Motor Sports Personality of 2019 to be known this Saturday
By Gibo Zachary, January 6, 2020
Nairobi’s Carnivore restaurant is the place to be on Saturday when the Motor Sports Personality of the Year 2019 will be known.
The occasion will also fete champions in respective disciplines of the “man and machine” sport.
Kenya Motor Sports Federation (KMSF) has already confirmed all the 2019 champions following the cancellation of season-closing Guru Nanak Rally last December.
Among those to be feted are KCB Bank Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) overall winners Baldev Singh Chager and co-driver Ravi Soni.
Chager wrapped up the 2019 KNRC season with a cumulative total of 162 points, 20 clear of the 2018 champion Carl “Flash” Tundo.
The much-anticipated homestretch showdown between Chager and Tundo came a cropper when inclement weather prompted organisers to call off the Sikh Union round at the last minute.
This resulted into the championship being decided on a cumulative total of seven rounds instead of eight.
Rising stars Ammar “bushy” Haq and Victor Okundi will be feted as the new Division One Champions after dislodging their Mombasa Motor Club (MMC) stalemates Sohanjeet Puee and Adnan Din who retained KNRC Group S honours.
Dareen Miranda and his navigator Wayne Fernandes will receive their awards as the new KNRC Two Wheel Drive champions.
Chana siblings Jasmeet and Ravi, who drove in the KNRC Premier Class this season, clinched the KNRC Group N honours.
Haq said: “This Division 1 championship has come quite early in my rallying career being my third full KNRC season.
It wipes the sweat off the brows of my service crew, my sponsors, family and fans who have supported me through this tough season. It was not an easy contest and tip my hat off to my fellow Division 1 drivers who were worthy contenders.”
Issa Amwari and Shameer Yusuf were the new KNRC Division 2 driver and navigator champions. Amwari’s navigator Job Njiru, who is also the Director, Customer Experience at KCB Bank Group, finished second in the championship after skipping the Eldoret Rally.
In Njiru’s absence, Minesh Rathod’s navigator (Shameer) took advantage of the honours in the Division 2 class.
Amwari will this season be promoted to KNRC Division One following his brilliant performance in 2019 which saw him rack up fourth overall place in Eldoret.