Hundreds of Motor sport enthusiasts are lined up along dusty motor rally circuits to cheer up their favourite drivers in the prestigious Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally.
About 28 drivers are participating in the rally From 18-20th in Kigali and Bugesera district.
KCB racing team driver, Karan Patel, and his navigator, are looking forward to defending their African title.
Karan currently sits at the apex of the African Rally Championship (ARC) leaderboard with 105 points, clear of his closest rival Jas Mangat of Uganda who has garnered 28 points so far while another Kenyan driver Hamza Anwar is a distant third with 24 points with two rounds to go in the current season.
“Rwanda is like our second home,” Karan said, speaking ahead of the event in Rwanda.
“Every time we are here, we are excited to be part of the iconic competition that brings together people from different walks of life to enjoy motorsports. We understand this track very well and we can not wait to compete against some of the best rally drivers from around the region.”
The reigning African Rally Champion was superior in the fourth leg of the circuit held in Burundi when he clocked one hour, 44 minutes and 45 seconds to bag the title. The duo drive a Skoda Fabia R5 car, which has won them many championships.
“Our long-standing support to motorsports is geared towards giving an opportunity to local drivers to participate in local, regional and international events to position East Africa on the global map as a sporting nation,” said KCB Group Director Marketing and Communications, Rosalind Gichuru.
“We are happy with Karan and Tauseef for always flying the KCB flag high across different tracks on the continent. We will be cheering them on from home as they take on the tough Rwandan gravel,” Rosalind added.
After the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, Kenya’s Equator Rally slated for 29th November to 1st December, will mark the end of this season’s competition – Karan and Tauseef are looking forward to defending their African title.
The Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally, which ran as round three in 2023, opened the season followed by events in Zambia, Tanzania, and Burundi.