All set for ARC Equator Rally
Edwin Otieno
Formalities of the past few days are complete and it’s all systems go as ARC Equator Rally’s pre-event action gets underway at the designated 5.4km Loldia stretch Friday.
The pre-event schedule today will entail an early morning free practice from 8am onwards and the much-anticipated qualifying stage from midday, followed by shakedown and a ceremonial start at 4pm.
The qualifying stage will determine the start order on Saturday for the ARC cars depending on timing.
KWS Training Institute has been a beehive of activity over the past two days during which cars and ARC registered entrants were inspected on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.
FIA Technical Delegate Musa Locho has been in charge of scrutineering where over 30 cars underwent pre-event checks.
While team mechanics put their race contraptions through a rigorous daylong scrutineering process, drivers were out on reconnaissance to familiarise with technicalities of the route course. 
The Scrutineering process ensures the cars conform to competition regulations.
Among the documents presented to Locho’s technical team included driver and co-driver competition licenses, driver and co-driver passports for identification and the ASN authorisation for all foreign competitors.
“We’ve been doing scruneering. We had to check the competition cars to ensure they conform with safety standards and also the regulations and also the FIA Sporting Code,” said Locho.
“We started with the local cars then moved to the ARC registered cars today well in time for the stewards meeting. We have not had any major issues.
“When teams come for the exercise, we address some of the minor issues which they overlook and that’s why we are here to make sure they are rectified within the permitted window.
We ensure that the event is run according to the regulations of the FIA after which I will make a report to the governing body in the same.”
Saturday’s Leg 1 Itinerary will feature three stages at the expansive Soysambu Conservancy which will be repeated twice to make up a Competitive mileage of 131.96km, transport road section of 257.92km and the day’s cumulative total of 389.88km.
The first stage on Saturday will be SS1 Elmenteita 1&2, SS2 Soysambu 1&2 and SS3 Sleeping Warrior 1&2.
All cars (except restarting crews) must enter Parc Fermé no later than 9pm on Saturday.
