As the dust settled after an electrifying opening day of the Equatorial Classic Rally, Piers Daykin and navigator Lloyd Destro blazed through and won all three stages of the day, seizing an early lead in their Datsun 280Z, clocking an impressive 02:39:16.2. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.
Daykin’s performance was nothing short of dominant, outpacing a star-studded field. Hot on his heels is rally icon Ian Duncan, co-driven by Des Page Morris, also behind the wheel of a Datsun 280Z.
Daykin marked his birthday with a solid performance reflecting on a positive run, mechanical tweaks, and the need to balance pace with caution:
“The day has been good, we just need to change the clutch. I have had some really bad experiences on this side, and to have a good run today on my birthday is a plus, and I am happy with that. However, I think for the pace we are going too fast and we have to realistically back off a bit.”
Despite his efforts, Duncan trails by 04:42.0 from the leader, setting the stage for an epic duel in the days ahead. Duncan shared his thoughts reflecting on the day’s highs and a minor mechanical hiccup:
“It’s a pretty good day, some of it was really good fun, and I had a brake issue, but it was all alright. It’s nice to come to a different part of the country to rally. Everyone here is friendly. For now, we will have a look at the car. I think we broke a brake pipe, but we will have a look.”
Geoff Bell, with Douglas Rundgren navigating their Datsun 260Z, ended the day in third, posting a time of 02:50:01.7. They remain 10:45.5 off the lead.
Bell described a tough but memorable start to the Equator Rally, with late car prep, mechanical issues, and plenty of improvising to get through the day: “The car was only ready about 20 minutes before the start today, so we went into the first day with the alignment completely out, and we discovered we did have a power steering, which makes a huge difference in this type of car, so I think I have grown some more muscle today. We changed a drive shaft in one of the services, and also we did not have any water to clean the windscreen, so we had to keep on pouring water to clean it.”
In fourth place, Farhaaz Khan and navigator Tauseef Khan muscled their classic Porsche 911 to wrap up the day with a time of 02:58:12.4.
Despite an early setback in the opening stage, Khan remained optimistic, praising the event’s organization and the quality of the pace notes that helped him regain momentum:
“We got stuck in the first stage, and we lost quite a bit of time, about 7 minutes, and now we are playing catch-up. The notes are really good, and well done to the organisers. When the notes are good for us as drivers, it makes it better, so it was quite good and kudos to the organisers.”
Meanwhile, the day tested the endurance and resilience of many crews, with several teams facing significant challenges on the demanding stages.
Altaf Ganatra, navigated by Muqsit Hussein in their Toyota, were forced to retire just 18 kilometers into Stage 1 due to a broken driveshaft, cutting short what had looked to be a promising start.
Andy McDonell and Fleur McDonell, piloting their Mini Cooper, got stuck in the mud during Stage 1, and were unable to proceed, ultimately missing the start of Stage 2.
In Stage 2, Philip Kyriazi faced mechanical misfortune when all the studs on one of his Ford Escort MK2 wheels broke off, forcing him to halt his run on that stage, but he progressed later on.
Robert Calder and Gavin Laurence also had a tough outing in their Datsun 280Z, with driveshaft issues impacting their performance and progress throughout the day.
Shakeel Khan and Assad Mughal, driving a Ford Escort MK1, suffered a double blow—they did not finish Stage 1 and subsequently did not start Stage 2, putting them on the back foot moving forward.
For the Mini Cooper entered by Andy McDonnell and Fleur McDonnell, they got off to a promising start, successfully completing the first stage of the event. However, their hopes were soon dashed as the car suffered from persistent overheating issues later in the day. They had to be towed out, bringing an early end to the day for the crew.
Day 2
Tomorrow’s Leg 2 of the Equatorial Classic Rally 2025 will feature six competitive stages covering a total of 158.72 kilometers in Special Stage (SS) distance and 262.82 kilometers overall.
It will start with the first stage of the day, the 68.60 Km CS4 Repeater Two to Mwatate stage, followed by the 60.85 Km Ndi to Maktau stage.
In the evening, the action continues with the S6 Canal to Langalanga (29.27 km) night stage.
With both long endurance tests and an exciting night stage, Friday promises to be a challenging and action-packed leg for all crews.
