Kenyan drivers banking on terrain edge to reclaim WRC2 glory

That surprise was later reinforced when Karan Patel (behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta) and Carl Tundo (in a VW Polo) helped Kenya dominate the top‑ten by a striking 30 percent finish in the top 10 in an event that also saw Sébastien Ogier claim one of his two Safari Rally titles.

Local competitors are confident that they will hold a particular edge on the notoriously brutal sections of Soysambu, Elementaita and Sleeping Warrior, where the extreme conditions often favour drivers who know the terrain.

Kenya’s five‑car lineup will have to wrestle with a host of elite European and South American professionals, chief among them the defending Rally 2 champion Gus Greensmith, who returns in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2.

The Kenyan machines, virtually on par with those of the overseas veterans, are aiming to bring the Rally 2 crown back home at the 2026 WRC Safari Rally, an exchange with his regular Skoda Fabia R5.

Greensmith, who captured the class win last year in a Skoda Fabia Rally 2, spent most of Monday shakedown‑testing his brand‑new Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 at the Ndulele Conservancy.

He is back with the RaceSeven squad, determined to secure Toyota’s inaugural Rally 2 championship on Kenyan soil.

On the home front, the Chana brothers—Jasmeet and Ravi— entered under Rubis Energy’s Castrol banner in a Ford Fiesta Rally 2. The duo are the reigning 2023 national champions, but have been unable to repeat the same as the last two seasons have been marred by low entry lists and event cancellations stemming from internal politics. Jasmeet reported very wet and treacherous conditions after recce today.

Their mantra is simple: “Winning our class is the aim; anything beyond that is a bonus,” says Jasmeet, adding that his seasoned co‑driver brother Ravi creates the perfect partnership for the Fiesta.

The brothers hope to echo the 1965 East African Safari victory of Joginder and Jaswant Singh, who triumphed in a Volvo PV 544.

The Chanas secured third place at the 2025 Tanzania Guru Nanak Mkwawa Rally and repeated that result in the 2025 WRC Safari KNRC category.

Karan Patel, reflecting on a near‑miss for the African title last season, summed it up: “Everything looks good now. It’s just a matter of luck; I’m crossing my fingers that this year will be different.”

 He fell short last in the continental scene in a three‑way duel with Samman Vohra and Tanzania’s Yasin Nasser. Nasser clinched the championship despite a fourth‑place finish at the season‑ending Mkwawa Rally, while Vohra, driving a Škoda Fabia, needed a win to clinch the title but was out‑finished by Patel, also in a Fabia, who took the top step. Patel finished fourth overall in the African Rally Championship (ARC) after already securing the 2023/24 continental titles.

Patel, one of the five Kenyan drivers backed by KCB Bank, will be paired with his long‑time navigator Tauseef Khan.

 Young contender Vohra’s Škoda Fabia R5, supported by Sheffield Africa and the Sarova Group, proved a revelation on the continent, missing the championship by a single point.

Consistent performers Virani Aakif and Issa Amwari have yet to enjoy an uninterrupted Safari run, often hampered by mechanical gremlins, but they remain optimistic that this edition will finally break the pattern.

Aakif Virani, Issa Amwari  ( Skoda Fabia R5) and Azeli Mohamed (Ford Fiesta)  are the other Kenyans in contention in the Rally 2.  Tanzania Yasin Nasser will spice up the regional competition.