Jasmeet Chana shifts gears to Continental crown after Safari statement

‎The 2023 Kenya National Rally champion, Jasmeet Chana, has firmly set his sights on conquering the African Rally Championship (ARC) after storming into an early lead in the KNRC standings with a commanding drive at the iconic Safari Rally.

‎At the gruelling Safari, Jasmeet, guided by his brother and trusted navigator Ravinder Chana, powered his Ford Fiesta to a winning KNRC time of 1:43:14.7, laying down a bold early marker in the domestic title race.

‎Hot on his heels, Aakif Virani, navigated by Zahir Shah, clocked 1:44:16.3 in a Skoda Fabia to seal second place. Two-time African champion Karan Patel, alongside co-driver Tauseef Khan, settled for third in 1:46:58.8.

Cup pressure peaks as Shabana host Kenya Police in blockbuster quarter-final Football

Upper Hill coach Walgwe unperturbed despite drawing giants in Prescott Cup group phase Rugby

‎Paraplegic driver Nikhil Sachania, with navigator Deep Patel, claimed fourth in their Ford Fiesta Rally3, stopping the clock at 2:09:13.3. ‎On the continental front, the Chana brothers delivered a solid performance to finish fourth overall in the ARC standings with a cumulative time of 5:06:35.7.

‎Patel led the ARC charge with a dominant 4:26:54.7, followed by Virani in second on 4:43:06.7. Sanman Vohra, navigated by Drew Sturrock in a Skoda Fabia, completed the podium in 4:46:47.1. ‎Buoyed by their statement drive on home soil, Chana is now eyeing a full-scale assault on the continental series.

‎‎"We're planning to.....if all goes well, we want to tackle all rounds," he revealed. ‎Following the Safari opener, the ARC caravan now shifts to the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally slated for May 7–10, before heading to the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally on July 10–12.

The championship will then climax at Tanzania’s Mkwawa Rally from October 2–4. Despite his KNRC triumph, Chana admitted his ambitions at the Safari extended beyond national honours, with a podium finish in the ARC firmly in his sights. ‎"We're pleased with the win, but we wanted a podium in ARC as well," he noted.

‎‎However, mechanical gremlins proved costly. ‎"We had some issues with the car that set us back," he added. ‎Chana remains one of Kenya’s most versatile rally drivers, boasting an enviable resume that spans multiple categories.

Over the years, he has clinched titles across 2WD, Division One, Division 3, Group S, Group N and crowned it all with the overall national championship in 2023.