By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS
The first two stages of Day 2 today in the Equatorial Classic Rally have set the stage for an exhilarating battle, with Piers Daykin maintaining his lead after the Repeater Two to Mwatate and Ndi to Maktau stages.
Daykins time of 04:05:46.6 leaves him in a strong position, but the competition is still fierce with the drivers completing the day’s two stages, with the third, a night stage, scheduled for 7 pm tonight.
In second place, Ian Duncan clocked in at 04:09:54.6, just 4 minutes and 8 seconds behind the leader. Duncan, driving a Datsun 280Z with co-driver Des Page Morris, has shown impressive speed and determination, winning today’s first stage.
In third place, Geoff Bell remains within striking distance with a time of 04:16:40.7. His co-driver, Douglas Rundgren, has been instrumental in guiding the car through challenging sections, and the team is well-positioned to battle for a podium finish.
Jonathan Somen, in his Ford Escort MK2, holds fourth place with a time of 04:28:45.3, just 22.9 seconds behind Bell. Somen, with co-driver Richard Hechle, while Farhaaz Khan, driving a Porsche 911, rounds out the top five with a time of 04:29:47.2.
Meanwhile, it was a difficult day today for other drivers who battled with mechanical issues and delayed starts, reshaping the leaderboard with Eric Bengi and co-driver Tony Gikuhi, behind the wheel of an Opel Kadett, failing to start the day’s opening stage. Bengi is expected to rejoin the action in the evening for Stage 3, hoping to make up for lost time.
Another blow came for the team of Altaf Ganatra and Musquit Hussain, who were forced to retire after engine problems ended their rally hopes prematurely. Driving a Toyota, the duo couldn’t continue past Day 2, marking an early exit.
Andy and Fleur McDonnel, driving the spirited Mini Cooper, shared the unfortunate turn of events that led to their early retirement on day 1 of the event. Despite a promising start, mechanical issues forced the team to withdraw: “Unfortunately, we had a small issue with the car. It started overheating, so we pulled over straight away. Found the fan belt was loose. Didn’t think much of it. Got towed here by Anthony Nielsen. Anthony turned up in the section, pulled us back into service. And then we looked at it this morning, and the front pulley, engine pulley, had broken into two halves. So unfortunately, it’s retired us.”
Despite being forced to retire, Andy remained in high spirits. Reflecting on the experience with his beloved Mini Cooper—making its rally debut after 12 years preparing it—Andy shared his heartfelt appreciation for the adventure:
“We had a fantastic time and we are going to leave here with lots of smiles. It has been a magical event, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. This is the first time it’s ever been out, it has been grounded in my garage for 12 years.”
