KCB Return In World Rally Championship Test Year

24th January 2019

Local bank makes comeback to local championship with KSh75m package

KCB Marketing and Communications Director, Angela Mwirigi (left) hands over a dummy cheque of Ksh 25,000,000 to KMSF Director and Chairman of the Board, Phineas Kimathi (right) during the KCB Rally sponsorship press briefing at the Heart of Kencom.PHOTO/SPN
KCB Marketing and Communications Director, Angela Mwirigi (left) hands over a dummy cheque of Ksh 25,000,000 to KMSF Director and Chairman of the Board, Phineas Kimathi (right) during the KCB Rally sponsorship press briefing at the Heart of Kencom.PHOTO/SPN
SUMMARY
  • First round of the 2019 Kenya National Autocross Championship will rev off at The Great Rift Valley circuit in Mai Mahiu ,Narok county this Sunday
  • The autocross opener this weekend is expected to treat spectators to some great display.The race will feature four heats  of which the best will count for the final classification
  • The battle for 4WD Turbo honors will pit immediate former champion Rehan Shah against current winner Sahib Omar
  • The 2WD Turbo class has the biggest chunk of entry and the  usual suspects are Zameer Verjee, Lovejyot Singh and Shaz Esmail aka Shazco among others

NAIROBI, Kenya- First round of the 2019 Kenya National Autocross Championship will rev off at The Great Rift Valley circuit in Mai Mahiu ,Narok county this Sunday.

Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) have come on board  to sponsor the nine legged series as well as the annual Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) circuit to a tune of KSh75m (USD75,000) for the next three years.

“Every year, KSh20 million will be spent on staging KNRC events and KSh5 million will be channeled for  the autocross,” bank’s Marketing and Communications Director, Angela Mwirigi, underlined on Thursday.

“We are passionate about motorsport, we believe our sponsorship will continue to re-ignite passion in this industry.

“We are reaffirming our confidence in the power of sports to influence lives positively. We see this as a strategic avenue to engage with communities and build talent across the East African region” Mwirigi added.

The autocross opener this weekend is expected to treat spectators to some great display.The race will feature four heats  of which the best will count for the final classification.

Ahead of the challenge,the drivers will be expected to tackle early morning practice to gauge the stability of their machines,”

The contest will feature high-flying quads, attacker buggies, bambinos and 4WD Turbos flying over spectacular jumps and hairpins.

The battle for 4WD Turbo honors will pit immediate former champion Rehan Shah against current winner Sahib Omar.

Open mind

Reigning 2WD Non Turbo champion Safina Khan (Toyota Vitz) will renew her rivalry with Sahir “Sarry” Mughal in his Rage Buggy.

The 2WD Turbo class has the biggest chunk of entry and the  usual suspects are Zameer Verjee, Lovejyot Singh and Shaz Esmail aka Shazco among others.

Izmir team have also unveiled their line-up for the competion which include Sahir Mughal (2wd Non Turbo- Rage Buggy), Illiyun Mughal (Bambino Class- Polaris), Shazco Esmail  (2wd Turbo- Attacker Buggy), Lovejyot Singh (2WD turbo Attacker Buggy), Imran Hakada (Open Class Subaru) and Shalien Mughal ( Open Class- Subaru).

Team Decko Africa have Soni siblings Tsevi and Tsorav, all rounder Yuvraj Rajput who is also the Bambinio Champion, Kiana Rajput and their dad Kirit Rajput  who will be driving a Subaru GC 8 in the Open Class.

"We will go into the race with an open mind. We have been working on developing our cars and have done lots of changes and setup.We have done geometry, suspension and mapping.We have installed a new gearbox and engine and have completed rewiring,” Mughal explained.