The 2024 Equator rally will now finally not see the light of day this year! The event was postponed earlier this year due to severe flooding in Kenya. Well, the 2nd attempt has now also proved fruitless, and the reason? Heavy rains again, with much more to come!
The organisers found it increasingly difficult to navigate and prepare the stages due to wet conditions. The decision to call off the event had one consideration in mind: SAFETY. Competitors might have found it difficult to perform in top gear, but in case of an emergency, no ambulance would be able to reach the scene in time. That’s a big problem for obvious reasons.
The organiser informed the FIA on Monday of the circumstances surrounding the challenges, and the event was declared a force majeure cancellation. A subsequent bulletin was issued to inform everyone of the situation.
In a statement on Monday from the Sikh Union Club, the following was said:
We have taken the decision to postpone the Guru Nanak Equator rally on grounds of safety due to adverse road conditions caused by the heavy rains. Given the road conditions, we cannot guarantee the rescue services would be able to attend to any emergencies should they arise.
The organisers have tried to look for alternative routes close to Nairobi; however, a lot of roads have been damaged by the rain, making relocation of the rally impossible.
This decision has been reached after much deliberation. Overleaf is a weather forecast from the Met department showing the rainy weather that is expected next week and during the event.
Please note that Sikh Union Club had mobilised numerous earthmoving machines to create roads for this rally, including more than 800-man hours of work done to prepare the roads for this rally.
We are pleased to announce that the Guru Nanak Rally will still run on the 25th and 26th January 2025 as a KNRC event only.
2024 was a tough year for our championship. The first bit of bad news was the cancellation of the 2024 Tanzania Rally due to financial constraints. Let’s face it, our sport is FANTASTIC but it has very expensive taste. The pricetag is substantial, and that makes a championship win even more rewarding if one considers the budgets involved to participate. I want to go one step further to say that the dedication and not giving up and making it happen in difficult circumstances really have my utmost respect.
Well done, you, organisers, competitors, moms and dads keeping their boys and girls racing, service crews who tighten the bolts and nuts, officials, and media guys! WELL DONE and my sincerest appreciation and THANK YOU for keeping this show on the road! To my fellow FIA colleagues who bring such immense value with their skills and time to the championship, you are champions. Tuta, Gurvir, Guvinder, Musa, Viren, George, Ange (the guy with the big title that I still don’t know what it means), Rikus, and David, I am honoured and priveleged to learn from you and walk beside you!
It was a tough year with low entries at some start lines and a great many more on others. A year of meeting a president and a renown F1 and Dakar legend Jackie Ickx, to losing stalwarts in Rally who taught us so much and contributed immensely to our sport.
Reflecting on all the challenges and future of this championship, I have merely one thing to say:
When life puts you in tough situations, don’t say, “why me” say “try me”
After the heartache of not having the ARC visit Kenya this year, we have a new Champion folks. Well, a new “Old” champion, that is. Karan Patel and Tauseef Khan did it again! Please allow me to say, “Bloody well done again, boys!” Taking top spot in the 2024 FIA ARC with a massive lead of 140 points. One word comes to mind: perseverance, dedication, and a strong love for Rally ensured the victory. Kenya lost and ARC this year, but took the championship reigns in the end!
Following in second place is Michael Jr. Mukula from Uganda with 47 points. Indeed another pearl in the crown of the ARC, Uganda. A great favourite of the ARC who unfortunately did not compete much this year, Jas Mangat, another gem from Uganda, took the 3rd spot in this year’s championship.
In concluding, I want to sincerely thank each and every person reading up to this point for their love, support, and dedication to this FANTASTIC sport. My first love, Rally!! I am sure that the fire and passion burn in your souls as well. I wish our Christian readers a blessed festive season. Let’s not forget the reason for the season. Go out there and help someone less fortunate than you celebrate the reason for Christmas.
We will walk into 2025 with vigour and more fighting spirit than ever before to bring you, our supporters, and fans great memories and to our competitors that adrenaline-filled feeling when the clock counts down on the start line!
From me, William Louw, it was great, Thank you again and I leave you with the following from Jodi Picoult
“The human capacity for burden is like bamboo—far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.”.
