Renowned former Coast champion, Naushad “ Mr Subaru” Kara Lota, emphasizes the critical nature of the curtain-raising night stages in his hometown Mombasa Rally, stating that there’s “no room for error” in this exciting addition to the event.

Speaking about this exciting change, Lota expressed his anticipation, saying, “The night stages will bring a whole new experience and challenge that will make the event fun to drive.”

These night stages return to Mombasa’s KNRC round for the first time since 2019, with two stages scheduled for this Saturday before the main rally on Sunday.

Even leading contenders like McRae Kimathi and the current KNRC leader, Jasmeet Chana, have labelled Saturday’s night stages as the most thrilling part of the event. Adnan Din, Mr. Subaru’s trusted navigator, emphasized the unique challenge posed by racing in darkness, highlighting that it will add a new level of excitement to the competition.

“Doing the stages in darkness is going to be a whole new element,” said Lota whose SPV Subaru  Crossbreed will score points towards the SPV (Specially Prepared Category). We are used to doing night rallies in our clubman rallies but the KNRC Mombasa rally this year will be a whole different challenge with new track adversaries.”

“When you are shining the lights into open space it is incredibly tricky. In the Vipingo sections, it is easier as we always compete there. The only difference will be our Nairobi opponents,” he shared.

Lota, driving his SPV Subaru Crossbreed, is prepared for the night stages and acknowledges the complexity of racing in the dark. He highlights the difficulty in trusting the notes when visibility is limited, especially in technical rally sections with obstacles and fast corners. Nonetheless, he’s enthusiastic about the experience and emphasizes the need for precision.

Having participated in club night rallies, Lota and his team have gained some insight into what to expect during the weekend. He emphasized the importance of accurate pace notes and acknowledged that adapting to the darkness will be a challenge.

Lota added, “We know what the stages can look like in the dark, and they are probably some of the most spectacular and challenging stages in the series. So, pace notes will be vitally important, and listening to the pace notes will be a challenge for sure.”