Navigated by Lloyd Destro, Piers Daykin has taken round one lead of the Equatorial Classic Rally in Taita Taveta County.
The pair have an advantage of 02:39:16.2 in their Datsun 280Z wit Daykin’s performance was nothing short of dominant, out pacing 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:
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 a late car prep, mechanical issues, and plenty of improvising to get through the day:
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:
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 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 for the day for the crew.