By KPC Sports Reporter
Defending champion Piers Daykin, alongside navigator Lloyd Destro, tightened his grip on the Equatorial Rally at the close of Day 2 on Saturday, extending his overall lead after a composed run through the CS6 Pusa–Block 3 night stage.
Daykin and Destro now lead the standings with a cumulative time of 5:21:45.4, putting clear daylight between themselves and closest challengers Carl Tundo and Billy Tundo, who sit second in their Triumph TR7 V8, trailing by 11 minutes, 32.1 seconds.
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The battle for the podium intensified behind them, with Farhaaz Khan and navigator Alfir Khan climbing into third place in a Porsche 911.
They edged ahead of Robert Calder and Gavin Laurence in the Datsun 280Z, who slipped to fourth, setting up a tense fight heading into the final day.
Earlier in the day, Anthony Nielsen and William Bass dominated proceedings across two contrasting stages in their Ford Escort Mk1.
The duo set the pace in the demanding 121.30km Lumo–Langa stage, clocking 1:26:57.1, with Daykin just 4.5 seconds behind and the Tundo pair in third.
Nielsen and Bass carried that form into the night, topping the high-speed Golf–Langa stage in 32:35.7.
However, Daykin and Destro remained firmly in contention, staying within striking distance and ultimately delivering a decisive response in the final Pusa–Block 3 stage, where they posted the fastest time of 32:42.5 to close out Day 2 in control.
The rally has not been without casualties. Several crews were forced to retire as mechanical issues and incidents took their toll.
Peter and Zane Young remained out following a roll in Stage 2, though both escaped unharmed.
Richard Arrowsmith and Roger Midwood failed to start due to mechanical trouble, while Onkar Kalsi and Qahir Rahim exited with electrical issues.
Ian Duncan and Jaspal Matharu also saw their campaign cut short after suffering mechanical failure Saturday night.
Attention now shifts to a punishing Day 3 in Taita Taveta, widely expected to decide the rally. Crews will tackle the sweeping 75.50km Ziwani Fence–Ziwani Canal stage before revisiting the unforgiving 121.30km Lumo–Langa section.
The rally will conclude with the demanding Repeater Two stage, a final 65km push before the prize-giving ceremony at the Taita Estate Clubhouse.
With a commanding lead but relentless pressure behind, Daykin heads into the final day as the man to beat in what promises to be a dramatic finish.
Overall Standings after Day 2:
Piers Daykin / Lloyd Destro (Datsun 280Z) – 5:21:45.4
Carl Tundo / Billy Tundo (Triumph TR7 V8) – +11:32.1
Farhaaz Khan / Alfir Khan (Porsche 911) – +18:52.8
Robert Calder / Gavin Laurence (Datsun 280Z) – +19:14.0
Jonathan Somen / Jaden Somen (Ford Escort Mk 2) – +48:22.5
Piotr Beaupre / Michal Zoll (Ford Escort Mk 2) – +53:08.1
Rajesh Maini / Devan Bhundia (Datsun 280Z) – +53:55.2
Geoffrey Page-Morris / Dez Page-Morris (Datsun 260Z) – +1:08:49.8
Kyle Lucas / Kaya Tyack (Ford Escort Mk 2) – +1:14:40.0
Malcom Destro / Oliver Francombe (TomCat) – +1:20:17.3
George Kyriazi / Max Green (Ford Escort Mk 2) – +1:21:25.9
Mark Tilbury / Herman Raijsenaars (Ford Escort Mk 2) – +1:41:32.6
Anthony Nielsen / William Bass (Ford Escort Mk 1) – +3:55:09.8
Shakeel Khan / Assad Mughal (Ford Escort Mk 1) – +4:00:15.7
