Daykin, Tundo, Duncan set for epic battle at Equatorial Classic Rally

Piers Daykin and co-driver Lloyd Destro will be out to defend their Equatorial Classic Rally this weekend in Taita Taveta as the dust, distance and durability stakes rise from this Friday

The three-day motorsport showdown, which runs until Sunday, has attracted 27 crews, all primed to battle for supremacy across a punishing route stretching to nearly 1,000km.

Last year’s edition covered 628km and featured a gruelling 29km night stage, with only 15 of the 19 starters making it to the finish.

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The Equatorial Classic Rally has built a fearsome reputation as one of the toughest tests on the calendar, famed for its relentless long-distance stages that push both man and machine to the absolute limit.

Blending local stars with international challengers, the event is an endurance examination across fast, rugged and punishing terrain, widely regarded as the ultimate test of machinery. Daykin conquered last year's edition with a cumulative time of seven hours, 13 minutes and 37 seconds aboard his Datsun 280Z. Farhaaz Khan and co-driver Tauseef Khan powered to second place in a cumulative 7:53:52.3, while Jonathan Somen and navigator Richard Heckle completed the podium in 7:59:11.0.

This year’s spectacle is set to be officially flagged off by the governor of Taita Taveta. For the latest edition, Daykin and Destro return in their trusted Datsun 280Z under the Rocca Rally Team, aiming to repeat last year’s winning formula.

However, standing in their path is Kenyan rally legend Ian Duncan and navigator Jaspal Matharu, also armed with a Datsun 280Z under the Ian Duncan Rally Team banner.

Duncan arrives with a glittering resume that includes six Kenya Rally Championship crowns, won in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2000 and 2011.

He also etched his name into motorsport folklore by claiming outright victory in a World Rally Championship (WRC) round when he triumphed in the 42nd Safari Rally in 1994.

Another Kenyan great in the field is Carl 'Flash' Tundo, who teams up with Billy Tundo in their Triumph TR7 V8 under the Top Fry Rally Team.

Tundo's resume includes five victories in the Safari Rally (2004, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2018) as well as the 2017 East African Safari Classic Rally champion.

Also in contention is the Quest Performance Rallying crew of Robert Calder and co-driver Gavin Laurence in another Datsun 280Z.

British duo Richard Arrowsmith and Roger Midwood, competing under the Freestone RS Team, will be hoping to mount a serious title assault in their Ford Escort MK1.

The entry list also features Asad Anwar and navigator Tej Sehmi in their Ford Escort MK1, representing Africa Eco Motorsports.

Poland’s Piotr Beaupre and navigator Michal Zoll also form part of the formidable international cast, lining up under Zoll Racing in a Ford Escort MK2.