Piers Daykin and Lloyd Destro strengthened their hold on the Equatorial Rally at the end of Day 2 Saturday, leading the overall standings with a total time of 5 hours, 21 minutes, 45.4 seconds after CS6 Pusa – Block 3 night stage.
Carl Tundo and Billy Tundo remain in second place in the Triumph TR7 V8, now 11 minutes, 32.1 seconds off the lead as they continue to apply pressure heading into the final day.
Farhaaz Khan, navigated by Alfir Khan in the Porsche 911, moved up into third position ahead of Robert Calder and Gavin Laurence in the Datsun 280Z who dropped to fourth overall, keeping the fight for the podium positions extremely tight as the rally heads into its decisive final stages.
Earlier today the action took shape through two contrasting stages, but one name remained constant at the front, Anthony Nielsen, alongside navigator William Bass in a Ford Escort MK1.
The rally roared into action with the demanding 121.30-kilometer Lumo–Langa stage, where the Equatorial Classic Rallying crew laid down a strong marker. Nielsen and Bass clocked 1 hour, 26 minutes, 57.1 seconds in their Ford Escort Mk 1 to take the days first stage while overnight leaders Daykin and Destro pushed hard finishing just 4.5 seconds off the pace, while Carl Tundo and Billy Tundo slotted into third.
Night Stages
Stage 5 Golf to Langa, flipped into a high-speed night test, and Nielsen and Bass delivered again, topping Golf–Langa with a time of 32:35. 7.
Daykin and Destro remained firmly in the fight, clocking 32 minutes, 45.2 seconds, just 9.5 seconds adrift, while the Tundo father and son pairing maintained their consistency in third place.
The Pusa–Block 3 stage brought Day 2 to a decisive close, with Piers Daykin and Lloyd Destro delivering a controlled and clinical run to top the night stage in 32 minutes, 42.5 seconds. Nielsen and Bass capped off an impressive day just 8.2 seconds behind, while Farhaaz Khan and Alfir Khan secured third.
Retirements Begin to Shape the Rally
As Day 2 unfolded, the rally continued to take its toll on crews and machines. Car 47 of Peter and Zane Young in the Ford Capri remained out following their roll in Stage 2, although both escaped unharmed. It was also an early end for Car 4 of Richard Arrowsmith and Roger Midwood, who retired after failing to start due to a mechanical issue, while Car 18, crewed by Onkar Kalsi and Qahir Rahim, was forced out with an electrical problem with their Datsun 260Z. Adding to the setbacks, Ian Duncan and Jaspal Matharu rally came to a premature end Saturday night after encountering mechanical issues with their Datsun 280Z.
DAY 3
The final day of the Equatorial Rally tomorrow is set to deliver a demanding and decisive finish, with crews facing their longest and most punishing test yet across Taita Taveta. The action opens with the sweeping 75.50 km Ziwani Fence–Ziwani Canal stage at the Gicheha Farm in Taveta, before the rally returns to the formidable Lumo–Langa section, a 121.30 KM stretch that has already proven to be a true separator. The closing Repeater Two stage will demand one final push covering over 65 km. This will be followed by a prize giving ceremony at the Teita Estate Club House.
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
