Tauseef Khan and Karan Patel with President William Ruto at the launch of the 2025 Safari Rally/ TEDDY MULEITwo-time African Rally Champion Karan Patel and co-driver Tauseef Khan are gearing up for one last push in the 2025 African Rally Championship (ARC), hoping to end a frustrating season on a high when they hit the gravel in Tanzania this weekend.
Though out of the running for the overall title, the Kenyan duo are determined to salvage pride after enduring a season marred by misfortune and mechanical gremlins.
Their troubles began early at the WRC Safari Rally in March, where engine failure forced them to retire prematurely — a gut-wrenching setback on home soil.
They bounced back in May with a dominant display at the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally, where they clinched top honours in 1:51:28.9. Uganda’s Yasin Nasser trailed over 12 minutes behind in second with a time of 2:04:21.6, while Kenya’s Nikhil Sachania, making headlines as a paraplegic driver, secured third in 2:07:48.4.
But the resurgence proved short-lived. At the Mountain Gorilla Rally in Rwanda, the pair’s Ford Fiesta suffered a violent crash in SS3 Nemba 1. The damage was extensive, necessitating a full shell replacement and sidelining the team for weeks.
That event was won by Samman Vohra and Drew Sturrock, who clocked a blistering 1:48:59.1. Sachania and his co-driver Deep Patel again showed consistency with a second-place finish in 2:03:39.7.
Mechanical delays and shipping snags kept Karan and Tauseef out of the Burundi Rally, further denting their campaign. After four punishing rounds, they sit sixth in the standings with 35 points.
Yet despite the string of setbacks, Tauseef remains undeterred. “It’s been a rollercoaster, no doubt,” he said. “But there’s no better place to rewrite the script than Tanzania. We’re only aiming for the top step of the podium. Nothing less.”
The Tanzanian rally holds emotional significance for the team — it was there, in 2023, that they clinched their first ARC title. “Tanzania’s special. It’s where we became champions. We’re going back with that same hunger,” Tauseef added.
Karan was equally upbeat, praising the team’s tireless work in rebuilding their rally machine. “The boys have worked magic — the car feels brand new. We’ve done multiple test runs, and everything’s dialed in,” he said. “We’re ready to go full throttle.”
As Karan and Tauseef seek a morale-boosting win, all eyes will be on the ARC title battle between championship leader Yasin Nasser, currently on 118 points, and challenger Samman Vohra, who sits just behind on 108.
Nikhil Sachania is third in the standings with 77 points — no longer in the title hunt but firmly holding onto a podium position.
Victory in Tanzania, coupled with maximum bonus points from the Power Stage, could hand Vohra the championship. But his fate also depends on Nasser finishing outside the top three — a result that would swing the title in Vohra’s favour.
Under ARC rules, rally winners earn 30 points, with 24 for second place and 21 for third. Drivers finishing fourth through tenth collect 19, 17, 15, 13, 11, 10 and 7 points respectively. The Power Stage awards an additional five points to the winner, with four, three, two and one point going to the next fastest drivers.
With everything still to play for, the Tanzanian finale promises to deliver drama, redemption, and potentially a reshuffled championship podium.
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