Farhaaz Khan and Tauseef Khan in their Porsche 911/ HANDOUT

Three-time Africa Rally Champion navigator Tauseef Khan is revving with confidence ahead of the second leg of the Africa Rally Championship (ARC) this weekend in Uganda, after a strong second-place finish at the inaugural Equatorial Classic Rally in Taita Taveta.
Usually seen alongside top driver Karan Patel, Tauseef temporarily teamed up with Farhaaz Khan for the classic showdown, guiding him masterfully to a runner-up finish in their Porsche 911. 
The pair clocked 7:53:52.3, trailing winners Piers Daykin and Lloyd Destro, who stormed to victory in a Datsun 280z with a time of 7:13:37.0.
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Jonathan Somen and Richard Hechle completed the classic car podium, steering their Ford Escort MK2 home in 7:59:11.0.
Veteran Ian Duncan, a five-time Kenyan Rally champion, showed early promise but faded to 12th overall (12:04:46.0) after mechanical gremlins and a puncture wrecked his final day in a similarly iconic Datsun 280z.
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With the dust barely settled, Tauseef now shifts gears to the Pearl of Africa Rally in Mbarara from Friday to Sunday, resuming duties alongside Patel in a Skoda Fabia Rally2. 
The car has been freshly installed with a new engine after mechanical woes sidelined them at the season-opener at the WRC Safari Rally on March 20-23.
Despite the Safari setback, the duo is hungry to ignite their ARC title defence with a strong bounce-back in Uganda.
Reflecting on the Equatorial Rally, Tauseef highlighted Farhaaz's composure, which was instrumental in their podium finish.
"Fazi drove well;  he was very composed and even after we got stuck and lost time, his focus was still there, it did not take him down. It’s just amazing," Tauseef said.
Tauseef added that they had set ambitious targets going into the event. 
"During the first classic we did together, I promised him a top five finish which we accomplished. For this one we set the target a little bit higher," he added.
Meanwhile, Farhaaz highlighted the rollercoaster ride the inaugural race offered the duo.
 "In the first stage today, we got stuck in a mud hole and lost about six minutes. It was my fault, but it happens."
"We were seventh after the first stage, and we had to adjust the strategy and just wanted to be as quick as we could for the rest of the stages," he said.
Despite the pressure, Farhaaz reiterated that a cool head was key in their performance.
"There was a lot of pressure, but we didn’t want to push too hard and take risks; we just wanted to be in a safe position and stay with Jonathan in all the stages."
Meanwhile, winner Daykin was elated with the breakthrough result. "I am not the most experienced driver ever, but we managed."
"We made a big effort from Day One. It's the first time we have won. It’s just incredible," he noted.
 Duncan, who looked set for a strong finish, battled a cocktail of issues, including hub damage and a puncture on Stage 9, which ultimately derailed his challenge.