Kenya Champion Baldev Singh Chager claimed victory at the KCB Kajiado Rally, seizing the lead in the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) with a dominant performance in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 10-R4 driven by Ravi Soni.
Chager outpaced competitors across five stages, winning four and maintaining an unchallenged lead throughout the event. His winning time of 1:30.44 secured a 36-second margin over Manvir Baryan and Drew Sturrock, who finished second in a Skoda Fabia R5.
Defending champion Carl 'Flash' Tundo completed the podium in 1:31.44 but acknowledged Chager's superiority, stating, 'I was outpaced by Chager and Manvir.' Tundo's team faced mechanical issues, losing power early due to an exhaust failure that impacted their performance.
With Onkar Rai absent, Chager now holds 43 points in the championship, four ahead of Tundo's 39. Chager credited his car's reliability, saying, 'The Evolution was faultless... everything went as planned.' He emphasized the tight championship race, noting Tundo's proximity despite the lead.
Manvir Baryan, runner-up, attributed his second-place finish to early suspension setup issues but expressed satisfaction with the result. Meanwhile, Tundo accepted his third-place finish, calling Skodas 'beasts' requiring maximum effort.
The rally saw significant attrition, with 13 of 27 starters retiring. Key retirements included Aakif Virani, Dinesh Sachania, and Edward Maina, while SportPesa Racing's debut in a Toyota Auris ended with a suspension failure. The next KNRC round will take place in Eldoret in April.
