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The Kenya Motor Sports activities Federation (KMSF) held its annual awards ceremony on Saturday night time in Nairobi with veteran rally driver Jim Heather-Hayes declared, posthumously, the Kenya Motorsports Persona of the 12 months for 2023.
Rally legend Heather-Hayes handed on in 2022 and was acknowledged for his long-standing contribution that noticed him, inter alia, mentor the subsequent era of motorsport champions.
These awards celebrated performances within the Kenya Nationwide Rally Championships (KNRC), Rally Raid, Tarmac, Karting, 4×4, Autocross and Africa Rally Championships.
Nonetheless, as winners in these classes bask of their achievements, we want to see extra efforts being made to revamp these championships to make them appeal to extra sponsorship and entries.
In current occasions, competitor entries to nationwide motorsports competitions, most importantly the KNRC, have dropped, particularly after the coronavirus pandemic, with drivers struggling to remain afloat amid elevated competitors prices.
Rounds of the KNRC used to draw a mean of 45 vehicles with the enduring Guru Nanak Rally drawing not lower than 60 entries.
Final yr, Eldoret Rally drew 13 entries, Guru Nanak 16, Mombasa Rally 12 and KMSC Rally 14, a growth that ought to not solely concern KMSF, however the authorities and rallying stakeholders.
Below the brand new management of veteran Maina Muturi, the KMSF must discover methods of attracting extra corporates and likewise complement the glamorous trophies at annual awards with money rewards.
Rallying is an costly affair, and these drivers have to really feel appreciated and rewarded accordingly.
Although at completely different stage, the zeal directed in direction of the organisation of the World Rally Championship Safari Rally must be emulated on the KNRC.
And with lower than 70 days to go for this yr’s March 28-31 Safari Rally, we additionally hope organisers pull all of the strings to make sure a world class occasion is delivered on its conventional Easter date.
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