Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has hailed FIA Rally star youngsters for their encouraging performance in the African Rally Championship Equator Rally in Naivasha last weekend.

Amina pledged to support the quartet of Jeremy Wahome, McRae Kimathi, Hamza Anwar and Maxine Wahome which ended the two-day gruelling event in the top ten.

She also praised the Fly540 Racing Team led by 19-year-old Rio Smith, for being among the top 10 finishers in the continental showpiece.

Jeremy was the best-placed young driver in fourth place behind compatriot Jasmeet Chana who sealed a podium finish alongside champion Karan Patel and second-placed Leroy Gomes of Zambia.

Hamza surprised all and sundry in the early morning speed test at Loldia where he set the quickest stage time ahead of Gomes and Patel.

Speaking during the Ceremonial Finish, Amina said: “Congratulations to the young drivers. They have all our support and we are very proud of them. We are indebted to them. From this event, they have shown us what real talent is all about.”

 “They have also shown us what resilience is all about. Some of them retired on Saturday and restarted the rally on  Sundayon a very high note under the Super Rally rule.

I think we picked a winning team and that’s the squad we are going forward with,” said Amina.

 She also lauded Kimathi for his WRC 3 podium in WRC Rally Sweden where he also finished fourth in the Junior WRC.

Kimathi Junior entered his name in the annals of motorsport history as the first-ever Kenyan to finish a rally on snow.  “It’s the first time that a Kenyan has completed an all-snow fixture in Europe. It has never happened before.