By Ernest Ndunda

Carl Tundo and Kenya National Rally Championships leader Baldev Chager took a joint overnight lead as the KCB Visa card rally zoomed off in Kilifi on Saturday.

Tundo and Chager cleared the 1.4Km special stage in 53seconds. Lee Rose was a second behind followed by Ugandan Emmanuel Katto in five seconds. Uganda based Kenyan Peter Horsey returned to his hometown of

Chager. Photo: Samwel Nyakondo/Standard

Mombasa with vigor .Defending Champion Riyaz Kurji did not take part in the spectator stage after suffering electrical problems. Kurji will however restart the race this morning with a five-minute penalty plus the slowest time. It was a bad start for Kurji, who is going for a third title in Mombasa.

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Organizers made several changes to the as the two-stage loop Shariani-Mnarani (SS8, 15KM) and Sokoke-Shariani (SS7, 47KM) were cancelled at the eleventh hour.

The North Coast tour promises to be a wet and slippery run in the wake of heavy night downpour in Kilifi District on Friday. Rally cars pulled in to the Mnarani Club in Kilifi on Saturday morning as drivers put final touches to their cars. The heavy rains currently pounding North Coast area meant drivers will have to change tact to endure the shortened route.

Coming out of the service park in Mnarani cars set out to the ceremonial start outside the KCB Kilifi Branch in convoy giving the locals a true taste of turbocharged machines.

Event time keeper Zahid Mughal said the Coast tour witnesses the use of the WRC –special stage format as opposed to the competitive stage rally format that has been applicable at previous events.