By KPC Sports Reporter
Piers Daykin and navigator Lloyd Destro delivered a flawless title defence, storming to a commanding overall victory at the 2026 Equatorial Rally after conquering the final stage, Repeater Two – 4 Junction.
The Rocca Rally crew combined precision and pace to clock a total time of 8:43:34.4, finishing a massive 36 minutes, 1 second ahead of Carl Tundo and Billy Tundo in the Triumph TR7 V8.
Robert Calder and Gavin Laurence completed the podium in a Datsun 280Z, trailing the winners by 42 minutes, 39.7 seconds.
From the opening stage, Daykin and Destro looked in control, mastering the rally’s punishing terrain and unpredictable conditions.
Daykin underlined his dominance by winning six of the nine stages, turning early momentum into an emphatic victory.
Reflecting on the grueling finale, Daykin said the closing stretch tested every limit.
“The last 60 kilometers was the toughest of the entire rally. There were so many stumps and rocks, and no room for error. Just getting through that section clean felt like an achievement on its own.”
The win carried personal meaning for the driver.
“It’s even more special because it’s my birthday, so this feels like a gift to myself. To go on and win it really means a lot,” he added, while also calling for improved spectator experience in future editions.
Second-placed Carl Tundo, racing alongside his 13-year-old co-driver Billy, praised the youngster’s performance despite a challenging final day.
“Day one was good. Day two was good. Day three was just too long. But the fact that he’s 13 and did such an amazing job—that’s really something special,” Tundo said.
“We had issues in service trying to change the steering rack, but once we got back out, we settled in. The last section felt like an autocross track for 67 kilometres.”
Tundo had earlier set the pace in the opening stage of the final leg, Ziwani Fence – Ziwani Canal (75.50 km), posting the fastest time of 53:06.9.
However, Daykin quickly reasserted control, dominating the demanding Lumo – Langa stage and sealing victory in the final 66.50 km run.
The 2026 Equatorial Rally, organized by Equatorial Classic Rallying in partnership with the Taita Taveta County Government and several conservancies, once again lived up to its reputation as one of the toughest and most unpredictable events on the calendar—but at the front, Daykin and Destro proved untouchable.
OVERALL PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION
- Piers Daykin / Lloyd Destro – Datsun 280Z (Cl4) – 08:43:34.4
- Carl Tundo / Billy Tundo – Triumph TR7 V8 (Cl4) – (+36:01.0) – 09:19:35.4
- Robert Calder / Gavin Laurence – Datsun 280Z (Cl4) – (+42:39.7) – 09:26:14.1
- Jonathan Somen / Jaden Somen – Ford Escort Mk2 (Cl3) – (+1:04:32.9) – 09:48:07.3
- Rajesh Maini / Devan Bhundia – Datsun 280Z (Cl4) – (+1:11:12.2) – 09:54:46.6
- Piotr Beaupre / Michal Zoll – Ford Escort Mk2 (Cl3) – (+1:25:33.0) – 10:09:07.4
- Geoffrey Page-Morris / Dez Page-Morris – Datsun 260Z (Cl4) – (+1:45:35.7) – 10:29:10.1
- Malcom Destro / Oliver Francombe – TomCat (Raid) – (+2:06:02.9) – 10:49:37.3
- George Kyriazi / Max Green – Ford Escort Mk2 (Cl3) – (+2:07:50.5) – 10:51:24.9
- Mark Tilbury / Herman Raijsenaars – Ford Escort Mk2 (Cl3) – (+2:29:12.0) – 11:12:46.4
- Farhaaz Khan / Alfir Khan – Porsche 911 (Cl4) – (+2:29:39.2) – 11:13:13.6
- Kyle Lucas / Kaya Tyack – Ford Escort Mk2 (Cl3) – (+2:30:44.3) – 11:14:18.7
- Amman Shah / Rahil Shah – Datsun Violet GT (Cl3) – (+3:01:34.5) – 11:45:08.9
- Ibrahim Namoya / Inda Craig – Toyota Platz (Raid) – (+3:28:52.5) – 12:12:26.9
- Aslam Khan / Ishaq Taher – Ford Escort Mk1 (Cl3) – (+3:50:48.9) – 12:34:23.3
- Shakeel Khan / Assad Mughal – Ford Escort Mk1 (Cl3) – (+4:40:19.5) – 13:23:53.9
- Giancarlo Davite / Zahir Shah – Toyota Corolla 16V (Cl1) – (+4:42:59.2) – 13:26:33.6
- Mukesh Jani / Shameer Yusuf – Datsun Violet GT (Cl3) – (+5:05:42.8) – 13:49:17.2
- Bobby Chaudhry / Shabaz Anwar – Ford Escort Mk1 (Cl3) – (+6:00:32.0) – 14:44:06.4
- Anthony Nielsen / William Bass – Ford Escort Mk1 (Cl3) – (+6:37:59.7) – 15:21:34.1
- Russell Hughes / Melissa Shepherd – Ford Capri (Cl4) – (+8:11:15.9) – 16:54:50.3
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