driving a Skoda Fabia Rally2 and navigated by Alfir Khan, Nairobi-based youngster had his campaign sewn up beating reigning Kenya champion Jasmeet Chana (Mitsubishi Lancer B13) 1.33.000minutes.
The Reigning Uganda and Tanzania Rally champion Yasin Nasser came in third also in a Ford Fiesta finishing 2.57.000minutes behind Samman.
Nasser, a two times Uganda champion in 2019 and 2023, is hoping to deliver an unprecedented hattrick this season by being the first rally driver to win all elite championship titles in the three East African countries.
Samman, who previously competed in local Rally Raid and Autocross events, is hoping to seal a maiden career Kenya National rally Championship title in 2024.
Having made a late foray into the local series last season, Samman has displayed grit and pace winning in Kajiado in blistering fashion.
Samman: “The objective for the year is to just keep on improving our pace rally by rally. The car has gone through a major strip down and rebuild and we are chuffed to emerge the winners in the season opener. We are also doing the Safari and we hope the car performs.”
Ian Duncan, navigated by Jaspal Matharu in a Nissan Patrol pickup came in fourth overall, also winning the SPV (Specially Prepared Vehicles) Category.
Coming in a distant fifth was home driver Ghalib Hajee in a B13 Mitsubishi Evolution X who finished 15.05.000 minutes behind the winner and 10.26.000minutes behind Duncan.
Another home driver Joey Ghose finished sixth overall behind the wheel of a Porsche 911, coming in first in the Classic Car category.
Jose Sardinha in a VW Golf GTi emerged the Two Wheel Drive winner in seventh overall position while Khalid Umar in a Subaru Impreza racked up Group S in eighth overall position.
The WRC Safari Rally will count as the second round of the KNRC on the weekend of March 28-31. For the last three editions since its elevation to global status, the WRC Safari features a national category where drivers and navigators score points towards the local series.
The Kenyan round of the FIA African Rally Championship (Equator) will also count towards KNRC points.
This year’s Equator Rally Kenya, initially scheduled for October, will now be held four months earlier in June.
The Kenyan leg of FIA African Rally Championship – previously used as a dry run for the WRC Safari Rally -will now happen on the weekend of 28-30June
Rwanda had requested for a change of date because of the country’s national elections which coincided with the initial data of June.
Consequently, Rwanda’s Gorilla Rally now moves from June to the weekend of October 25-27.
