Karan Patel from Kenya emerged victorious at the Serengeti Rally, the final round of this year’s African Rally Championship (ARC), held in Morogoro. He navigated a Skoda Fabia with Tauseef Khan and maintained the lead throughout, finishing with a remarkable time of 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 38.8 seconds. This win marked a significant achievement for Patel, capping off a successful season.
Tanzanian driver Manveer Birdi followed closely behind Patel, also driving a Skoda Fabia, and completed the rally in 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 11.5 seconds. The close competition between Patel and Birdi made for an exciting conclusion to the championship. Meanwhile, Yassin Nasser, the previous champion, along with navigator Ally Katumba, finished third, clocking 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 28 seconds.
Although Nasser’s third-place finish was impressive, it was not enough to secure the championship title, which ultimately went to Patel. Ahmed Huwel took fourth place overall, completing the race in 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 33 seconds. This result also had implications for the Tanzania National Rally Championship (NRC), with Birdi being crowned the overall champion for Tanzania and Huwel as the runner-up.
The Serengeti Rally also featured competition in various ARC classifications. Oscar Ntambi and Godfrey Nsereko finished fifth and sixth, respectively, under the ARC classification. Ntambi claimed the ARC 2 title, with a time of 2 hours, 32 minutes, and 28.7 seconds, while Nsereko won the ARC 4 category in 2 hours, 45 minutes, and 47.7 seconds.
Local drivers also performed well in the rally, with Kithir Marey and navigator Awadh Bafadhil finishing third in their Mitsubishi Evo 10. They were followed by Gurpal Sandhu and his Zambian co-driver, Dave Sihoka. The top ten finishers included a mix of local and international drivers, showcasing the competitive nature of the event.
The rally saw a total of eleven drivers complete the course, with Harinnder Deere and Victor Jackson claiming fifth place, while Kartik Valambhia and Ethan Taylor took sixth, followed by Salum Balhabou and Riyaz Ismail. Charles Biko and David Matete finished seventh in a Subaru N12, while Bob Taylor and Monica Lyimo came in eighth.
The final standings for the rally saw Mussa Mswaki, Hamid Mbata, and Waleed Nahdi completing the top eleven, finishing in ninth, tenth, and eleventh places, respectively. With this victory, Patel secured the African Championship title, ending Yassin Nasser’s reign.
Key points
- Karan Patel won the Serengeti Rally and secured the African Championship title.
- Manveer Birdi finished second in the rally and was crowned the overall champion for Tanzania.
- Oscar Ntambi claimed the ARC 2 title and Nsereko won the ARC 4 category.
