Kenya Motor Sports Personality to be named on Jan 11

The Motor Sports Personality of the Year 2019 will be known on January 11 during awards ceremony planned for Nairobi’s Carnivore Restaurant.

The occasion will also fete champions in respective disciplines of the “man and machine” sport.

Kenya Motor Sports Federation (KMSF) has already confirmed all the 2019 champions following the cancellation of season-closing KCB Guru Nanak Rally in December last year.

The name of the Motor Sports Personality is usually concealed and only revealed on the awards ceremony.

Among those to be feted are KCB Bank Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) overall winners Baldev Singh Chager and co-driver Ravi Soni.

Chager wrapped up the 2019 KNRC season with a cumulative total of 162 points, 20 clear of the 2018 champion Carl “Flash” Tundo. The much-anticipated homestretch showdown between Chager and Tundo came a cropper when inclement weather prompted organizers to call off the Sikh Union round at the last minute.  This resulted into the championship being decided on a cumulative total of seven rounds instead of eight.

Rising stars Ammar “bushy” Haq and Victor Okundi will be feted as the new Division One Champions after dislodging their Mombasa Motor Club (MMC) stalemates Sohanjeet Puee and Adnan Din who retained KNRC Group S honors.

Dareen Miranda and his co-driver Wayne Fernandes will receive their awards as the new KNRC Two Wheel Drive Champions.

Chana sibling Jasmeet and Ravi who drove in the KNRC Premier Class this season clinched the KNRC Group N honors.

Ammar said: “This Division 1 championship has come quite early in my rallying career being my third full KNRC season. It wipes the sweat off the brows of my service crew, my sponsors, family and fans who have supported me through this tough season. It was not an easy contest and tip my hat off to my fellow Division 1 drivers who were quite worthy contenders. This sets the bar quite high for me as my fans and sponsors will have higher expectations for me. Thanks to my navigator Victor Okundi for calling the note on point!! Can’t wait for 2020 to kick up more dust!!”

Issa Amwari and Shameer Yusuf are the new KNRC Division 2 drivers and navigators Champions. Issa’s navigator Job Njiru, who is also the Director, Customer Experience at KCB Bank Group,  finished second in the championship after skipping KCB Eldoret Rally.

In Job’s absence, Minesh Rathod’s navigator (Shameer) took advantage of the honors in Division 2 class.

Issa savored his carer first title and will this season be promoted to KNRC Division One following his brilliant performance in 2019 which saw him rack up fourth overall place on Eldoret Rally.

“It feels good to finally lay hands on the 2019 division 2 championship and seventh overall in KNRC I couldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for my navigators Job Njiru and Mwangi Waithaka,” said Issa.

Physically challenged driver Nikhil Sachania will be back in the Awards ceremony to collect the KNRC SPV (Specially Prepared Vehicles) championship title for the umpteenth time along with his partner Deep Patel.

Nikhil, who is the 2014 Motor Personality winner, clinched the 2019 SPV championship behind the wheels of a hand-controlled SPV Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 10.

Geoff Mayes and his partner Suzanne Zwager will be rewarded for their exploits as the new KNRC Division 3 drivers and navigators Champions, a career first following a spirited run in their Land Rover Tomcat.

The Kenya National Karting Championship has new winners in Myles Imbaya (60cc Comer Class) and William Kim (Junior Rotax).

The KCB National Autocross Championship which traversed various tracks across the country has seven champions in Zameer Verjee (2WD NT), Kunal Patel (2WD T), Sahib Omar (4WD T), Imran Hakada (Open Class), Wayne Fernandes (Quad Class), Yuvraj Rajput (Bambino), and Tsorav Soni (Pee Wee).

Ross Field and his co-driver Robbie Calder emerged the Kenya National Rally Raid prototype car champions in their ‘monster’ CTR machine while Joost Zuubier and Rosaline Zuurbier took the honours the Modified Car class champions.