After a stellar showing at ARC Equator Rally Kenya Karan Patel has now set his eyes firmly on the forthcoming Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally slated for May 6-8.

The Ugandan edition will count towards the third round of the 2022 FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) after February’s ARC Rallye Bandama and Kenya’s Equator Rally.

Karan will be chasing a rare double on the continental scene and the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) which he currently leads after the first three rounds held in Il-Bisil, Mogotio and Naivasha.

Karan was sublimely fast on Naivasha terrain where he won four out of eight stages in an event that also served as a dry run for June’s WRC Safari Rally.

“We are planning on doing all the rounds of the ARC. We will also take part in all the rallies in Kenya,” Karan announced after he racked up maximum points on his first ARC outing this year on home soil.

He had missed out on the opening round in Ivory Coast where current leader Leroy Gomes scored maximum points. 

The Kenyan is now 24 points behind Zambian Gomes who stated in a recent interview that Karan is in a class of his own.

“If you look at the points that we need on the ARC standings, we have to do all the remaining events,” Karan added.

Last year, Karan competed in three ARC events in Kenya (where he retired), Rwanda and Tanzania. He finished fourth in the 2021 Africa Championship with 48 points after twice settling for first runners-up.

 position on both the ARC Oryx Energies Rally of Tanzania and ARC Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally.

Karan will renew his rivalry with the Zambian speedster at Uganda’s Pearl event alongside the big chunk of drivers who will be drawn from the host country. Pearl is, by and large, the biggest crowd puller on the African series.