Varese eyes 2WD honors as RSC Rally heads to Machakos

• Varese is so far unbeaten in the 2WD category
• He will be crowned champion with a win in Machakos
• He has 84 points on top of the standings

Leonardo Varese’s 100pcfinish record at the 2022 Kenya National Rally Championship has moved him within striking distance of a career sixth Two Wheel Drive title going into the forthcoming penultimate Rally Sports Club (RSC) round in Machakos County.

Varese has an unassailable lead in both the KNRC Division Three and Two Wheel Drive championships but has to attain the 75percemt threshold for participation hence delayed title celebrations.

He leads the 2WD drivers’ standings with 84 points, 54 clear of his closest challenger Rio Smith. He is also leading the KNRC Division 2 Championship with 150 points against Zameer Verjee’s 60.

Varese hopes to repeat the 2017 season in which racked up a rare double of the KNRC Division 2 and 2WD titles.

Penultimate round of the season

The eighth and penultimate round at the Lisa Farm in Machakos County presents Varese and his co-driver Kigondu Kareithi with their golden opportunity to wrap up  the much anticipated double of KNRC 2WD and Division 3 titles.

All that they need to do to seal the deal is to enter the RSC organized round and they will be assured of the drivers and co-drivers titles .

Including the RSC round and December’s Guru Nanak, there are two more KNRC round to go in 2022 and only Leonardo can mathematically achieve the championship glory in both the 2WD and Division 3.

Varese and his co driver. PHOTO/Courtesy

Varese also seeks to become the first ever Two Wheel Driver competitor to finish the KNRC overall championship in the top five.

He currently sits third on the overall KNRC log with 75points behind leader Jasmeet Chana and Karan Patel.

His current KNRC third overall position is nevertheless threatened by Division 2 leader Maxine Wahome (74 points ) and Kush Patel (73 points).

Asked how he will approach the last two events, Varese explained: “The approach is to keep our 100  percent finish record intact as we need to enter at least one more event to win the 2WD Championship. But then again, we hope to enter the last two rounds to complete a full season.”

A few upgrades expected 

Varese continued: “Preparations are ongoing, just a few upgrades here and there but easy to maintain, given that we have bonded as one.”

Varese finished the Round 7 MMC Bamba Rally in a top 10 position.

“We are relieved and happy after Bamba Rally. The route was well marshalled. The dry and dusty open roads were fun to drive except for a stretch on SS1 which was rough, tight and rocky,” Varese acknowledged.

“For me, it’s important to finish the last two events, and for the team it would be even nicer to make them happy with a good drive and result. We have some job in front,” he added.

The RSC event will feature compact transport on the expansive Lisa Farm where three stages will be repeated twice. Clerk of the Course Helen Shiri says the preferred sections are a far cry from what has been used in previous Lisa rallies.

“RSC Masaku Rally will be a very technical rally, not the usual Lisa routes that drivers are used to. This time they will experience something new with compact transport road sections,” Shiri said.