NAIROBI, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The return of the World Rally Championship (WRC) to Kenya has set pulses racing ahead of the start of the country's domestic season this weekend in the lakeside town of Nakuru.
The global pandemic forced the postponement of the annual Safari Rally by a year after the event was readmitted back to the WRC calendar for the first time since 2002 by world governing body the FIA.
Organizers of the Safari Rally pushed the event to June 24-27 after the pandemic wiped out last year's season, with the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) set to rev off on Saturday.
Despite being a local competition, the return of the Safari has attracted drivers from around East Africa who are keen on testing the Kenyan terrain ahead of the WRC event where they hope to compete against the global stars of the sport.
Among them is Ugandan rising star, Rajiv Ruparelia, who entered for the season opening Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Nakuru Rally as he makes his KNRC debut and he will be navigated by Enoch Olinga in a VW Polo Pronto, one of the standard cars suited for WRC racing.
"I hope Kenyans are ready for the Ruparelia Rally team. This week we are coming to take the title in Nakuru with the much-needed intensity and gusto," Ruparelia told organizers of the Nakuru Rally on Friday ahead of his debut.
He entered the Kenyan championship after the Ugandan season was cancelled in 2020 after only two events when the global pandemic brought sporting activity to a standstill.
Ruparelia displayed an impressive performance during day one of Mbarara Rally last year where he posted the fastest stage times on the opening day of the season.
The fast driver topped the first stage of the event and shared the super special stage with former Pearl of Africa winner Ponsiano Lwakataka, each winning one run.
In 2019, the driver entered two events as a clubman (rookie) competitor and is yet to realize his potential after a series of mishaps curtailed his progression.
The Nakuru Rally will be 175km long in ascribing to the standards of WRC events that are set out to be sprint affairs as opposed to lengthy distances of old.
The total competitive distance will be 141km with three stages repeated- the first and second loops- Soysambu (32.10km), Elementaita (18.79km) and Sleeping Warrior (19.80km).
Drivers will encounter a relatively shorter transport road section of 34.42km. Enditem
